4 Types of Foods That Could Make Your Cholesterol Level Worse

Foods high in saturated fat may be the main culprit in raising cholesterol levels. If not consumed in moderation, they can clog your blood vessels, leading to heart disease and stroke.

1. Fried foods

Fried foods are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol, avoid fried foods with the following fats and oils:

• Beef tallow
• Coconut oil
• Lard
• Palm oil
• Corn oil
• Peanut oil
• Partially hydrogenated oils (the main source of unhealthy trans fats in foods)
• Vegetable shortening

2. Fatty meats

Meat is another source of cholesterol, but not all meat products carry the same risk.

Here are examples of foods that can raise your cholesterol levels:

• Beef
• Lamb
• Pork (with skin)
• Poultry (with skin)
• Processed meats (e.g., hot dogs, deli meats, bacon, sausages)

If you want to reduce the cholesterol level in your meats, make choices like:

• Grilling or grilling instead of frying or pan-frying
• Choose white meat over red meat
• Opt for lean cuts of meat
• Eliminate visible fat
• Drain the fats before serving
• Remove the skin from foods like chicken before cooking

3. Full-fat dairy products

Meats aren’t the only animal foods that can raise cholesterol levels. Animal-based dairy products that may contain high levels of saturated fat include:

To reduce your cholesterol intake, limit your intake of fatty products to a moderate amount and switch to low-fat (skim) milk instead of whole milk.

4. Sweets and desserts

Baked goods usually contain butter or oils high in saturated fat.

Prepackaged treats are difficult to modify, but if you’re baking at home, you can take the following steps to reduce the cholesterol content of your desserts:

• Choose fresh fruit rather than “thick syrup” canned fruit.
• Reduce the amount of sugar or use sugar substitutes in your recipes.
• Replace butter with healthy oils, bananas, pumpkin or applesauce.
• Use whole wheat flour.

Tips for a heart-healthy diet

Specific food choices can help lower your cholesterol levels, including the following:

• Read your nutrition labels to know the saturated fat content of your food.
• Limit your saturated fats at 7% or less of your daily calories, or 13g of saturated fat for a 2,000 calorie diet.
• Increase your fiber intake at least 25 grams (g) for women and 38 g for men per day.
• Use the plate method with 1/2 of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 with whole grains and 1/4 with lean proteins.
• Choose lean proteins such as poultry, fatty fish (e.g. salmon), and plant-based proteins (e.g. beans) compared to red and processed meats.
• Avoid excess added sugar– no more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day for women and no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons) for men.
• Avoid or limit alcohol two drinks or less per day for men, one drink or less per day for women.
• Stay hydrated with 9 cups of fluid per day for women and 13 cups for men.
• Snack wisely on fiber-rich fruits and nuts, like almonds.