Adams Media - Low Cholesterol: 50 Essential Recipes for Todays Busy Cook

Avon, Massachusetts The foods you eat and the way you move your body have a huge impact on your health. Cholesterol blood levels can be reduced quite easily with some basic changes. And the best part is that the foods that reduce cholesterol and triglycerides are delicious and easy to cook. Believe it or not, diets can be too low in fat. Your body needs fat to transport nutrients around the body, to maintain a consistent body temperature, to protect your organs, and to provide quick energy. If you arent eating enough fat, you may be more tired, develop more infections and illnesses, and become deficient in vitamins and minerals.

Eating the right kind of fat, in the right quantities, is essential. If a recipe is slightly higher in fat than youd like, look at the type of fat used. If it comes from extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, or vegetables, dont be afraid of that extra bit of fat. These monounsaturated fats are very healthy and actually raise HDL cholesterol levels. Read labels carefully. For a food to be labeled cholesterol free, it must have less than 2 mg of cholesterol per serving.

A low cholesterol food has less than 20 mg per serving. A sodium free food has less than 5 mg of sodium per serving, and a low sodium food has less than 140 mg per serving. A high fiber food has 5 grams of fiber or more per serving. A food labeled low saturated fat must have 1 gram or less of saturated fat per serving. And a low fat food has 3 grams or less of fat per serving. All of the recipes in this book have less than 100 mg of cholesterol per serving.

Most have much less than that, and many have none at all. You have the option of using butter or plant sterol margarines in these recipes; all of the nutrition calculations are figured using butter. As with all health and nutrition advice, check with your doctor before changing your diet or adding exercise. Practice moderation in all things. If you eat a colorful diet, exercise moderately, and dont smoke, you will increase your odds of living a healthy life. And remember that medical research is always discovering new information.

Many people are tempted to throw up their hands and forget the whole thing when they hear that a food once thought good for you is not. But science doesnt proceed in a straight line. If you stick to fresh, whole foods, regular exercise, and a healthy lifestyle, you are doing all you can to promote good health. Take the latest research with a grain of salt. If youd like to explore a low cholesterol diet in more detail, check out The Everything Low-Cholesterol Cookbook , available in both print (ISBN 978-1-59869-401-7) and eBook (ISBN 978-1-60550-219-9) formats. Vegetable Omelet You could use other vegetables in this colorful omelet.

Chopped mushrooms, summer squash, or bell pepper would be delicious. Serves 4

Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil cup grated carrot cup chopped broccoli cup finely chopped red onion 8 egg whites 1 egg yolk cup 1% milk teaspoon white pepper cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

1. In large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrot, broccoli, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat egg whites until a soft foam forms. In small bowl, combine egg yolk with milk and pepper and beat well. Fold egg yolk mixture into egg whites.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Cook, lifting the edges of the eggs so the uncooked mixture can flow underneath, until eggs are set but still moist.

   Sprinkle with cheese and cover pan; cook for 1 minute. Uncover, fold omelet, and serve immediately.

Per Serving Calories: 156 Fat: 9.5 g Saturated fat: 4 g Dietary fiber: 1 g Sodium: 220.5 mg Cholesterol: 68 mg Whole-Grain Waffles Homemade waffles taste so much better than frozen. You can use them for breakfast with fresh fruit, or serve them for dinner with some chili. Serves 8 Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour cup whole-wheat flour 1 cup cornmeal 2 teaspoons baking powder teaspoon baking soda teaspoon salt 1 egg 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 2 cups buttermilk 4 egg whites cup sugar

1. In medium bowl, combine flour, whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix well.
2. In small bowl, combine egg, melted butter, and buttermilk and mix well. Add to flour mixture and stir just until combined.
3. In large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

   Fold into flour mixture.

4. Spray waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray and heat according to directions. Pour about cup batter into the waffle iron, close, and cook until the steaming stops, or according to the appliance directions. Serve immediately.

Per Serving Calories: 251 Fat: 5 g Saturated fat: 2 g Dietary fiber: 3 g Sodium: 292 mg Cholesterol: 36.5 mg Waffles The first waffle you cook almost always sticks; you can consider it a test waffle. Be sure to lightly spray the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray before you add the batter each time, and remove any bits of the previous waffle before adding batter. You might need nonstick cooking spray with flour as extra protection against sticking. Buckwheat Pancakes Because buckwheat is a fruit, not a grain, buckwheat flour is gluten-free.

It is high in protein and fiber, making it a good choice for people watching their cholesterol. Serves 4

Ingredients cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 2 egg whites cup buckwheat flour cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoons baking powder teaspoon baking soda 3 tablespoons sugar Nonstick cooking spray

1. In small bowl, combine buttermilk, butter, and egg white, and beat well. Set aside.
2. In large bowl, combine buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar and mix well. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir just until batter is mixed; do not overmix.
3. Spray a skillet or griddle with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Using a -cup measure, pour four pancakes at once onto the griddle.

   Cook until bubbles form on the surface and begin to break. Flip pancakes and cook for 12 minutes on second side. Serve immediately.

Per Serving Calories: 216 Fat: 7 g Saturated fat: 4 g Dietary fiber: 2 g Sodium: 350 mg Cholesterol: 16 mg Blueberry-Banana Smoothie Smoothies are a great way to eat breakfast on the run, but they can be high in calories. Use nonfat ingredients, and pile on the fruit! Serves 2 Ingredients 1 cups skim milk 1 banana 1 cup blueberries 1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt 4 ice cubes Place milk, banana, blueberries, and yogurt in blender or food processor; blend or process until smooth. Add ice cubes; blend or process until thick. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Per Serving Calories: 283.5 Fat: 5 g Saturated fat: 3 g Dietary fiber: 3.5 g Sodium: 160 mg Cholesterol: 5 mg Blueberries Blueberries, especially wild blueberries, are one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Their antioxidant count is through the roof. In fact, blueberries lower cholesterol better than statin drugs! Add a cup of blueberries a day to your diet to really improve your health. They also taste great. And try dried blueberries for a snack. Applesauce Cinnamon Bread If you dont want to use liquid egg substitute, use 1 egg and 2 egg whites.