adjusting your diet is usually the first step in lower cholesterol. the tlc diet or therapeutic lifestyle changes diet is recommended by the national institute of health and it recommends lower the fat in your diet. the following are guidelines to follow to lower cholesterol: avoid saturated fat and oils such as butter bacon drippings lard palm oil and coconut oil. instead use soft tub margarine or vegetable oils such as olive or canola oil. limit trans fatty acids or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. these oils go through a process that makes them solid. they're found in hard margarines snack crackers cookies chips and shortenings. limit fatty meats such as corned beef pastrami ribs steak ground meat hot dogs sausage bacon and processed meats like bologna. also limit egg yolks and organ meats like liver and kidney. replace with skinless chicken or turkey lean beef veal pork lamb and fish. try some meatless main dishes like beans peas pasta or rice. limit meat poultry and fish to no more than two servings or 5 oz (140 g) a day. remember that a serving is about the size of a deck of playing cards. limit milk products that contain more than 1% milk fat. this includes cream most cheeses and nondairy coffee creamers or whipped toppings (which often contain coconut or palm oils). instead try nonfat or low-fat milk (0% to 1% fat) and low-fat cheeses. limit snack crackers muffins quick breads croissants and cakes made with saturated or hydrogenated fat whole eggs or whole milk. try low-fat baked goods and use any spreads or toppings lightly. dip bread in olive oil instead of spreading butter or margarine on your bread. avoid fast foods like hamburgers fries fried chicken and tacos. they are high in both total fat and saturated fat. when you eat out choose broiled sandwiches or chicken without skin salads with low-fat dressing and foods that aren't fried. ask the server to leave off the cheese and high-fat dressings like mayonnaise. this link also includes a sample meal plan.
can i get a list of foods that can help lower my cholesterol levels please?