Choose Healthy Fats to Cut Your Cholesterol
If you find yourself confused about cholesterol you’re not alone! Cholesterol is produced in the body and is also found in foods and beverages. Blood cholesterol is tested as a health screening tool. In the past, if your cholesterol was high, you might have been told to avoid high cholesterol foods, such as eggs. But now we know that certain fats - saturated and trans fats - have a larger effect on your blood cholesterol.
Foods high in saturated fats include full fat dairy (butter, cream, half-and-half, ice cream, cheese), tropical oils (coconut, palm oils), and red and highly processed meats (beef, pork, bacon, sausage, hot dogs and brats). Many desserts are also high in saturated fat. It’s important to limit these foods to smaller portions and enjoy in moderation.
Trans fats are partially hydrogenated oils found in some margarine, baked goods, and many processed foods. These fats should be avoided because they raise harmful cholesterol and lower the good cholesterol.
Unsaturated fats are healthy fats. They help to decrease harmful cholesterol. These include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats:
- Monounsaturated fats are found in avocados, olives, nuts and sesame seeds as well as olive, canola, and peanut oils.
- Polyunsaturated fats are found in fish, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts and oils such as corn, soybean, safflower and sunflower oils.
Cutting back on fat or switching to healthier fats doesn’t need to be a huge change. Even small changes add up! Choosing lean meats like skinless chicken and turkey, fish, low-fat dairy products, unsaturated oils and eating broiled or baked foods instead of fried foods are enough to make a difference.
