Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is found in your blood. There are two types of cholesterol: LDL and HDL.
- LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) can build up in the walls of your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke
- HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) removes bad cholesterol from the blood, high levels of HDL reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
It is important to know the levels of good and bad cholesterol in your blood. Too much of the bad type or not enough of the good type can put you at risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke.
Guides to help you consume a low-fat & low-cholesterol diet
Aim for 5 servings per day and always ask for salad & fruit dressing on the side
Grains & Starches:
Choose more often whole grain products
| Choose... | Instead Of... |
|---|---|
| Choose... | Instead Of... |
| Bread (whole wheat, pumpernickel, rye, multi-grain) | Baked pastries (i.e. croissants, danish, donuts, cakes, cookies) |
| Dishes made with tomato sauce | Dishes made with butter/cream sauce |
| Rice (basmati, wild), boiled | |
| Barley, burghul | |
| Whole grain cereals (i.e. all bran, oatmeal, muesli) | |
| High fibre crisp bread |
Fruits & Vegetables
Aim for 5 servings per day and always ask for salad & fruit dressing on the side
| Choose... | Instead Of... |
|---|---|
| Choose... | Instead Of... |
| Fruits & Vegetables – fresh or frozen | Crispy curls |
| French fries | |
| Fried/tempura vegetables | |
| Fried onion rings | |
| Coconut Fried fruit |
Milk & Alternatives
Choose more often fat-free or low-fat dairy products
Cheeses (fat-free/low-fat <15-20% milk fat)Cream, Kashta
| Choose... | Instead Of... |
|---|---|
| Laban/Labneh (fat-free/low-fat) | Full-fat cheeses (gruyere, kashkaval, cheddar, parmesan) |
| Milk – fat-free/low fat | Fried/tempura vegetables |
| Yoghurt, unsweetened – fat-free/low-fat (plain or flavoured) | Full-fat milk & yoghurt |
| Soy/Rice beverages – fat-free/low-fat | Whipped cream |
Meat & Alternatives
Use the following cooking methods more frequently: broiling, steaming, poaching, baking, boiling, roasting or barbecuing, trim off all visible top fat & remove the skin. Consume red meat no more than twice (2x) a week.
| Choose... | Instead Of... |
|---|---|
| All kinds of beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas | Luncheon meat, smoked meat, hotdogs |
| Fish | Fried eggs |
| Poultry – no skin | Fried meats |
| Lean cuts of meat beef | Fried fish, caviar |
| Egg whites | Organ meats: liver/kidney/brain |
| Egg yolks (limit to 2x/week) | Shawarma |
| Tofu, low-fat | Shrimps |
Fats & Oils
| Choose... | Instead Of... |
|---|---|
| Unsaturated oils – olive, canola, sunflower, soybean | Butter, ghee, lard, margarine, mayonnaise |
| Salad dressings – fat-free/low-fat made with unsaturated oils | |
| Poultry – no skin |
Fruits & Vegetables
Aim for 5 servings per day and always ask for salad & fruit dressing on the side
| Choose... | Instead Of... |
|---|---|
| Fresh fruit – Yoghurt, unsweetened or sugar-free | Cakes with icing/Cheesecake |
| Skimmed or semi-skimmed, sugar-free milkshake made with fruit such as strawberries or guava | Chocolate fondant |
| 70-85% chocolate (small amount) | Crème Brûlée/Crème caramel |
| Biscuits | |
| Ice cream | |
| Full-fat milkshakes with sugar | |
| Milk chocolate | |
| Pastries and pies |
