Reduce your Cholesterol level

FOOD GROUPS	ALLOWED	TO BE AVOIDED
BEVERAGE	Tea or coffee without milk,carbonated drinks	Beverage mixes containing whole milksolids, cocoa butter,hydrogenated vegetablefats,palm oil ,palm oil. OVALTINE,MILO,HORLICKS
MEAT	Lean meats (no more than 15% fat) trimmed of visible fat and prepared without added fat. Low-fat cold cuts and frankfurters. Vegetable protein meat substitutes Chicken and turkey without skin	High-fat meats (more than 15%), red meats, cold cuts, frankfurters,sausage (lap cheong), canned meats, internal organs,brains, heart, liver,kidney, gizzards
FISH SEAFOOD	Fish, shellfish except shrimp. Prawns to be eaten without the heads	Shrimp, fish canned in oil eg sardines, fish roe, crabs, oysters, cockles
EGGS	Egg whites	Egg yolk
CHEESE	Cheese low in butterfat (no more than 15%) Low-fat cheese food made primarily from skimmed milk, filled skim milk cheese made with corn, cotton-seed, safflower or sunflower seed oil	Cheese high in fat (more than 15%)High fat cheese food made primarily from whole milk or cream, filled cheese made with coconut or palm oil
FAT	Vegetable oils eg. peanut oil, corn oil, soya oil, olive oil Margarines (preferably soft) and shortenings listing liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient and having a ratio of polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat of 2 or more diet margarine.Margarines and shortenings listing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil as the first ingredient. Mayonnaise, mayonaise-type salad dressing, salad dressing prepared with recommended vegetable oils without cream or cheese Imitation cream products made with polyunsaturated fats	Coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa butter, avocado, butter,lard,salted pork, meat fat, poultry skin, bacon, suet, cream, sour cream, other cream products, fish liver oil Margarines and shortening containing animal fat, completely hydrogenated vegetable oil Salad dressing containing cream, cheese, hydrogenated vegetable oil, coconut oil or palm oil Cream, other cream products, non-dairy coffee lighteners and imitation cream products made with coconut, palm or hydrogenated vegetable oil
NUTS	Almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, other nuts except those in the "AVOID" column	Cashews, macadamia nuts
MILK	Milk and milk products containing less than 1% butterfat, skim milk, non-fat dry milk, buttermilk and yoghurt made from skim milk, soya bean milk and soyabean products Imitation dairy products made with allowed fats	Milk and milk products containing more than 1% butterfat. whole milk, evaporated milk, sweetened or condensed milk, buttermilk or yoghurt made from whole or low-fat milk, any milk containing whole milk solids, coca butter, chocolate milk Imitation dairy products made with coconut, palm or hydrogenated vegetable oil.
STARCH (BREAD, CEREALS & NOODLES	Any product containing less than 1g of fat per serving and made without egg or whole milk, white or wholemeal breads, rolls, cereals, plain crackers, wheat germs, popcorn, starchy vegetables	Any product containing 1g or more of fat per serving (unless prepared with allowed fats) and made with eggs or whole milk. pancakes, waffles, biscuits, muffins, butter-type snack crackers, french fries, potato or corn chips
VEGETABLE	Any kind prepared without fat or prepared with allowed fats	None
FRUIT	Any Kind	None
SOUP	Any fat-free soup or any containing less than 1g of fat serving, fat-free broth, soups with base of skim milk, packaged dehydrated soups	Any soup with added fat or containing more than 1g of fat serving, commercial canned soups, cream soups, soups containing whole milk products
DESSERT	Angel food cake, gelatin, fruit ice, meringues, sherbet, ice milk and puddings made with skim milk, vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, commercial fig bars, any homemade or commercially prepared dessert containing allowed ingredients, skim milk, egg whites, egg substitutes, allowed fats and margarines, cocoa powder	Any desserts or mixes containing whole milk, cream, butterfat, other animal fats, egg yolks, chocolate, coca butter, coconut, cashews or macadamia nuts, Kaya, icecream
SWEETS	Sugar, honey, jam, jelly, syrup, plain sugar candy (hard candy, gumdrops, jelly beans, marshmallows	Any containing whole milk, cream, chocolate, cocoa butter, hydrogenated fats, coconut, cashews or macadamia nuts
OTHERS	All flavourings, fat-free butter flavourings, pickles, meat sauces and extracts, vinegar	Any product containing ingredients that must be avoided


The above detailed foodguide is arranged according to food groups and meant as a guide when planning meals. For a summary of the above, use the following hints when preparing food.


HINTS FOR REDUCING FATS AND CHOLESTEROL INTAKE
MEAT AND MEAT ALTERNATIVES 1.Reduce meat (red meat) portion to half and have only on alternate days 2.Occasionally replace meat with beans and bean products which are rich sources of protein and fibre 3.Trim all the visible fat from the meat and remove skin from chicken 4.Eat at least one fish or chicken dish every day. Have fish at least 3 times a week. 5.Limit crab, prawns, squid, liver, kidney, and intestine to once a week in small portions. 6.Limit eggs to 2 per week. 7.Refrain from eating sausages, luncheon meat, bacon, ham and burgers.
OILS 1. Boil, steam, grill, bake, roast, poach or stew food with little or no oil rather than fry. 2.Cut down deep-fried food and snacks to twice a week. 3.Cut down dishes with coconut milk to twice a week. Better still, replace coconut milk with skim milk or add milk yoghurt to curries and gravies. 4.Avoid creamy and oily sauces. 5.Use less oil for cooking: choose polyunsaturated oils such as corn or soyabean oil. 6.Replace butter with polyunsaturated margarine and use half the amount of margarine on bread(spread thinly). 7.Use half the usual amount of salad cream. 8.Replace fried noodles with noodle soups. 9.Replace cream soups with clear soups. 10.Refrain from ordering hawker food prepared with suet, ghee, lard, drippings etc.
Milk 1.Switch to low fat or skim milk and its milk products 2.Include soyabean milk and beancurd in your diet occasionally
OTHERS 1.Refrain from eating cream cakes . 2.Cut down creamy pastries and fatty desserts to twice per week at the most. 3.Choose only snacks from plant sources at least 5 times per week. 4.Refrain from eating cakes, pudding and custards (made from eggs)
HINTS ON INCREASING FIBRE INTAKE
1.Include at least one green leafy vegetable for lunch and dinner. 2.Have a fresh fruit at least twice a day,including the skin if edible. 3.Eat wholemeal bread at least 3 times per week. 4.Eat unmilled rice at least once per week. 5.Try wholegrain cereals (eg. bran, shredded wheat for breakfast twice per week.) 6.Replace sweet biscuits with wholemeal (high fibre) biscuits. 7.Have vegetable salad at least 3 times per week.
Important Tip! It is best to avoid eating out , especially Hawker food in Singapore , most of which are high in cholesterol content and salt. At work , it is better to pack a healthy sandwich made of lean meat, egg white and vegetables, and eat a fruit with the meal, rather than to eat out at a hawker stall. If you have other choice than to eat out at hawker centres, then check out our guide to Local Food and their cholesterol content.