Lower Cholesterol Shopping Cheat Sheet

When you go shopping, take the following list with you to help you make good food choices:

Good Food Bets:

• whole grain cereals, oats, and cereals that have psyllium and flaxseed.
• Any types of fresh fruit.
• Grains such as quinoa, barley, hominy, millet, amaranth, bulgur, couscous, nuts : e.g. almonds, pecans, walnuts, soy, also lives all with no additives like salt and all untoasted.
• Dried legumes, beans, peas, lentils.
• Vegetables of all kinds, fresh where possible, but frozen is fine too.
• Soybean products such as tofu and soy milk.
• Whole wheat, rye, pumpernickel bread. Llook for low-salt varieties and check the level of fat first.
• Tortillas.
• Whole grain pita breads and crackers. Make sure to get low-salt varieties and check the fat content - lower the better.
• Fresh garlic and herbs, dried spices and herbs.
• Low-sodium salsa or spicy sauce.
• Low fat and low sodium soup base or stock.
• Low sodium pasta sauce.
• Lean meats and chicken.
• Fish.
• Olive oil.
• Low fat dairy products.
• Egg whites.
• Rice and pastas.
• Popcorn that can be air-popped.
• Water.
• Fresh fruit juice.

Avoid or Buy Very Little Of These Items. Or At Least Find Lower-Fat Alternatives:

• Whole eggs
• Whole milk products
• Red meat that is fatty
• Organ meats
• Processed or prepared foods. Heat and serve foods or sandwich meats and sausages.
• Granola or muesli cereals. Many contain lots of fat.
• Sports drinks, sodas, fruit "beverages". Many are high in salt as well as sugar.

Watch out for these ingredients or food values on food labels:

► Sodium, salt.
► Eggs and egg products
►Shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. These are high in trans fats.
►Fat, particularly trans fats and saturated fats.

Now continue to the next step in our lower cholesterol guide: Tips for Treatments and Drugs