So how much is too much? You should limit your cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams a day (keep in mind that one large egg has about 213 milligrams!) and no more than 10% of your daily calories should consist of saturated fat. Cholesterol is only found in animal products (meat, eggs, butter, cheese, etc.). Large amounts of saturated fats are found in animal products, coconut and palm oil and in hardened margarines and shortenings. Vegetables, fruits, cereal grains, and starches without added fats contain no cholesterol and almost no saturated fat.
Here are some tips to decrease your saturated fat and cholesterol intake:
- Choose lean meats, poultry and fish. Trim off any visible fat
- Avoid frying. Use cooking methods that help remove fat such as baking, broiling, boiling, roasting or stewing
- Try using less high fat, high cholesterol luncheon and variety meats such as sausage, salami, hot dogs or bologna. Ham, turkey or roast beef are much healthier options
- With the winter months ahead of us, try making soups and stews ahead of time so that they can be chilled. You can then skim off the fat before reheating
- Choose oils and margarines made from corn, safflower, sunflower or soybean oil instead of butter, lard or bacon drippings
- Limit your intake of egg yolks to 2-3 per week, including eggs used in cooking. Egg whites or egg substitutes are healthier alternatives
- Choose skim milk or low fat dairy products and cheeses
- Eat more vegetables, fruits, cereal grains and starches
Most importantly be sure to always check the labels. Remember “no cholesterol” does not mean fat-free. The fat contained in the product can be highly saturated. “Non dairy” does not mean that other fats are not used in place of cream or milk. If the label says “Made with pure vegetable oil” or “made with pure vegetable shortening,” be sure to check and see if the oil is coconut or palm, both of which are highly saturated. Has the oil been hydrogenated, thereby turning it into saturated fat? Watch for this in both margarine and shortening.
By Jackie Diamond, RD, LDN, BDO Contributing Writer
- Jackie Diamond is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian with years of clinical experience in nutrition counseling. She has counseled patients on many nutritional areas such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, oncology, and enteral and parenteral feedings. She is also a proud member of the American Dietetic Association.
