Low-Fat / Low Cholesterol Diet

Cholesterol is necessary to several functions of the body, according to Discovering Nutrition, but most people get far more cholesterol than they need from their diet. Fat is also necessary in the body, but an excess can lead to many health problems. Discovering Nutrition also points out that only 20 percent to 35 percent of the calories you consume should be from fat. Most of the fat you eat comes from meat or animal products. Since dietary cholesterol comes from the same sources, low-fat diets and low-cholesterol diets combine well.

Step 1

Avoid high-fat meats. Meats that are high in fat tend to be high in cholesterol as well. Exchange Lists for Meal Planning gives several examples of high-fat meats: spareribs, ground pork, pork sausage, bologna, salami, bratwurst, Polish sausage, smoked sausage, hot dogs and bacon.

Step 2

Limit fatty foods. Don't add much butter or margarine to your food. Most cheeses are high in fat and cholesterol as well, so you should restrict your intake of cheese. Regulate how many seeds and nuts you eat because they have a lot of fat; peanuts also contain cholesterol. Avocados, olives, and coconut are relatively high in fat as well.

Step 3

Restrict pastries. Many pastries, such as Danishes and donuts, are high in fat. Limit your intake of these to one per week or less. Pie crust has a high proportion of fat too.

Step 4

Avoid frying foods because it can add a lot of unnecessary fat. Bake, boil or grill your food instead. If you have to fry food, such as hamburger, drain it frequently.

Step 5

Choose low-fat dairy products. Avoid whole milk and 2 percent milk because they are relatively high in fat and cholesterol. Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy recommends drinking 1 percent or fat-free milk instead.

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Step 6

Eat fruits and vegetables. Since few fruits or vegetables have any fat or cholesterol, these food groups provide a healthy alternative for your diet. Eat them as part of your meals, as a dessert and as a snack.

Tips and Warnings

Add extra herbs and spices. Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy also recommends using fat-free meat-based or vegetable broths, and nonfat butter-flavored products to increase flavor. Since fat is flavorful, low-fat foods can taste bland at first.