Before the Meal Arrives (Heart Health)
Even if you choose the healthiest option on the menu, you don’t want appetizers and breads to ruin your low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Breads
Most bread and breadsticks are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Be careful when adding butter, margarine, or olive oil to your bread because calories and fat can quickly add up. Also, eating a lot of bread in addition to your meal will fill you up with extra unwanted calories and not leave enough room for other low-fat, low-cholesterol foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
Appetizers
When ordering, choose more of these:
Shrimp* cocktail (Limit cocktail sauce, which is high in sodium.)
Melons or fresh fruit
Fruit juice
Fruit cup
Bean or broth-based soups
Salad with reduced-fat dressing (Or use lemon juice or vinegar instead.)
Grilled vegetables
Raw vegetables with low-fat dip or salsa
Pita bread with hummus or low-fat black bean dip
- Try to eat no more than 3 ounces of shrimp and other shellfish to limit your daily intake of cholesterol to less than 200 milligrams.
B-man 