According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in The United States. Coronary artery disease is the main form of heart disease and this is caused by cholesterol plaques that attach to the linings of the arteries. Cholesterol is ingested through dietary sources. If you have coronary artery disease, you should avoid eating foods high in cholesterol.
Animal Protein
Animal protein contains the most cholesterol. Red meat, like steak, hamburger and organ meats, have very high saturated fat content, which contributes to high cholesterol. Total cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol, also called the "bad" cholesterol, are elevated by saturated fats, according to MayoClinic.com. No more than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fats, according to MayoClinic.com. Animal products, such as chicken, pork, lamb and egg yolk, contain varying levels of cholesterol. In a low-cholesterol diet, these foods should be minimized, particularly if you have coronary heart disease.
Fast Foods
Fast foods in America are extremely high in calories, fat, saturated fat and sodium. A sausage McMuffin consists of 21 g of fat, 9 g of saturated fat and 45 mg of cholesterol, according to FastFoodNutrition.org. A KFC original recipe chicken breast contains 24 g of fat, 6 g of saturated fat and 135 mg of cholesterol. Eat a Bavarian cream donut from Dunkin Donuts and you will ingest 15 g of fat, and 7 g of saturated fat. When kid's meals at several fast food chains were analyzed by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, it found that these meals were packed full of calories, sodium and saturated fat. Out of the five worst kid's meals that made the list, McDonald's Mighty Kids Meal was the worst with 840 calories and 37 g of fat.
Foods With Trans Fat
Trans fats are found in margarine and snack foods. Trans fats are particularly harmful as they not only raise LDL cholesterol but lower HDL cholesterol, or "good" cholesterol, according to MayoClinic.com. Commercially baked cookies and other pastries often contain trans fats. Another name for trans fat is partially hydrogenated oil, which may be listed in the nutrition label. If you have coronary artery disease, avoid food products that contain trans fats.
