Low Cholesterol Food From Animal Products
Food from animals will have at least some
cholesterol; however, the amount of cholesterol varies, so there is low cholesterol food that comes from animals. Let's look at low cholesterol foods by food group.
Poultry, Fish, and Meat Substitutes
In general, chicken and turkey are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, especially when the skin is removed. Most fish is also considered low cholesterol food along with being low in saturated fat.
Some shellfish would be considered a low cholesterol food; others would not. But shellfish does have little saturated fat and total fat. Even shrimp can be enjoyed occasionally on a heart healthy diet, provided you eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day. For example, 3 ounces of steamed shrimp has 167 milligrams of cholesterol.
Keep in mind when considering poultry and fish as low cholesterol food that even the leanest meat, chicken, fish, and shellfish have saturated fat and cholesterol; limit the total amount you eat to 5 ounces or less per day.
Dry peas and beans and tofu (bean curd) are great meat substitutes since they are low cholesterol foods. Dry peas and beans also have a lot of fiber, which can help to lower blood cholesterol
(see Cholesterol Lowering Food).
Try adding a ½ cup of beans to pasta, soups, casseroles, and vegetable dishes. Tofu takes on the flavor of marinades well. Try marinating tofu in a nonfat dressing or a tangy sauce and grilling or baking for a heart healthy dish.
Eggs
Egg yolks are high in dietary cholesterol -- each contains about 213 milligrams. So, egg yolks are limited to no more than 4 yolks per week. This includes the egg yolks in baked goods and processed foods. Check the label to see how much cholesterol the food contains, or ask the bakery if the recipe uses whole eggs. Limit these types of foods for occasional treats.
Egg whites have no cholesterol, and you can substitute them for whole eggs in recipes -- two egg whites are equal to one whole egg. You can also use cholesterol free egg substitute in place of whole eggs -- in many baked goods, you can't tell the difference.
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