6 Alternative Ways To Change Food Menu To Lower Cholesterol

Illustration of a food menu to lower cholesterol (iStockphoto)

YOGYAKARTA – Choosing the right food menu determines the level of cholesterol in the body. If you only eat fatty foods once, cholesterol levels will soar. Therefore, it is not only necessary to choose quality food ingredients but also to know alternative ways to process and choose food ingredients that do not have the potential to increase cholesterol. What and how to lower cholesterol related to your diet? Here are the recommendations.

1. Replace the menu made from red meat with fish

Cardiologist at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut, Harvey Kramer reported by Everyday Health, Thursday, June 23, said that genetics play a big role in your cholesterol levels. Another contributing factor is diet. Choosing to consume the right foods, can reduce it.

The first alternative way, replace foods made from red meat with fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and trout. This step can contribute to cutting fat in the diet for the purpose of lowering the body's cholesterol levels. Fatty fish, besides containing omega-3 fatty acids, have also been shown to reduce the risk of having heart disease or stroke, explains Sue Gebo, RD., of Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.

Illustration of the benefits of walnuts for people with cholesterol (Unsplash/Sahand Babali)

2. Instead of topping with cheese, it's healthier to add nuts to salads

Vegetables contain high fiber which is good for lowering cholesterol. If salad is one of the menu choices, complete it with crushed walnuts to get heart health and not risk rising cholesterol. This recommendation is corroborated by a review of 29 studies conducted in 2020 in the journal Nutrition and Metabolic Insights. The results of the review found that regular consumption of tree nuts helps lower blood cholesterol levels.

3. Eat whole wheat muffins

Croissants fresh out of the oven are quite tantalizing to the senses, but the flour and butter coating can contribute to raising cholesterol. Butter contains high unsaturated fat, therefore, choose cakes or snacks made from whole grains because they are high in fiber.

4. Eat dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate

Dark chocolate contains little or no milk with saturated fat. As we know, saturated fat in milk raises LDL. That is, choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate which can increase your cholesterol levels.

5. Replace tomato sauce with hummus

Hummus is made from ground chickpeas and heart-healthy olive oil. This healthy sauce is not only delicious but also has fiber and protein, unlike store-bought tomato sauce. Cream-based tomato sauce that is rich in saturated fat.

6. Choose baked rather than fried

If you often work outside the office and order fries, try changing the menu. Replace with baked potatoes that contain healthier fats. Just like if you choose sweet potatoes, process them in a healthy way by roasting rather than frying them.

That's an alternative food menu that can be useful for lowering cholesterol levels in the body.