There may be many reasons why you may choose to avoid consuming high cholesterol foods. For some people, it is the idea of being heart healthy. They understand that foods high in cholesterol can cause major damage to the heart and arteries, leaving them exposed and vulnerable to the threat of heart disease. Others may be looking to avoid cholesterol in an effort to watch their weight. Whatever the case may be, finding a reliable list of high cholesterol foods to avoid can make a major difference in helping you to choose the right foods to eat.
What's on the List:
A complete list of foods rich in cholesterol would be quite lengthy, so many lists you find online will instead give you categories of foods to avoid or they will list the top foods to avoid when trying to manage your levels of cholesterol. For example, they may list animal brains as a major food to avoid. Considering the fact that the composition of brains is mostly made up of cholesterol and fats, many of them have been found to contain as much as 1000% of the daily recommended allowance of cholesterol per serving.
Foods Highest In Cholesterol:
1. Egg Yolk
2. Liver
3. Fish & Fish Oils
4. Fast Foods (Bacon, Eggs)
5. Animal Fats & Oils
6. Shellfish & Seafood (Shrimp)
7. Processed Food (Meats)
8. Red Meat
9. Cheese
10. Cakes, Muffins, Pastries, Baked Goods
11. Microwave Popcorn
12. French Fries
13. Ice Cream
14. Butter
15. Margarine
They may also list liver meat because of its high concentration of cholesterol. When you consume chicken liver, you are actually taking in 188% of your recommended daily allowance.
Other High Cholesterol Categories:
In addition to meats, other categories for high cholesterol foods could be seafoods. Since there is such a variety to watch out for, they may group those foods together to help you to realize which seafoods are to be avoided; fish roe, caviar, calamari, and crab are usually high on the list while those that are lower in cholesterol content, like shrimp and oysters will carry a much lower risk to your health will be found at the bottom of the list.
You might also find foods like egg yolk, butter, cream and other dairy products that can help you to choose which foods to avoid.
HDL/LDL Cholesterol:
You've probably already heard that there is the good cholesterol and the bad cholesterol, so a list of foods high in cholesterol would not be enough to give you healthy options. Some foods are high in HDL cholesterol, which is good for you and can promote better health. Your list should be able to distinguish between the two so you can avoid only those foods that can be bad for you.
When seeking out a complete list of high cholesterol foods, you need to be able to make smart decisions. This will mean that you need to look for more information than just a list of foods and their percentage of cholesterol and fats. Eliminating all cholesterol from your diet may be just as harmful to you as consuming it. That's why it's so important that you consult with a nutrition expert to make sure that you know how to make your meal plans work to your advantage. By doing this, you can actually create a list of high cholesterol foods that will meet your specific needs and get you right on the path to better health.