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Simple Tips to Cut Cholesterol in Your Kitchen

Don't let high-cholesterol foods sneak into your fridge and pantry. It's easy to replace them with more nutritious options-if you know how.

Your kitchen. The heart of your home, the place where your family and friends gather to make happy memories and share good times. But did you know your kitchen could also harbor two unwanted "visitors"? These unwelcome guests lurk in your fridge, your pantry, and your cupboard, and can raise your cholesterol to unhealthy levels, boosting your heart disease risk. "High levels of saturated and trans fats can raise 'bad' LDL cholesterol levels, which may reduce blood flow through your arteries," says Milton Stokes, RD, chief clinical dietitian at St. Barnabas Hospital, in Bronx, New York. "But high levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol, as well as nutrients like soluble fiber, soy, and 'healthy' fats, may help keep blood moving smoothly." Here are some tips from Stokes and his colleague, Patricina Vasconcellos, RD, CDE, both spokespeople for the American Dietetic Association, to help you greet healthier foods into your home and yank the welcome mat out from under cholesterol-raising drop-ins.

Slash saturated fats. Some dairy foods can be high in saturated fat, but your body needs the nutrients dairy foods provide. What to do? Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese. Meat also can be a source of saturated fat. Keep your cuts lean by looking for the words "round" or "loin" on the labels, or choose light poultry meats, such as chicken breast or turkey breast.

Get tough on trans fats. These fats, which are primarily from partially hydrogenated oils, may be found in margarine, cookies, crackers, and snack foods. Good news: Finding trans fats will become easier starting January 1, 2006, when labeling requirements for trans fat go into effect.

Replace your butter. Choose a tub margarine. Many are free of trans fats. (Hint: Look for margarines that are soft at room temperature.) Or choose a buttery spread containing plant sterol esters, which have been shown to help reduce total and "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Focus on soluble fiber. Foods made with whole grains like oats, barley, and rye, legumes and beans, and fruits and vegetables contain cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Soluble fiber and cholesterol from foods reach the stomach and travel to the small intestine. Cholesterol also reaches the small intestine from the blood. Soluble fiber forms a gel that binds some cholesterol in the intestine and takes it out of the body. Many cereals state the soluble fiber content on their package labels.

Say "soy." Soy protein may help lower total and "bad" LDL cholesterol. Drink soymilk, add tofu to stir-fries, grill soy burgers, marinate tofu in fat-free dressing to top salads, and add cubes of tofu to soups and stews. Blend fruit, ice, and juice with silken tofu for tasty smoothies.

Refine your fats. Olive, canola, and peanut oils are all sources of monounsaturated fats—a better choice than saturated fats. Nuts, such as walnuts and almonds, also contain monounsaturated fats, so add them to cereal, yogurt, and salads. But don't go overboard, because nuts contain more calories than you might guess. One serving of nuts should fit into the palm of a woman's hand.