Even though fast food outlets have made significant progress in reducing the fat and sodium content of their foods, it's hard to get around the fact that just about any animal food source that is fried or deep fried is going to be relatively high in low density lipoproteins, or the bad type of cholesterol. But there are some other foods to avoid to help you reduce your LDL cholesterol.
High Cholesterol Foods
Animal food sources are higher in cholesterol than plant sources. Marbled meats, sausage, bacon and cold cuts will raise your cholesterol levels. If you need to lower your cholesterol level, replace those types of food products with poultry and fish. Also, try grilling them instead of frying them in fat. Grilling brings out more of the natural flavor and allows the fat to fall away from the food while it's cooking.
Saturated Fats
Eating saturated fat is more responsible for raising serum cholesterol than eating foods that have high cholesterol. Foods with saturated fat include duck, egg yolks, butter, hydrogenated vegetable oils and whole fat dairy products.
Trans Fats
Like saturated fats, trans fats are added to a variety of foods to extend their shelf life and to make them taste better. But they also raise the level of cholesterol in your blood. Spreads like margarine are loaded in trans fats, although those that come in a tub are generally healthier for you than stick margarine. Frozen foods like apple pies, chicken pot pies and doughnuts are typically high in trans fats. Other snack foods to avoid include pound cake--one slice has over 4.3 grams of trans fats and potato chips that contain over 3.2 grams of trans fats in one small single serving bag.
