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A Guide to Foods High in Cholesterol

Most of what we buy, cook, and eat are foods high in cholesterol, saturated fats, and calories. From processed goods to baked pastries, we may be unaware that we have exceeded our limit of cholesterol intake.

Some food products have been known to be nutritious and good for our health, but there are always setbacks. Did you know that while dairy products like milk and cheese are good sources of calcium, they also have a lot of cholesterol?

- Dairy Products

Dairy products like milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt are foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat, but they are also sources of important nutrients. Fortunately, there are low fat and nonfat dairy products available for people who do not want the extra cholesterol.

You have the option of selecting cheeses that are fat free, low fat, part skim, or reduced fat. Basically, choose cheese that has 3 grams or less of fat per ounce. If you want soft cheeses, try getting the low fat (one percent) or nonfat cottage cheese, farmer cheese, or light ricotta or part skim. Additionally, watch out for cheese that have too much sodium in them.

Instead of whole or two percent milk, try skim or one percent milk. The latter are just as nutritious and rich in calcium as whole milk, but with less fat and cholesterol.

- Eggs

If you have high cholesterol already, avoid egg yolk. It contains around 213 milligrams of dietary cholesterol. If you cannot avoid eating egg yolks, then at least limit your intake to two per week. The limit extends to the yolks in baked and processed goods. Before buying or eating these types of food, check their labels and see how much cholesterol it has or if it uses whole eggs.

You do not have to stop eating eggs, though. Egg whites have no cholesterol in them. You can even use two egg whites to substitute one whole egg.

- Fats and Oils

You can tell that fats and oils are high in cholesterol and calories from their names alone. But that does not mean that they are completely bad for your health. With substitutes and a limit to the total fats and oil intake, you can continue to enjoy your meals.

There are vegetable oils you can use instead of those full of unsaturated fats. Choose canola, sunflower, corn, soybean, olive, sesame, peanut, and safflower oils instead. For margarine, go for the soft tub or the liquid kind. Salad dressings and mayonnaise also come in light or nonfat kinds.

You may also want to tone down your use of butter, fatback, lard, and solid shortenings because these are high in fat and cholesterol.

Though it may be true that most of what we eat are foods high in cholesterol, it does not necessarily mean that we have to drastically change our diet. We can continue to enjoy our meals but we do have to be careful and vigilant of what we take in. The labels on the containers of the food you buy are there for a reason. Check them and see if you are going to be eating too much calories, fat, or cholesterol. You do not have to avoid them, but you can eat them in moderation.