High blood cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for heart disease. According to the National Cholesterol Education Program, heart disease is the leading cause of death for adult men and women in the U.S. Following a cholesterol-controlled diet, exercising and maintaining a healthy body weight can help keep your blood cholesterol levels under control. A 2,300-calorie cholesterol controlled diet is appropriate for some people, so discuss it with your doctor.
Relevance
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 provides estimated calorie needs for children and adults. Based on these estimates, a 2,300-calorie diet is likely appropriate for healthy weight maintenance for sedentary men ages 31 to 50, moderately active men over 50 and active women ages 19 to 50. Based on the same guidelines, you are likely to lose weight following a 2,300-calorie meal plan if you're an adult man aged 19 to 30 or an active or moderately active man aged 31 to 50.
Foods to Limit
When trying to control your blood cholesterol levels, it's important to limit foods high in dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that adult Americans consume an average of 11 percent of their daily calories from saturated fats. In general, high-fat foods from animal sources are often high in saturated fats, cholesterol or both. These types of foods may include butter, whole milk, cheese, eggs, bacon, fatty meats, lard and ice cream.
Recommendations
The U.S. Department of Health and Humans Services' Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes or TLC diet has been shown to help lower blood cholesterol levels using diet and lifestyle changes. When following the TLC diet to help improve and control your blood cholesterol levels, you'll be asked exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week, maintain a healthy body weight, consume 10 to 25 g of soluble fiber per day, consume 2 g of plant sterols or stanols per day, limit dietary cholesterol to less than 200 mg per day, limit saturated fat to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories and consume 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories from total fats.
Sample Meal Plan
A 2,300-calorie cholesterol-controlled diet limits or avoids foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats, and is high in fiber-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. A sample 2,300-calorie meal plan based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines includes 2 cups of fruits, 3 cups of vegetables, 7 1/2 oz. of grains, 6 1/2 oz. of protein foods such as seafood, lean meats, poultry, soy products or nuts, 3 cups of low-fat dairy products, 30 g of oils and about 300 extra calories from saturated fats or added sugars.
