Low Cholesterol Diet Plan

Heart disease is now the leading cause of death in the United States—for both men and women. Tragically, in many cases, it can be prevented. Lowering your cholesterol is a key step to promoting a healthy heart, and a low cholesterol diet plan is easier—and more delicious—to follow than you’d think.

Low Cholesterol Foods vs. Cholesterol Lowering Foods

A low cholesterol diet plan can consist of either low cholesterol foods or cholesterol lowering foods, or a combination of both.
Low cholesterol foods are foods that contain little or no cholesterol—lean meats (especially poultry), low- or non-fat dairy products and any plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes). Eating these foods helps limit the amount of dietary cholesterol you take in.

Cholesterol lowering foods are foods that actually help decrease the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol in your blood. These foods may actually be high in fat, but the fat they contain is monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, which causes the liver to produce less LDL cholesterol and more high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol. Some cholesterol lowering foods are avocado, oatmeal, fish, nuts and olive oil.

Low Cholesterol Diet Recipes

There are many books, websites, classes and even TV shows dedicated to healthy eating, including low cholesterol recipes. You can even find entire low cholesterol diet menus. However, you don’t necessarily have to follow a strict meal plan to lower your cholesterol and keep it in a healthy range. You can make almost any meal low cholesterol by substituting animal-based food products, such as meat and dairy, with plant-based alternatives, like soy, tofu and vegetables. At the very least, ensure meat is lean and keep portions small—no more than 3 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards).

To keep your meal options open while still adhering to a low cholesterol diet, find or create a low cholesterol diet sheet to refer to when cooking or ordering meals out.

This sheet lists food groups/types down the left-hand margin and has three columns across the top: foods to eat regularly, foods to eat in moderation and foods to avoid or eat sparingly. For example, under the “meats” category, foods to eat regularly would include white fish and lean white meat like turkey or chicken. Foods to eat in moderation would include shellfish and lean ham, beef, pork and lamb. Finally, foods to avoid or eat sparingly would be caviar or roe and sausages, duck, meat pies and meat cuts with visible fat. For dairy, foods to eat regularly would be skim or low-fat milk and yogurt, as well as cottage cheese and egg whites. Foods to eat in moderation would include egg yolks and certain soft cheeses (camembert, parmesan), and foods to avoid would be whole milk, cream (including ice cream) and most hard cheeses.

Following this sheet will allow you to vary your meal selection and even eat at restaurants while still adhering to a heart-healthy diet.