Cooking for Lower Cholesterol

You know that the way you eat is vitally important to bringing and keeping your cholesterol levels within normal range, right? Well, you may not be sure exactly what that means in terms of how you prepare the foods you eat at home.

It's actually quite simple to prepare healthy meals that can help lower your cholesterol. If you're pressed for time, there are a number of ways to make quick, easy meals that are heart healthy and will help you lower your cholesterol.

Salads are one very easy way to make a meal quickly. Pre-washed, bagged salad mix is very quick, but you might consider making your own salad dressing. Many bottled salad dressings are high in cholesterol or trans fat.

You can make your own by mixing olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice with your favorite seasonings. Be sure to avoid eggs, cheese, croutons, bacon, and other fatty meats. You can add meats such as skinless chicken, turkey, and grilled or broiled fish.

Don't forget about fruit salads. You can mix together all kinds of fruits for a delicious and healthful meal. You can try apples, berries, melon chunks, pineapple, grapes, peaches, pears, bananas, mandarin orange slices, mangos, and papaya.

There are dozens of types of fruit in most supermarkets, so you can experiment to find the kind you like. You can flavor to the salad with some artificial sweetener, or a bit of agave nectar. Just don't add dairy, sugar, or syrups.

You don't have to be limited to salads. You can learn how to create a wide variety of meal plans that satisfy your nutritional needs, yet still taste great!

Sandwiches made on whole grain bread, whole grain pitas, or whole grain tortillas are another very quick way to eat a healthy meal. You can simply throw some vegetables or skinless chicken or turkey on your bread or tortillas with some of your homemade salad dressing, some salsa, or a little mustard. It's quick, delicious, and very satisfying. Just remember not to use cheese or any high-cholesterol meats.

Homemade soups can be delicious, filling, and very healthy. Use plenty of fresh vegetables and herbs, and leave out the high-fat meats, dairy, and oils. There are many different delicious soup recipes that have little or no fat or cholesterol.

Be sure to keep plenty of fresh produce available at all times. When you first bring fruits and vegetables home from the store, you should go ahead and wash and prepare them. Break lettuce down into leaves and store it in a plastic zipper bag.

Wash broccoli and break it down into florets. Trim the tops off of radishes and wash them. Basically, you want to do all of your preparation that day, so that for the next several days all you have to do is grab your ingredients and use them. This helps make it less tempting to grab convenience foods or order pizza, because everything is already ready for you to use.

The Mediterranean Diet is a good source of learning how to cook for lowered cholesterol. Pasta can be a very good alternative. Be sure to get eggless pasta, and you might even want to choose a whole grain version.

Don't use fatty meats or cheeses, and avoid cream-based sauces. You should use a meatless marinara sauce, or use skinless chicken and vegetables to complement the noodles. You can also use a combination of olive oil, garlic, and herbs.

When you prepare meats, you should choose lean meats. You can boil, bake, broil, grill, or sauté in a bit of olive oil or cooking spray. Fish can be very good for you, and it contains fats that are very good for your heart and brain. You can cook poultry with the skin on to seal in the juices, but just be sure to remove and discard the skin before you eat it.