Thanks to extensive research, scientists have found a way to create a diet to lower cholestrol by reducing margarine consumption, not butter and eggs as originally thought. A meal or recipe that does not incorporate processed/refined foods, as well as trans/hydrogenated oils and fats are far more beneficial.

The important criteria when cooking recipes is to find ones that lower bad LDL cholestrol, but increase good HDL cholestrol. LDL that attaches to artery walls acts like plaque does on teeth. It can partially or completely block not only arteries, but veins and capillaries, limiting or halting blood flow to body cells, organs and most importantly the heart and brain. Such build up can result in heart attacks and strokes.

With labels on food packages giving more information than ever before about the nutrients, carbohydrates and cholestrol they contain, it is getting easier to eat the foods we like without the high risk of heart disease or stroke. The following is a list, based on the four food groups, of healthy, low cholestrol foods:

Meat, fish, poultry and meat alternatives:

(2 to 3 servings daily of a maximum of 6 oz. per serving)

Beef - sirloin, loin, chuck

Eggs - organic or free-range, cholesterol-free substitute

Fish and shellfish - white, pink, red, grey (fresh or water packed only)

Lamb - leg, rib, loin, arm

Legumes - peas, beans, lentils, etc.

Pork - leg, shoulder, tenderloin

Poultry - chicken, turkey, and game birds (white or light meat only, and no skin)

Veal - all types, fat cut off

Dairy products:

(2-3 servings per day - 6 oz. milk or yogurt, or 1 matchbox size of cheese)

Milk - low-fat, 1%, 2%, no-fat, skim, low-fat evaporated, low-fat powdered or low-fat buttermilk

Yogurt - low-fat

Cheeses (soft) - low-fat cottage or farmer; part-skim ricotta, mozzarella

Cream cheese - light or low-fat

Sour cream - light or low-fat

Ice cream - low-fat

Breads, cereals, rice, pasta:

(6-11 servings daily of whole wheat, vegetable, Omega 3, fiber2c, or low-cholestrol varieties)

Bread - pita, pumpernickel, rye, whole wheat

Rice cakes

English muffins - whole wheat

Crackers - low-fat, matzo, rye crisp breads, saltines, zwieback

Cereals - low-fat, low cholestrol, low sugar, low sodium

Pasta - any type

Rice - basmati, Thai, very long grain, wild

Fruits and vegetables:

(3 to 10 servings daily of green, orange, yellow, red and dark green vegetables and varied fruit and juices)

Any vegetable - low-sodium canned, fresh, frozen, dried

Any fruit - low-sodium, canned, fresh, frozen, dried

Other foods:

Oils - (6-8 oz maximum daily) unsaturated corn, extra virgin olive, peanut, canola oil, safflower, sesame, soybean

The following foods should be avoided or kept to a minimum as they contain a fair amount of saturated fats and too high a concentration of LDL cholestrol:

All candies, cakes, soft drinks and sweet snacks

Animal fats - all types, lard

beef - corned, regular ground, short ribs, brisket

caviar - all types

cereals - high sugar, high saturated fat, granola

cheese - Neufchatel, Swiss, Brie, Mozzarella, Cheddar, American, Feta, processed, full chocolate

cream, full cream ricotta, Muenster

cream - most regular, and non-dairy

duck

ice cream - full cream

goose

luncheon meats - regular

most snack crackers - cheese, butter

organ meats - liver, sweetbreads, kidney, brain

pasta dinners - cheese sauces, cream sauces, butter sauces; egg noodles

popcorn - buttered

pork - blade roll, spare ribs, bacon

potato chips

rice dinners - cheese sauces, cream sauces, butter sauces

sausages - most varieties, including wieners and frankfurters

sour cream - full fat

vegetable dishes - buttered, with cream, with gravy, or with fatty sauces

yogurt - full fat