Low Cholesterol Cooking

When people decide to lower the cholesterol intakes in their diets, the biggest problem they face is with choosing the right types of food. At least this is what they think is the biggest problem. The truth, however, is that choosing a low cholesterol food is pretty straightforward. It is the cooking of this food that needs to be monitored. When people get used to a certain way of cooking, they tend to stick to the same style regardless of the type of food. For instance, a family who has been using large amounts of oil in their daily dishes will continue using the same quantities of oil even after deciding to cut down on low cholesterol foods. The point of consuming low cholesterol food is to reduce the overall cholesterol intake. However, if low cholesterol food is prepared with high quantities of fats and oils, it is no longer low cholesterol food.

When switching to a low cholesterol diet, it is crucial to master the art of low cholesterol cooking. While it sounds complicated, a few simple tips can sort it out. When preparing dishes of vegetables of foods, low cholesterol cooking calls for methods such as steaming or grilling instead of sautéing the vegetables with saturated fats like butter or oil. If the flavor of fat is a must, they should be limited as much as possible. Instead of the flavor of fats or oils, it is also a good idea to substitute them with spices and herbs for extra flavor, a good habit for low cholesterol cooking. The spices and herbs will also be a change to an otherwise routine dish.

When cooking meats, too, many people tend to add lots of oils with claims of additional flavor. Meats have their own flavors, which should be enjoyed, instead of adding large amounts of fat, destroying the original flavor of the meat and training the palate for a greasier diet. Meats are best grilled or baked. Frying is the least favorable for low cholesterol cooking. Opting for seafood more during the week can cut down some serious calories. Using seafood is one of the best practices of low cholesterol cooking. Fish, in particular contains Omega-3 fats, which are extremely beneficial to the body.

Many people switching to low cholesterol diets crave desserts which have high contents of bad cholesterol. However, this does not have to be the case for deserts. Using low cholesterol cooking techniques, it is possible to prepare desserts that are healthy. Using fruits is a good replacement for rich chocolates and creams used in high cholesterol desserts. Fruit salads are one of the healthiest desserts when it comes to low cholesterol cooking. Also it is best to use fruits themselves instead of canned preserves and such.