| You have decided. You are going to make positive | | | | and soy sauce. Order steamed rice rather than fried |
| changes to your eating habits in order to reduce your | | | | rice. |
| bad cholesterol numbers. However, working against | | | | Italian food has a lot of carbohydrates but can be a |
| that decision is your work situation and, out of | | | | good meal out for people reducing their LDL if you are |
| necessity (or by choice), you eat out often. All is not | | | | careful about the sauces. Substitute marinara sauce |
| lost. There are thing you can do if you eat out. | | | | for the cheesy, creamy sauces. Avoid floured and |
| One thing that can be done, regardless of the type of | | | | fried entrees and dishes baked with cheeses. Ask for |
| restaurant, is to watch your portion sizes. Also, when | | | | the salad oil on the side. |
| you eat out, avoid deep fat fried, pan fried, | | | | At first thought, Mexican food would seem like a poor |
| sautéed food or heavily sauced food. Many | | | | choice for eating out since it is loaded with saturated |
| restaurants will prepare food to order. For example, | | | | fat. It is fried in lard and uses so much cheese. But you |
| they may prepare you a steamed vegetable in place | | | | can do it. Don't eat the chips, but do use the salsa for |
| of a vegetable with a high caloric and/or high | | | | flavoring. Refried beans are not a good choice. |
| cholesterol sauce. Always ask for dressings, sauces | | | | Quesadillas and fried carnitas are not good choices; |
| and gravies on the side and then use sparingly. | | | | chicken fajitas are. Anything that has to be fried in fat |
| Are you a Cajun food fan? Cajun food can be high in | | | | should be avoided; chicken and beef enchiladas are a |
| fat, cholesterol and sodium, but substitutions can be | | | | good substitute. A taco salad without the cheese or |
| made to reduce these factors. Hush puppies would be | | | | with a very small amount of cheese (a dab of light |
| a good thing to avoid completely. Also avoid fried | | | | sour cream is better) is a good choice, but don't eat |
| crayfish, shrimp and other fried seafood. Don't order | | | | the shell. Select corn tortillas rather than flour tortillas. |
| the sausage or gumbo. Ask the chef to reduce the | | | | Going to a steakhouse? As with anything, one key is |
| amount of oil used when preparing blackened entrees. | | | | portion size. So many steak houses go overboard on |
| You can have boiled crawfish, shrimp and seafood. | | | | the size of the steak. Good for promoting the steak |
| Grilled seafood also is fine. White rice and beans work, | | | | house, but not good for cholesterol levels. Be sure to |
| but do not have "dirty rice". | | | | select a lean cut. Ask to have the fat trimmed before |
| Chinese food is a good choice for eating out. Go for | | | | cooking. Three ounces is a good choice. If you plan on |
| the vegetable dishes. Have chicken (not duck which | | | | a larger portion, plan for it throughout the day by |
| has more fat). Avoid deep fat fried items and select | | | | avoiding fats during the other meals. Make good |
| steamed, boiled or broiled items, such as steamed | | | | choices for your side dishes. |
| dumplings. Ask the cook to leave out the MSG, salt | | | | |