High Cholesterol Diet Snacks: How to Avoid Them

High Cholesterol Diet Snacks: How to Avoid Them
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More and more people are becoming aware of the health risks of an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. The effects of eating less healthy foods can contribute to the development of many diseases and medical conditions such as obesity, which contributes to an increase in the risk for hypertension, stroke, and heart attacks. In fact, obesity is now considered an epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Healthy Eating

Armed with these facts, many people are on a mission to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle plan to lower their risks of such conditions. However, there are numerous diet plans out there that claim to be good for your health, and it is difficult to make good choices. Many food chain stores have come up with their own diet snacks declaring they are healthy when in actuality, they offer you high cholesterol diet snacks.

Snacks High in Cholesterol

  • Beef jerky and beef jerky products are very popular snacks. For one ounce, or 28.3 grams, of beef jerky, you are consuming 14mg of cholesterol. Not only that, it is also high in saturated fat, which can increase the LDL level (bad cholesterol) and cause build-up in the arteries.
  • Donuts: cream-filled, luscious donuts are very hard to resist but like many junk foods, they are bad for you. A 300 gram serving contains 20mg of cholesterol and 3.5g saturated fat.
  • Chocolate chip cookies: eating one ounce, or 28.3 grams, of your favorite chocolate chip cookies is like consuming a donut in terms of cholesterol levels but slightly higher in saturated fat (4.0g).
  • Potato chips: most potato chips packages indicate that they contain zero cholesterol; however, any deep-fried may actually contain high levels of cholesterol, so be sure to read the package label. This include snacks such as onion rings, French fries, and mozzarella sticks.

Ice Cream and Milkshakes

Ice cream in individual cups and milkshakes are popular snacks for old and young alike. However, these two snacks have very high cholesterol levels. Snacks that are mainly made from animal products, such as milk, contain high cholesterol levels. For a 3.5 ounce serving of ice cream, you are consuming 45mg of cholesterol. Since your body makes cholesterol, limiting your intake of high cholesterol foods is beneficial to your health.

Low Cholesterol Snacks

If you feel a snack attack is about to happen, try grabbing a snack from this list instead of those that are high in cholesterol:

  • Popcorn (air-popped)
  • Bread sticks
  • Tortilla chips, baked
  • Fat-free or low-fat crackers such as rice cakes, rye crisps, or soda crackers
  • Pretzels
  • Veggie sticks with non-fat dips

Remember to read food labels, ask how the food is prepared, and do not be afraid to make special requests when you dine out. Choose wisely to eat healthily.

References:

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: https://nhlbisupport.com/chd1/S2Tipsheets/diningout.htm

Righthealth.com: https://www.righthealth.com/topic/Cholesterol_Foods/overview/uc_kosmixarticles?fdid=uniquecontent1_3dad9c9bd53a1ba1f3d9092eba5fa836

Medicinenet: https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=22757