Dining out with high cholesterol can seem like an unenjoyable experience, but only if you don’t know how to tackle the menu. You can still enjoy family nights out, festive occasions, or even romantic dinners at your favorite restaurants. All you have to do is educate yourself about the best low-cholesterol choices. 

In order to understand how to manage high cholesterol, you have to know what you’re eating. Reading the menu carefully and identifying problematic ingredients is paramount. How do you know what to look for, though? While going to healthier restaurants and making your own food is the best plan of attack, it may not be sustainable for everyone. This article aims to educate you on how to dine out if you have high cholesterol. 

If Eating Chinese Cuisine, Go For Steamed Instead Of Fried

Chinese restaurants usually have a lot of fried food options, but there are many low-cholesterol options to choose from. Instead of enjoying deep fried egg rolls, opt for spring rolls that are steamed. Better yet, see if you can roll the ingredients in lettuce leaves! Steamed rice is a better choice than fried rice, but try to ask for brown rice if it is available. For your main course options, seafood can be a good choice, especially if the protein is steamed. Boiled or broiled seafood entrees are also good options. Just remember to eat shrimp in moderation and choose entrees with lots of vegetables. Resist dishes with a lot of oil if you want to care for your arteries!

Go For Vegetables And Skip Ghee At Indian Restaurants

There are many vegetarian dishes at Indian restaurants, which is great if you want to eat on the healthier side. Chickpeas are a common ingredient in Indian cuisine, and a heart-healthy legume to consider. Try to order dishes with plenty of vegetables, but stay away from heavy dishes with ghee, which is clarified butter made from buffalo’s or cow’s milk. Just as in the above explanation about Chinese cuisine, ask if the dishes can be made with minimal oil, provided the dishes are made to order and not in large pots. 

Skip The Sour Cream At Mexican Restaurants

Believe it or not, one of the healthier dishes (and perhaps most eye-catching) to order when eating at a Mexican restaurant is fajitas. They usually contain a lot of vegetables and don’t have fried components. Black beans tend to be a better choice, since they are rich in soluble fiber. That said, some restaurants over-salt the beans, no matter what type they are. Try to choose corn tortillas instead of white flour tortillas, because corn tortillas contain fewer calories and less sodium, sugar, and saturated fat than flour tortillas. If possible, choose grilled fish as your protein because it is a leaner protein with lower fat and sodium content. Lastly, resist ordering nachos as an appetizer and skip the sour cream and queso, opting for pico de gallo instead.

Avoid Saturated Fats And Limit Fatty Meals

There has been an interesting development in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It no longer includes a specific limit for dietary cholesterol, but that isn’t an excuse to eat carelessly. The USDA guidelines and other dietitians advise people to eat as little cholesterol as possible. One study followed 30,000 men and women who did not have cardiovascular disease at the beginning of the study. After a 17-year period, researchers noted that for every 300 milligrams of cholesterol that participants added to their daily diet, they increased their risk of cardiovascular disease by 17%. 

Health experts suggest that cholesterol you eat impacts your blood cholesterol levels, but that isn’t the only factor to consider. Maintaining a balanced diet is the best way to manage your cholesterol levels. Reducing your consumption of meat, especially processed meats like bacon, sausage, and deli meat, can go a long way in reducing cholesterol and your risk of heart disease. Many foods that are rich in cholesterol, including high-fat dairy, bakery items, and fatty meats, also have a higher content of saturated or trans fats, both of which elevate cholesterol. For this reason, do your best to avoid these foods when you dine out. Such foods include pizza, burgers, tacos, sandwiches, and casseroles. Additionally, watch out for cheesy foods, palm oil, cookies, snack foods, and cakes. 

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These vegan Buffalo chickpea quesadillas are blowing up all over social media, and for good reason. Not only will they blow away your taste buds with their tangy, spicy flavor, but they are also easy to make and popular among vegan skeptics and picky eaters. The chickpeas are very filling and the vegan cheese is incredibly melty. You get that classic, stringy, cheesy goodness when you cut up the quesadilla and pull away each piece!

In order to have Buffalo chickpea quesadillas, you need to have the right Buffalo sauce. Most Buffalo sauces are vegan, but some are better than others, especially in regards to ingredients. Primal Kitchen, for example, makes an excellent Buffalo sauce that comes in mild, medium, and hot varieties. If you have a favorite sauce, then please go ahead and use the one you prefer. You can also mix and match a couple hot sauces if you want to live dangerously and breathe fire after every bite! If you want a pronounced, tangy and spicy Buffalo flavor, opt for a classic Buffalo sauce.

The thing about chickpeas is that they easily take on various flavors. In order to keep them from sliding out of the tortillas, you have to give them a slight mash in the pan right before you finish cooking them with the Buffalo sauce. Once you mash them, remove them from the pan and get ready to make your quesadillas in a separate, clean pan, ideally one that is non-stick. One last thing to remember is that vegan cheese takes a little longer to melt, so keep your burner on medium-low heat to avoid charring the tortilla to a crisp.

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Americans love table salt, and they eat too much of it. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends keeping daily intake of sodium to under 2,300 milligrams (mg), most American adults exceed this figure. In fact, it’s estimated that people eat an average of 3,000 to 3,500 mg of sodium per day. All of that excess sodium increases your blood volume and with it, your blood pressure. High blood pressure increases your risk of serious conditions like stroke and heart disease. 

Sodium is a necessary electrolyte that the body needs for many bodily functions. For example, the body requires sodium to maintain fluid balance, transmit nerve impulses, and to maintain muscle movement. If you are worried about high blood pressure, especially if it runs in your family, you should aim to limit your sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day. Cutting back to 1,000 mg per day could improve your blood pressure even more. 

While most people are mindful to steer clear of certain salty foods, they may not be aware of sneaky sodium bombs. French fries and movie theater popcorn are common high-sodium foods, but you need to be on the lookout for less obvious sodium sources. From canned veggies to bread and tortillas, beware of the following salty foods. 

Vegetable Juice

In theory, vegetable juice should be healthy, but it is a sneaky source of salt. Always read your labels! Sodium content is always listed per serving size, and a low-sodium serving should be 140 mg or less, according to the National Academy of Sciences. A can of tomato juice can contain more than 900 mg of sodium per an 11.5-ounce serving. If you want to enjoy healthy vegetable juice, make your own with a juicer or strain a blended vegetable mixture through a mesh sieve. 

Pasta Sauce

Pasta is an easy dinner choice because it doesn’t require a lot of time or effort, especially if you use jarred sauce. If you want to be more mindful of your sodium intake, you may want to rethink how you prepare your dish. On average, one cup of spaghetti sauce has nearly 1,000 mg of sodium. If you enjoy meat sauce, then you have to factor in additional sodium from the sausage or meatballs. Alternatively, make your own sauce by using ripe plum tomatoes, garlic, onion, and fresh basil. You can also toss your noodles with fresh vegetables and olive oil for a healthier, sauce-free pasta dish. 

Breakfast Cereal

A large percentage of the sodium that most Americans consume comes from cereals and other processed foods. One cup of cornflakes, for example, contains almost 270 mg of sodium, which can add up quickly if you don’t measure portion sizes. When you get into sugary cereals, you enter a world of food dyes, artificial flavors, and added sugars, all of which sabotage your health. Pre-made pancake mixes can also be secret sources of sodium, exhibiting over 450 mg of sodium per serving. 

Deli Meats

Sliced deli meats, hot dogs, bacon, and even turkey bacon are packed with sodium. One hot dog, for example, can contain as much as 700 mg of sodium. Two slices of regular deli ham can have close to 250 mg of sodium. People often consume more than one serving of these types of food, which only increases sodium intake. If you want to enjoy animal protein, opt for grass-fed/grass-finished beef or wild caught fish. Always check nutrition labels on meats because you never know if they are “plumped” with sodium to help them retain moisture. 

Canned Soups And Vegetables

Anything in a can typically contains sodium, especially canned vegetables and soups. That’s why you always have to check the nutrition labels and choose low-sodium products or “no salt added” products. A 10.5-ounce can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup contains 2,225 mg of sodium, which nearly accounts for the recommended daily allowance. Canned beans or vegetables can contain nearly four servings of about 400 mg of sodium or more. To reduce your sodium intake, opt for fresh vegetables instead of canned varieties. If you want soup, use low-sodium stocks with fresh vegetables!

Bread And Tortillas

A six-inch flour tortilla can contain more than 400 mg of sodium, but this depends on the brand and ingredients. That number only increases as the tortillas get bigger. If you want to eat tortillas, opt for plain corn tortillas, which may only contain 15 mg of sodium per tortilla. Another sneaky source of sodium is bread, with an average slice containing 100-200 mg of sodium. This, of course, depends on the type of bread and the brand. If you want to watch your sodium and carb intake, opt for a lettuce wrap or portobello mushroom bun for more nutrients and extra flavor.

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If you deal with high blood pressure or hypertension, then you know eating the right foods is the best way to manage your levels. Consuming whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts,  nuts, seeds, and legumes benefit the heart. Additionally, you need to avoid processed foods and other foods that are high in sugar and sodium. There are foods, which you may think are healthy, that actually raise your blood pressure levels. 

Managing your blood pressure, or any chronic health issue, can be a constant challenge, even overwhelming at times. This is especially hard when you have to avoid one extremely tasty and common ingredient: salt. You cannot live without salt, but too much of it can elevate blood pressure levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Consuming too much salt makes it more difficult for the kidneys to properly eliminate fluid, which can build up in the body and contribute to hypertension over time. 

Hypertension essentially stiffens and narrows blood vessels, which ultimately decreases the amount of oxygen and blood that flows to vital organs. That, in turn, forces the heart to pump more blood to make up for the shortage. So what can you do to avoid this problem? Staying away from overly salty food is a great first step, but you also have to keep an eye out for the following foods, some of which you may not know are high in sodium.

Tortillas

It’s very common to think that what you put inside the tortilla is more important than the tortilla itself. You may think that getting a wrap (often a tortilla) is a healthier choice than a sandwich. While deli meats and cheeses are undoubtedly high in sodium, you need to consider the tortilla. According to the available food data, a one-ounce serving of white flour tortillas has 194 milligrams (mg) of sodium. Compare that to the same serving size of corn tortillas, which only contains 13 mg of sodium. Adding chicken and cheese to a flour tortilla can raise sodium levels to 601 mg!

Shrimp

A lot of people enjoy shrimp because it contains high levels of protein, but this seafood option is quite high in sodium. In fact a 100-gram (g) serving of shrimp contains 111 mg of sodium, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shrimp inhabit saltwater habitats, but that’s not the only reason they are high in sodium. Freshly-caught shrimp tend to be soaked in a salty brine within minutes of harvesting them. This brine helps reduce their temperature more quickly to prevent ice crystals from forming during the freezing process. 

Vegetable Juice

How can something that sounds so healthy be rich in sodium and harmful to your heart? Let us be clear and say that juicing your own vegetables or buying cold-pressed vegetable juice from a juice bar is completely healthy. Most vegetables are naturally low in sodium and contain nutrients that can help reduce blood pressure levels. We are, of course, referring to store bought vegetable juice, which contains processed ingredients and preservatives. One cup of your average store bought vegetable juice contains 52 mg of sodium. If you want the nutrients from vegetables, eat them raw, blend them into a smoothie, steam them, or juice them yourself. 

Salad Dressing

The sad reality is that eating a salad of vegetables is healthy, but dressing it with a store bought dressing can cancel a lot of the nutritional benefits. Many store bought dressings contain added flavors, processed ingredients, trans & saturated fats, dairy products, and more. A 2009 study of the sodium content in major brands of packaged foods in the U.S. found that salad dressing had the highest average concentrations of sodium per 100 g. In fact, the range of sodium per 100 g was 1,072 to 1,067 mg. Drenching your salads in bottled dressing is like dousing them in salt. Most bottled dressings contain 300 to 500 mg of sodium in a two-tablespoon serving!

Canned Vegetables

Canned vegetables are not all bad, due to the fact that they contain thiamin, protein, folate, iron, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K. Unfortunately, canned vegetables contain a lot of preservatives and sodium. Sure, there are low-sodium and “no salt added” varieties (which still contain sodium), but the average person doesn’t buy those varieties. A can of green peas, for example, has 310 mg of sodium per serving, and there are typically three to four servings per can. If you eat fresh peas, they only contain seven mg of sodium per cup. 

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Crispy potato taquitos are undeniably delicious and they are surprisingly easy to make. Anybody can boil potatoes, mash them, and put them inside a tortilla, though. This recipe goes several steps beyond your average potato taquito by layering different flavors. You will taste everything from the liberally seasoned potatoes to the briny pickled onions and zesty salsa. You don’t have to make all of the toppings for the taquitos, but if you want to wake up the dish and have a flavorful party, you should make them.

Most people think of tacos or taquitos and immediately want to put meat, poultry or fish in them. Those are the “standard” proteins that come to mind, but a potato filling is not only budget-friendly and easy, but also surprisingly delicious. In order to enhance the recipe, it is integral that you season your potatoes once you mash them. Speaking of mashing potatoes, your potato choice is completely up to you, but we recommend standard Russet potatoes. They easily absorb the flavor of the different spices, but so do red skin potatoes. Sweet potatoes or yams are also acceptable, but they’ll exhibit a sweeter flavor profile in your taquitos. That may be a nice balance to the subtle kick from the tomatillo salsa.

When it comes time to assemble and fry your taquitos, there are a few important rules to follow. The first rule is that you need to warm up the tortillas for about 20-30 seconds to prevent them from ripping when you roll up the mashed potatoes. The second rule is that need to sew each taquito shut with a toothpick. That will prevent the taquito from opening in the pan and spilling out into the oil. After you finish frying the taquitos you can top them with the pickled onions, salsa, and chipotle crema. We recommend that you make those toppings prior to making the taquitos, so that they are ready once you’re taquitos finish frying

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When you see a bowl of tortilla soup, the natural response is to devour it. This is completely out of your control because the aroma enchants you, luring you towards the bottom of the bowl, bite by bite. It’s a fairly easy dish to create, and allowing it to cook for a longer time over low heat will only enhance the flavor. If you prefer a soup that has a thinner consistency, you can always add more vegetable broth. Otherwise, this soup will be a little chunky!

The first step for creating this soup is sautéing the onion, garlic, and jalapeño in a large stockpot. Don’t overcook these ingredients; rather, allow them to become translucent and quite fragrant. You may need to turn stove’s vent on high in order to suck up the intense aroma from the jalapeños. Once this trio is sautéed and fragrant, add in the remaining ingredients and bring the liquid to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer and let the flavors intensify for about 15 minutes. Should you want to develop some richer flavors, you can allow the soup to simmer for a longer time.

The great thing about this recipe is it doesn’t take very long to create a flavorful dish. This soup has wonderful flavor combinations, but it’s important for you to taste throughout the cooking process. Adding a little sea salt here or cumin there may prove necessary, especially if you have a specific idea of how you want the soup to taste. Once the soup finishes cooking, ladle it into bowls and prepare to top it with your desired ingredients. Diced avocado, onion, and chopped cilantro make great toppings, in addition to a fresh lime wedge and tortilla strips.

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Whether you have recently adopted the ketogenic diet or you are looking to go grain-free, this cauliflower tortilla recipe is great to have in your recipe arsenal. The important step is to grind the flaxseeds, or else the tortillas will fall apart. You can also purchase ground flaxseeds, which we highly recommend.

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Are you ready for tacos? The answer should always be “yes.” This recipe has minimal ingredients, so you’ll be done making tacos in no time. Use your favorite vegan toppings on these tacos to make them complete…or you can use our suggestions.

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Before fajitas even arrive at your restaurant table, they announce their presence with the signature sizzling sound. You can hear that sound over all the chatter, television volume, and kitchen clamor in the restaurant. The sound means one thing: deliciousness is on the way.

Fajitas are a classic Tex-Mex creation, inspired by Tejano cuisine in the southwest United States. The origin of the dish dates back to when ranch hands used to receive part of their pay in the form of a strip steak, but fajitas have evolved to become a combination of grilled vegetables, seafood, meat, and poultry. All of the sizzling items are wrapped in the steamed tortillas, serving as the vessels to transport all those flavors to your mouth.

The base of any great fajita recipe starts with a well-balanced marinade or spice mixture. And don’t go out and purchase a packet of fajita seasoning because it is most likely filled with excess sodium, dyes, chemical flavor enhancers, and it just won’t compare to the flavor of real spices and fresh ingredients. A great marinade, if you are using cauliflower or tempeh, begins with olive oil, fresh lime juice, liquid aminos, and a dash of freshly squeezed orange juice. The rest of the flavor will come from the spice rack. Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder (or freshly minced garlic), paprika, oregano, sea salt, pepper, and onion powder are the spices that you want to use for the marinade. Alternatively, you can season vegetables with these spices and eliminate the liquid base if you are only making veggie fajitas.

The beauty of fajitas is that it they can become a customizable buffet of tasty toppings and fillings. Make your own fresh pico de gallo salsa (recipe here), chunky guacamole (click here for recipe), and plate lime wedges and the vessels of your choice. You can use tortillas, collard leaves, or lettuce leaves.

National Fajita Day wouldn’t be complete without some tasty recipes for you to make. Ready your spices and prepare to chow down because deliciousness is coming to you by way of these fajita recipes.

Sheet Pan Cauliflower Tortillas

If you are craving some fajitas but want to try and make them a little healthier, this is the recipe you’ve been looking for.

Click here to make the recipe.

Vegetarian Mushroom Fajitas With A Kick

The flavor of the fajitas come from the bold marinade. You can leave the vegetables in the marinade for a longer time, if you like, to really absorb the flavors. If you have signature salsa that you make, go ahead and use it as a topping!

Click here to make the recipe.

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Cauliflower is a great base ingredient to use because it can absorb flavors. You’ll get that classic fajita flavor with the peppers, onions, and spices, but it will be so much healthier!

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