What are Some High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid?

If a person has high cholesterol, his doctor may advise him to help control it with a healthy diet; this often means avoiding or reducing his intake of foods that are high in cholesterol. This includes a range of foods that come from animal sources, as plant foods do not contain cholesterol. Among those highest in cholesterol are such foods as eggs, whole milk and foods made from it, butter, and cream. Organ meats, such as liver, kidneys, and brains, are typically high in cholesterol as well. Additionally, deep-fried foods, some types of shellfish, and the skin of ducks, geese, and chicken are high in cholesterol.

While it is easy to identify high cholesterol foods to avoid, many of the foods that are considered high in cholesterol are also typical staples in a person’s diet. For example, eggs and whole milk are high in cholesterol. A person may try to avoid them or work to reduce his intake of them instead. For instance, instead of eating whole eggs, a person may exclude the yolks, which have high cholesterol content. An individual could also choose low-fat milk products over whole milk in order to enjoy the nutrients and taste of dairy products without the high cholesterol content.

Organ meats are also among the high cholesterol foods to avoid or reduce. Meats such as liver, kidneys, and brains have high cholesterol content. Many doctors may recommend excluding them from one’s diet altogether or eating them on only an occasional basis.

Many people enjoy the taste of the skin of chicken, ducks, and geese. The skin is also on the list of high cholesterol foods to avoid, however. An individual may best protect his health by cutting the skin of these foods out of his diet entirely. Saving them for rare occasions may prove healthier as well.

Usually, a person who needs to make a list of high cholesterol foods to avoid includes deep-fried foods. All deep-fried foods are best avoided when one wants to keep cholesterol levels low, even if the fried food is something that would normally be excluded from a high cholesterol food list. For example, it is best to avoid broccoli if it is deep fried. Health experts usually recommend avoiding processed foods as well.

Some types of shellfish also make the list of high cholesterol foods to avoid. For example, shrimp are among the shellfish with the highest cholesterol content. Scallops are also high in cholesterol. Additionally, other types of shellfish that are lower in cholesterol become foods to avoid when people dip them in butter.