Many people concern about their cholesterol level and wish to change it in order to prevent themselves from various life-threatening diseases. It has been widely agreed that what we consume define our level of cholesterol in the blood, and many of us realize that we have been consuming foods which are not cholesterol-friendly, yet haven’t be able to change the diet significantly, because cholesterol-friendly diets are assumed to be tasteless.
What makes a diet low-cholesterol?
- It has low saturated fats. Hence, foods which are prepared without too much oil products are the most recommended for those seeking for less cholesterol-containing foods. Grilled, boiled, and steamed menus are much healthier than fried ones. If you have to prepare fried foods, use the oils which are low in saturated fats, such olive oil.
- It is not highly processed. Foods which are highly processed lose most of its nutrients. As a result, this kind of foods will be absorbed too quickly by the body, leaving a great amount of sugar in the blood stream. High blood sugar level elevated the level of LDL—the bad cholesterol.
- It has a high level of fiber. Fruits, vegetables, and healthy grains which have soluble fiber will be processed more slowly than the foods low in fiber.
Low-cholesterol lunch ideas for work
You might always be tempted to eat out for lunch while working, and end up in places serving foods which are not low in cholesterol. Instead of take-out for lunch, you might want to consider taking-in—making your healthy lunch at home with healthy techniques and ingredients, which do not only make the diet healthier, but also more delicious. Here are some low-cholesterol lunch recipes to try.
- Whole-wheat banana wrap
- This is a quick, healthy, and tasty lunch idea when it comes to low-cholesterol diets. The dough of the wrap is made from whole-wheat flour, which gives you sufficient amount of fiber, which is good for the heart. Bananas are rich in mineral which promote fat digestion.
- The meal is made by slicing ripe bananas and put in on the whole-wheat wrap. Add some chopped raw nuts, such as almonds and peanuts to add healthy fat to the diet.
- Tuna with vegetables
- Tuna is rich in omega-3, an important substance for healthy digestion. The vegetables—tomatoes, salad leaves, sliced bell pepper, and the orange juice are rich of natural fiber and anti-oxidants, which lower your LDL and raise the HDL.
- Grill or sauté the tuna with maximum a tablespoon of olive oil and mix it with the entire vegetables in a large salad bowl. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and stir. The healthy tuna salad is ready for the lunch break at the office.
- Chicken-ginger lettuce wraps
- Use chicken breast without the skin to minimize the not-so-healthy fat intake. As the replacement to carbohydrate-rich tortilla, this recipe uses a large lettuce to wrap the toppings. Vegetables such as chopped carrots, shredded cabbages, chopped green onion, and chopped pineapples are sources of healthy fiber, while the chopped nuts add healthy fat into the chicken wrap.
- Make the chicken wrap by grilling and chopping the chicken breast into small dices and mix it will finely grated fresh ginger. Mix this with all chopped and shredded vegetables and put the salad on a cleanly-rinsed lettuce. Roll it and the chicken wrap is ready for your healthy lunch.
- Vegetable sandwich
The sandwich is great for providing a high level of dietary fiber our body needs. Tomatoes and spinach are also high in folic acid, which helps dissolving unhealthy fats. The bread—choose the multi-grain or whole-wheat to minimize carbohydrate intake. The roasted garlic hummus is also a healthy choice of spread, compared to cheese or sweetened jams. This lunch idea can be made within minutes, making it a great choice for those with limited time to prepare the take-in lunches. You can add grilled tuna or salmon, which are rich in omega 3.
- Toast the bread and spread the garlic hummus over it. Top it with sliced tomatoes and spinach, then add the salt and pepper. Place the second slice of bread on top and cut the sandwiches into two parts, then put it into your lunch box.
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