How to Lower Cholesterol: 6 Low Cholesterol Proteins

Hey Fam,

If you've been following my story then you know that I recently had to restructure my entire nutrition plan. Part of that restructure is about tracking my cholesterol intake and how I can lower my cholesterol. A healthy person (by medical standards) should consume 300mg of cholesterol or less daily. Since I'm currently overweight and dealing with a fatty liver condition, I decided that my ceiling for cholesterol should be halved to 150mg of cholesterol daily. At this point in my health journey I've dropped from 305lbs. to 279lbs. It's been working and according to my doctor, it's looking like a strong nutrition plan for my weight loss/health goals.

My Top 6 Low Cholesterol Proteins

Building out my meal plan has been the most difficult part of this journey. I've always been someone who decides what they want to eat based on immediate preference at the time. Unlike most meal plans you hear about I'm not able to prepare 3+ meals at a time. I annoy even myself in this way, often needing to keep an array of options available.

Along the way I've made a list of choices that are both versatile and diverse, complimenting my wait and see approach to meal plans. Here is a list of meats and seafood that have been my favorite low cholesterol choice.

'Ol Reliable,' Chicken

First and most commonly is chicken. For me, specifically 5oz of boneless skinless chicken thighs. The dark meat is a little worse for you than the white meat of the chicken breast, but it is moister and has far more flavor. 5oz of boneless skinless chicken thighs has 119mg of cholesterol and 28g of protein.

A Seafood Staple- Salmon

For me, salmon is right there next to chicken. It can be prepared a number of different ways, and a typical portion is low in cholesterol. With all the different recipes available, there's no end to the variety in your diet. From the portions I've been getting from my local grocer, 6oz of Atlantic salmon has 114mg of cholesterol and 43.5g of protein. Making it not only a hardier portion, but significantly more protein than chicken.

Let's Talk 93% Turkey

93% lean turkey is next on my list. Again, versatile in meal options. My top choice being a turkey burger lettuce wrap. I'd keep the turkey to a dinner menu option though for obvious Thanksgiving-related reasons. You don't want a delicious lunch break to become a sleepy and unproductive afternoon. 5oz of 93% lean turkey has 97.8mg of cholesterol and 27.9g of protein.

Pork Loin

Pork loin is my next pick for this list. I often turn to it for Hispanic and Asian dishes. My favorite being homemade pork ramen. Full disclosure, even though I use a low carb rice ramen that dish tends to take up the majority of the day's sodium and calories. Wow, it's great though. 4oz of pork loin, according to my local grocery, have 95.3mg of cholesterol and 29g of protein.

Scallops

Sea scallops are my second lowest cholesterol option on this list. I'm still finding it difficult to pair them with meals that suit my nutrition goals because of their very specific taste and texture. So far, I've just been enjoying them as either a standalone or with a side of sauteed broccoli or edamame. It just means I need to do a deep dive into recipes, but for the nutrition stat's scallops are outstanding. 8 pieces of scallops (approximately 8oz) only has 70mg of cholesterol and 38g of protein.

Canned Albacore Tuna

Okay, full disclosure, I am really bad at cooking fish filets. The only ones I ever seem to cook correctly are salmon and that's only 1 in 3 times. In fact, the last time I attempted to cook a tuna filet was on a fishing trip with my father. We were on a fishing trip in the Florida Keys. I told him I'd cook dinner and he insisted we enjoy the freshly caught tuna. I cooked while he washed up and when he came to check on my progress he goes, "mmm that smells delicious, but... where's the tuna?" I responded, "it's in there," as I gestured to the vegetable medley sauteing on the stove. He loved the meal in the end, but he couldn't help but laugh and accuse me of destroying perfectly good tuna filets. Long story short, I stick to canned tuna now.

Keep in mind, canned anything is usually very high in sodium, be mindful of this as you map out your meals for the day. But if you plan accordingly, you can enjoy canned foods within the bounds of a healthy 2,000mg of daily sodium. The canned albacore tuna I buy is 5oz with 330mg of sodium, an all-time low of 64.9mg of cholesterol, and 38.9oz of protein.

My Personal Nutrition Plan

As a reminder, with my doctor's guidance, I maintain the following daily requirements:

• Under 2,000 calories

• Under 150mg of cholesterol

• Under 2,000mg of sodium

• Under 150g of net carbohydrates (carbs-fiber= net carbs)

• More than 100g of protein

Due to my fatty liver condition and the fact, I'm over 250 lbs., I halved both my daily carbs and cholesterol. My doctor has been monitoring my progress and applauding my successes. In July I was at my worst due to my internal stomach problems, sitting at a whopping 305 lbs. Today I weighed in at 279 lbs. my doctor and I agree that the plan is working and if I can keep this progress, it's likely my fatty liver condition may fix itself!

If you want to try something like this for yourself, remember, I am not a medical professional. You should discuss it with a medical professional before trying for yourself.