Cholesterol and Sandwiches

Sandwiches: Sandwiches are easy to make. Simply choose healthy breads or pitas or tortillas that are low in fat and salt and choose lots of vegetables for your sandwiches. Avoid highly processed deli and sandwich meats.

Instead, try to use lean and skinless chicken or other poultry. Instead of butter or mayonnaise on your bread, which can increase the fat content of your sandwich considerably, flavor your sandwich with fresh sweet onions or low-sodium mustard or salsa.

Pastas: There are a number of pastas available, from fresh pasta or dried pasta to vegetable and rice pastas. All can be made into a delicious and heart-friendly meal in minutes.

Just cook the pasta in a pot. Shred your favorite vegetables or cut them into very small pieces. Combine the vegetables with some low-sodium and low-fat chicken or vegetable broth and cook till the vegetables are softer but still crisp. Add the pasta and toss around until the vegetables are the desired consistency.

Add your favorite fresh herbs - basil is a nice choice - and combine. This can be a very tasty combination and is still quite healthy for you.

You can make similar meals with rice or even low-fat tofu. Many prepared pasta dishes use plenty of salt or cream-based sauces, but some combinations of this recipe can give you a tasty meal with a lot less fat.

Smoothie: Combine your favorite fresh fruits in a mixer with some fresh fruit juice and a small spoon of honey. Combine until blended. This can make an excellent and very healthy snack. It can also be a great quick breakfast on days when you are in a rush.

Experiment with different fruit combinations to get different flavours. Chilling or even freezing some of the fruit before serving can produce a nice chilled drink that is perfect for summer. If you are craving desserts you can add a small amount of very low fat frozen yogurt to this recipe and use frozen fruits to get a tasty and heart-friendly alternative to ice cream and other desserts.

Grilled Dishes: Brushing vegetables and lean meats with some lemon juice and herbs and grilling on the barbeque is a great way to enjoy fat-free good-for-you foods that are easy and fast to create.

Lean Meat Dishes: When you have chosen your lean cuts of meat, you can make these foods even healthier by reducing the amount of fat you use when preparing them. For example, marinating poultry and other meats in lemon juice and fresh dill or in pureed fruits and vegetables is a heart-friendly way to get plenty of flavour in your cooking without adding fat.

At many fishmongers, you can get planks of cedar that are perfect for baking or grilling fish. Simply place the fish on the cedar, cover it with lemon juice, add herbs and grill or bake until finished.

Desserts and Snacks: Limiting all desserts and snacks altogether can help you control your weight and your calories intake and so keep your heart healthy. If you absolutely crave a dessert or snack, though, try to satisfy the craving with fresh fruit.

If this doesn’t work, occasionally eating low-fat desserts and snacks such as angel food cake, fig and fruit bars, low-fat yogurt, fruit sherbet, Jello, animal or graham crackers, wafers, puddings made with low-fat milk that make lower-fat alternatives. 

Nevertheless, these products still do often contain sodium, plenty of calories and some fats, so overindulging in them will certainly not allow you to keep your heart healthy. Also, take care to read the labels on these snacks and choose the brands with the least sugar, calories, fat, and salt that you can.

Click here for more about Lower Cholesterol Cooking