The Low Cholesterol Diet

Guide to Low-Cholesterol Foods

Food Group

Foods to Choose

Foods to Avoid

Milk (2–3 servings daily recommended for adults)

1 serving:
1 cup milk or yogurt
1.5 oz. cheese

Skim milk, nonfat buttermilk, nonfat yogurt, nonfat cheese.

2 percent milk, whole milk and its products, all kinds of cream

Meat and meat alternatives (adults need no more than 6 ounces of meat or its equivalent per day)

1 ounce meat:
1 oz. low-fat cheese
¼ cup cottage cheese,
tuna, or egg substitute
½ cup cooked dried beans
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 egg or 2 egg whites

3 ounces meat:
1/2 chicken breast medium hamburger or pork chop

*cooked meat is about the size of a deck of cards

Use fish and poultry (without skin) more often than red meat. Include fish at least two times per week.

Use lean beef, veal, pork, lamb, and wild game (trim all visible fat before cooking). Lean meats are at least 90 percent fat-free and have no more than 3 grams of fat per ounce.

Low-fat cheeses such as cottage cheese and part-skim mozzarella (should have no more than 5 grams of fat per ounce).

Limit egg yolks to 3 per week, including what is used in cooking. Use egg whites and a cholesterol-free egg substitute as desired.

Meatless or “low meat” main dishes. Use recipes with dried beans, peas, lentils, tofu, peanut butter, or low-fat cheese instead of meat a few times each week. Casseroles and mixed dishes often use less meat.

Duck, goose, skin from all poultry

Heavily marbled and fatty meats, spare ribs, mutton, frankfurters, sausage, and regular cold cuts

Organ meats (liver is so rich in iron and vitamins that a 3-oz. serving may be eaten once a month)

All high-fat natural and processed cheeses, such as cream cheese, cheddar, American, and Swiss

Egg yolks in excess of allowance

Casseroles prepared with high-fat sauces or cheeses

Fruits and vegetables
(eat at least 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables daily)

1 serving fruit:
1 medium piece of fresh fruit
½ cup juice or canned fruit

1 serving vegetable:
½ cup cooked
1 cup raw

All fruits and vegetables

Coconut

Any vegetable prepared with butter, bacon, sour cream, cheese, whole milk, egg yolks, shortening, or meat drippings

Breads, cereals, pasta, and starchy vegetables (eat at least 6 servings daily)

1 serving:
1 slice (1 oz.) bread
1 oz. dinner roll
4–6 crackers
3 cups popcorn
1 cup soup
½ cup cooked rice, cereal, pasta, and dried beans

Whole grain breads and rolls.

Low-fat crackers and snacks made with unsaturated fats.

Popcorn (dry-popped).

Low-fat soups (broth and vegetable-base soups).

Quick breads such as biscuits, muffins, and pancakes, homemade with fats, oils, and milk products. Use your weekly egg allowance or egg whites in recipes.

Any dry or cooked cereal.

Rice, dried beans, and lentils.

Most pasta and starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, corn, winter squash, or yams).

Products made with egg yolks, , oils, or whole milk 

High-fat crackers and snacks

Movie popcorn with butter

Cream soups and chunky-style soups containing large amounts of meat 

Commercial biscuits, croissants, doughnuts, muffins, pastries, and other high-fat baked goods

Commercial mixes containing dried eggs, whole milk, or saturated fat.

Cereals with coconut or coconut oil

Commercial potato chips and french fries.

Egg noodles 

Pasta or rice dishes with cream sauces or high-fat cheeses

Fats and oils
(depending on your need for weight control, use no more than 3–8 servings of unsaturated fats and oils per day; 1 serving of fat equals 5 grams of fat)

1 serving:
1 tsp. oil, margarine, mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. salad dressing
2 Tbsp. low-fat salad dressing

Canola, olive, safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, peanut, and sesame oils.

Trans-fat-free margarines.

Salad dressing and mayonnaise made with oils.

All seeds and most nuts.

Olives and avocados.

Fruits, gelatin, sorbet, nonfat frozen yogurt, water-ice desserts.

Cakes, cookies, and other desserts made with unsaturated fats and oils, skim milk, and your egg allowance.

Cocoa powder, dark chocolate with high cocoa content.

Low-calorie condiments and spices.

Butter, cream, half-and-half, sour cream, shortening, bacon, meat drippings, ham hocks, lard, and salt pork

Foods containing coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, or cocoa butter

Cheese dressing

Brazil nuts

Ice cream and other desserts made with whole milk or cream

Commercial desserts

Commercial fried foods

Cocoa butter

Desserts and snacks
(eat in moderation)