High Cholesterol and the Heart-Healthy Kitchen
Heart-healthy foods are essential to a heart-healthy diet. If you want to eat a better diet but are not sure what foods you should buy, check out this kitchen essentials guide. From fruits and vegetables to whole grain goodness, learn what foods to keep on hand.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Fill your fridge with seasonal fruits such as berries, oranges, apples, pears, and grapes, and vegetables such as bell peppers, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, tomatoes, dark leafy greens, celery, eggplant, zucchini, and squash.
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
- Skim or 1% milk
- Soymilk (plain, unsweetened, vanilla, or chocolate)
- Low-fat or nonfat buttermilk
- Nonfat half-and-half or nonfat creamers
- Nonfat or reduced-fat cheese (bricks, slices, or shredded)
- Soy-based cheeses (bricks, slices, or shredded)
- Nonfat or light cream cheese
- Nonfat or 1% fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
- Nonfat or 1% fat yogurt (includes fruited, vanilla, or plain)
- Soy-based yogurts
- Nonfat sour cream
- Egg substitutes, egg whites
Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Meat Substitutes
- Skinless, boneless chicken or turkey breasts and tenders
- Skinless, white breast meat ground chicken or turkey
- Pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
- Lean ground beef such as ground round or ground sirloin (Note: When buying beef, look for words like "round" or "loin" and choose lean cuts -- the less marbling, the lower the fat content.)
- Assorted fish: salmon, mackerel, tilapia, trout, herring, tuna
- Tofu silken, soft, firm, or extra firm
- Tempeh
- Seitan
Frozen Foods
- Frozen vegetables and vegetable blends without added sauces, gravies, and added sodium
- Frozen fruits without added sugar (for example, frozen blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries)
- Frozen soybeans (edamame)
- Frozen vegetarian burgers, sausage patties, or links
- Reduced-fat and sodium vegetarian chili, burritos, and entrees
Fats, Cooking Oils
- Cooking oils (such as olive, canola)
- Non-fat cooking sprays
- Baking fat replacements
- Non-hydrogenated shortening
- Trans-free liquid or tub margarine
- Reduced-fat or nonfat salad dressings
Seasonings vs. Salt
Here are some delicious seasonings to take the place of salt.
| Allspice | Basil | Bay Leaves | Black pepper |
| Caraway seeds | Cayenne | Chili powder | Chinese five-spice |
| Cinnamon | Cloves | Coriander | Cumin |
| Curry powder | Dill | Garlic powder | Ginger, ground |
| Italian seasoning | Marjoram | Mint | Nutmeg |
| Onion powder | Oregano | Paprika | Parsley |
| Red pepper flakes | Rosemary | ||
| Assorted sodium-free Mrs. Dash seasonings | |||
Sweeteners
- Sugar substitutes
- Sugar free or "light" maple syrups
- Honey
- Brown rice syrup for a sweetening alternative to use when baking
Pantry Essentials
Snacks
- Assorted raw nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds)
- Dried fruits
- Whole-grain breads, tortillas, pitas
- Whole-grain, trans-fat free crackers
- Baked, trans-fat-free tortilla chips
- Brown rice cakes, popcorn cakes
- Whole-grain pretzels
- Plain popcorn or light microwave popcorn
Condiments
- Assorted vinegars: rice, red wine, balsamic, apple cider, raspberry. These make delicious salad dressings.
- Reduced-sodium ketchup
- Assorted mustards: whole grain, honey, Dijon, yellow
- Reduced-sodium soy sauce
- Reduced-fat or nonfat mayonnaise
- Barbecue sauce
Beans, Grains, Sauces
- Assorted canned beans such as lentils, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, and black beans (Note: Choose low or reduced sodium)
- Dried beans (lentils, split peas, garbanzo beans, black beans)
- Reduced-sodium soups with beans
- Vegetarian chili beans
- Vegetarian or nonfat refried beans
- Rolled, steel cut, or Irish oats
- Oat bran
- Whole or ground flaxseeds
- Whole-grain cold cereals (Note: Choose cereals that contain 5 or more grams of dietary fiber and fewer than 8 grams of sugar per serving.)
- Barley
- Brown rice, wild rice, and brown basmati rice
- Grains such as wheat berries, couscous, polenta, millet, bulgur, or quinoa (pronounced keen-wa)
- Whole-wheat, spelt, or kamut pastas (Note: These whole-grain pastas come in bowtie, fettuccini, lasagna, spaghetti, fusili, spiral, elbow macaroni, and ravioli varieties.)
- Wheat germ
- Whole-wheat flour and whole-wheat pastry flour
- Soy flour
- Cornmeal
- Reduced-sodium canned diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, and tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Low-fat or fat-free pasta sauce
- Reduced-sodium chicken, beef, and vegetable broths
- 98% fat-free cream of mushroom or chicken soups
WebMD Medical Reference
Is This Normal? Get the Facts Fast!
Answer:
0-199
200-239
240+
Your level is currently
Congratulations! Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal.
Congratulations! Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is borderline high. If your LDL goes higher, your total cholesterol level could become Borderline High. Consider reducing the amount of foods you eat with saturated fats and increasing physical activity. If you get more exercise, your level of "good" HDL cholesterol may increase, which could also help to keep your levels of LDL and total cholesterol in check.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High. This may mean that your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, is too low. It is best to have a high level of "good" HDL and a low level of "bad" LDL. The HDL helps keep your LDL level in check. Ask your doctor for your HDL level. If your HDL is low, increasing your physical activity can increase it, which may help reduce your LDL level.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. This may mean that your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, is too low. It is best to have a high level of "good" HDL and a low level of "bad" LDL because the HDL helps keep your LDL level in check. Ask your doctor for your HDL level. If your HDL is low, increasing your physical activity can increase it, which may help reduce your LDL level.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High, but fortunately your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have other non-measured increases in LDL-like particles that can increase heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High, but fortunately your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have other non-measured increases in LDL-like particles that can increase heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Borderline High, too. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. But your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol is High, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have elevated secondary lipids, such as non-HDL particles that increase the risk of heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol is High, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have elevated secondary lipids, such as non-HDL particles that increase the risk of heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Borderline High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High, too. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels! If you are struggling to bring down your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, your doctor may prescribe medication, such as statins. Following medication, dietary, and exercise instructions should result in improvements.
Your total cholesterol level is High, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels! If you are struggling to bring down your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, your doctor may prescribe statins or other cholesterol-lowering medications.
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