We all want to lose weight and flaunt a perfectly shaped figure. But, how can we do it without giving our favourite foods a miss? It’s a myth that 'good for my cholesterol' means less joyful meals. However, a low-cholesterol diet doesn't have to be only oats and tofu.
This article will tell you about some healthy swaps to cut down cholesterol without cutting taste.
Swap Frozen Yogurt with Ice cream
Picture credit: Yoghurt Barn
This summer try frozen low-fat frozen yoghurt instead of ice cream to keep a lot of calories at bay. Click here to know about the benefits of yoghurt. When it comes to losing weight over a longer period of time, going from 90 calories per tablespoon to 15, could lead to a significant reduction. Moreover, yogurt helps you lose weight and fend off a cold.
Swap bread croutons with walnuts
Picture credit: Ryan Hirsch
Instead of bread croutons you can add roasted walnuts in your salad to give it a healthy crunch. Excess of carbohydrates can produce high levels of bad cholesterol. For a healthier salad, you should replace carbo-laden croutons with walnuts. The latter is high in polyunsaturated fat, which can lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and boost HDL (good cholesterol).
Swap cocktails with Red wine
Picture credit: Alpha Coders
Moderate intake of alcohol can produce a slight rise in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). But that will hardly help if you’re taking your drinks with bottled fruit juice, which are high in carbohydrates. Instead, you should switch to red wine because it has about a tenth of the carbohydrates present in a margarita. Moreover, red wine is loaded with antioxidants such as flavonoids.
Vinegar and lemon juice against salad dressing
Picture credit : Dianne Faw
So, you think salad dressings are healthy? Of course not. It is simply like smoking cigarettes while exercising. Salad dressings totally defeat the purpose of healthy eating. Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar are definitely better alternatives.
Swap beef with turkey
Picture credit: Empire Kosher
A storehouse of both saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, red meat increases blood cholesterol. Switch to ground turkey as it contains very less saturated fat as compared to ground beef. Moreover, it could be substituted easily for beef in most recipes.
Quinoa is a tasty alternative to rice
I’m sure people with high cholesterol already swears by quinoa, a healthy and tasty alternative to rice. But if you want to stay in shape and most importantly healthy, cut down on rice and switch to quinoa.
Swap tortilla chips with popcorn
Picture credit: Mission food service
Tortilla chips are definitely a healthy alternative to potato chips and buttered popcorns.
