Take steps to lower cholesterol and to lower your risk for heart disease.

• Make choices to improve your health this month by choosing whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean meats. 
• Choose whole wheat breads, tortillas, and pasta; brown rice; and multigrain cereals.
• Look for fruits that are fresh, frozen or canned in their own juice. 
• Prepare vegetables with little or no butter, margarine or oil.  Buy 90% lean ground beef, chicken without skin, and trim visible fat from all meats.
• Choose activities that allow you to move more and sit less.  Take a walk around your neighborhood, play catch with a friend, or have a dance party in your living room. 
• Cholesterol is only found in foods that come from animals- like meat, poultry, fish, pork, butter, eggs, and milk.  Decrease the amount of cholesterol on your plate by taking smaller portions of these foods and larger servings of grains, fruits and vegetables.

 Cholesterol

"Know your cholesterol numbers—Know your risk—Give yourself some TLC” features information to help adults with high blood cholesterol make the therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) needed to lower their cholesterol and, with it, their risk for heart disease.  National Cholesterol Education Kit

More about blood cholesterol

Fruit and Vegetables and Lower Cholesterol

You should be eating at least 3 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Fruits and vegetables are very low in saturated fat and total fat, and have no cholesterol. A diet high in fruit and vegetables may also help keep cholesterol levels low. So, fruits and vegetables are great substitutes for foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Seasonal Veggies Make a Low Cholesterol Dish

Try the following low cholesterol dish that features many seasonal vegetables.  Best on a grill, this dish also works well under the broiler.  This would also be a great tailgating dish- just prepare the kabobs ahead of time and keep cold until grilled.

Chicken and Veggie Kabobs

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into one inch pieces
1 bottle Italian dressing
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
16 oz. white mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, cut into ¾ inch slices
Wooden or metal skewers
Pita bread

Marinate the chicken pieces in 1 cup Italian dressing for 1-24 hours. Marinate the vegetables in 1 cup Italian dressing for 10 minutes. Thread the chicken and vegetables on the skewers.  For food safety reasons, don’t mix the chicken and vegetables on the same skewers. Grill the chicken over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Grill the vegetables until tender, about 8 minutes. Warm the pita bread over the grill and serve with the chicken and vegetables.

Looking for recipes that support a healthier diet?  Go to Healthy Lifestyles

Children Can Eat More Fruits and Vegetables, Too

The Explore the World with Fruits and Vegetables campaign provides fun ideas for nutrition and education professionals to encourage schoolchildren and their parents to eat more fruits and vegetables by exploring new tastes provided by cuisine from around the world.

Fruits and Veggies Matter

For additional nutrition and physical activity information, go to Healthy Lifestyles.