Your cholesterol level is not only controlled by what you eat, but what you eat can play a considerable role. Your cooking style can be adapted to decrease the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat content in your foods. Also, you can add certain ingredients to your cooking which will help to lower your blood cholesterol levels. By making these healthy changes to your cooking you can decrease your risk of heart disease.
Reduce Saturated Fat and Cholesterol in Meats
High amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol can raise your cholesterol levels. Cook meats to lower their saturated fat content. Cook with lean meats such as fatty fish and white meat poultry or trim excess fat off of the meat and remove skin prior to cooking. Grill, steam, bake or cook meat on a rack to allow the fat to drip off the meat while it is cooking.
Some meats are high in cholesterol and saturated fat and should be avoided in your cooking. Organ meats contain considerably high amounts of cholesterol and processed meats such as bacon and sausage are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Keep these meats out of your cooking to avoid increasing your cholesterol levels.
Choose Healty Oils and Fats
Butter and lard contain high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol, which when used in your cooking can raise your cholesterol levels. Replace these fats with healthy alternatives, such as olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil and sesame seed oil. Healthy fat alternatives will not only decrease your saturated fat and cholesterol intake but also provide you with cholesterol lowering omega-3 fatty acids.
Avoid using margarine and vegetable oil-containing trans fats or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Including even small amounts of trans fats in your cooking can raise your bad cholesterol and lower your good.
Avoid Whole-Fat Dairy
Products made with whole-fat dairy such as cheese, whole milk, cream and butter should be left out of your cooking. These products contain high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol and will not help you lower your blood cholesterol levels. Switch to nonfat and low-fat dairy options to help reduce your cholesterol levels. Also, soy milk can be used as a cholesterol-free food option. Use strongly flavored cheeses in your cooking; this will allow you to cut back on the amount you use in your recipes.
Increase the Fiber
Increase the fiber in your cooking by adding additional vegetables to all your recipes. Replace refined grains such as white rice, pasta and bread with whole grain options such as brown rice, whole-grain bread and whole-grain pasta. By increasing the amount of fiber in your cooking you can help lower your cholesterol. Fiber helps to block excess amounts of cholesterol from being absorbed by your intestines.
Cook With Egg Whites
The egg yolk is where most of the cholesterol and saturated fat is found in the egg. By removing the egg yolk from the egg and using only the egg white you can considerably decrease the cholesterol contained in your cooking. Replace every whole egg with two egg whites in your cooking.
