Cholesterol diet menu

Cholesterol is the substance that gathers in the arteries and causes them to thicken or even get blocked. When that happens, the flow of oxygen that carries the blood to the heart will be reduced and in some cases it can even stop entirely. This is the reason why people who suffer from high cholesterol have more chance of having a heart attack than other people.

Cholesterol diet food list

Oatmeal and oat bran

The main reason why oatmeal is on this list is because of all the soluble fiber it possesses. Soluble fiber is good because it reduces the low-density lipoprotein or LDL. Various fruits like bananas, apples, oranges, blackberries, grapefruit, peaches and pears all have a lot of this kind of soluble fiber. Apart from these fruits, it can also be found in black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, navy beans, pinto beans, northern beans and yellow, orange and green lentils. Whole grains also aid the heart and that is why a person should eat more whole-grain breads, whole-grain pastas and brown rice.

Nuts

Every person who goes on a high cholesterol diet needs to include walnuts. Walnuts are known to have lots of polyunsaturated fatty acids and can have a big effect on cholesterol reduction. Apart from that, walnuts keep the blood vessels healthy and elastic. Apart from walnuts, other nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts and pistachio nuts are also good. However, a person should not consume more than a handful of nuts in a day.

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids

Fatty fish are known to have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids which lower the cholesterol levels and better the overall health of the heart. A person should eat at least two servings of sardines, mackerel or salmon in one week. These fish are better when grilled or baked.

Olive oil

Olive oil is considered to be the healthiest oil, along with canola oil. One of the reasons why that is so, is because olive oil has lots of antioxidants. Doctors agree that a person should consume two tablespoons of it daily. However, a person should avoid using “light” olive oils.

Foods to exclude

A person who is on a low cholesterol diet should exclude all foods that have trans fats. That means that fried foods like burgers, fries and chips and almost all baked products like cookies and crackers should be avoided. A person should always look at the list of ingredients when buying a product.

Menu

There are lots of foods a person can mix for his or her daily meals. For instance, for breakfast a person can eat oatmeal with honey and apple, for lunch salmon, tomato on toast with salad and for dinner stir-fried chicken breast, vegetables and rice. Between meals a person can eat a fruit or a handful of nuts.