A Low Cholesterol Diet Plan

There's certainly no reason to wait until you've been told to eat a low cholesterol diet before making the change in your eating habits.

But if you've been told by a doctor, then waste no time in getting started on your new lifestyle. This lifestyle means eating foods that will give you the nutrition you need, but making sure you lower your cholesterol levels as well.

Start by looking at the dairy products in your diet. No you probably won't have to cut them all out, but some modifications will be necessary. Certainly you'll have to cut down on them as part of a low cholesterol diet, and you'll have to find substitutes for others. For instance if you're a whole milk user, you most likely won't have to remove milk from your diet, but chances are you'll be required to switch to no fat or at least low fat milk. If however you do have to get rid of milk altogether, there are substitutes available. You can use soy milk for example. Cheese, butter and eggs will also be on the list of things you need to reduce and possibly eliminate.

Changes will also be made in the way you eat meat. Again we're not talking about eliminating everything, but a low cholesterol diet will require you to at least change the way you cook and eat. The biggest change will be in the amount of fried foods you eat. Baking and broiling will replace frying in your diet. This may sound difficult at first if you're a fried chicken lover, but don't get discouraged. If properly seasoned, a broiled chicken will be just as flavorful, tender and juicy as they fried food you've been accustomed to eating. Fried fish lovers, the same goes for you. Broiling will help drain some of the saturated fats present in fish.

If it sounds like we're saying fried foods will no longer be a part of your diet, you are correct. But after a short while you'll be surprised at how easily you can live without them. Especially when you consider how much longer you'll likely live without them. Out are the fatty foods, in are foods that are baked or steamed, and this goes for vegetables as well. But doing without fats doesn't mean doing without flavor. Your low cholesterol diet simply means you're no longer seasoning with animal fats. Instead you're seasoning with herbs and spices. All it takes is a willingness to do a little experimenting to find combinations you'll love.

These of course are just guidelines. Your doctor will no doubt provide you with a list of foods that should be on your list, and other foods that you will need to cross off. He or she can also help tell you where to go to get great tips and recipes that are both tasty and filling. It won't be long before you're looking forward to some of these meals as much as you look forward to fried chicken today. And your low cholesterol diet will help make sure you're around to enjoy them longer.