If your doctor has told you to lower your dietary cholesterol, an emphasis on fish and almonds can guide you toward a healthy diet. Fish can be fatty (such as salmon) or lean (such as cod), but all are low in saturated fat, the culprit in a high cholesterol count. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish are not only unsaturated fat alternatives to those in meats, they actively lower blood cholesterol. Almonds are a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids that make an easy addition to your diet.
Subtract These Fats
Step 1
Track your dietary fat intake for a week. Note the amount of saturated and trans fats. Note your current consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, present in canola oil and ground flaxseed as well as fish.
Step 2
Trim the high cholesterol saturated and trans fats to under 10 percent of your total calorie intake. Dietary contributors to "bad" cholesterol include fatty meats, chicken with skin and high-fat dairy products.
Step 3
Reduce the level of these fats in your healthy diet further as you transition to mono-, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids. Food sources of these fats should supply adequate nutrition in combination with other food groups.
Add These Fats
Step 1
Choose fish with significant omega-3 fatty acids, such as trout, salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, sardines and herring, for meals at least twice a week. These fats lower bad high cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and raise "good" cholesterol elements, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Step 2
Increase fish protein of all types including cod, catfish and halibut in your menu as you decrease meat consumption. Preserve your healthy diet by broiling or grilling instead of cooking fish with added fats.
Step 3
Eat almonds, almond butter, walnuts, walnut oil and other nut products daily (about 1 ounce almonds, or about 2 dozen nuts). These contain unsaturated fatty acids to decrease high cholesterol and promote healthy blood vessels.
Tips and Warnings
- If you have your cholesterol checked before beginning your diet, a retest in several months will show you how much progress you've made. Limit total fat intake to between 20 and 35 percent of fat calories, and choose mono- or polyunsaturated fats over saturated and trans fats. Consume less than 300 mg cholesterol per day.
- Almonds (1 oz, 163 calories) and salmon (3 oz broiled, 184 calories) are beneficial to a healthy diet, but carry a high calorie count. Eat them in moderation.
