Cutting meat and dairy from your diet is one way to lower your high cholesterol levels, since the saturated fats that raise blood cholesterol come primarily from animal products. And even better, a vegetarian diet may lower your risk for chronic health conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Here's how to do it right.
Is a Vegetarian Diet Safe and Nutritious?
A well-rounded vegetarian diet can be healthy and nutritionally sound with some careful planning. Here are tips to make sure you're getting enough essential nutrients:
- Protein You can get all the protein you need from a vegetarian diet. Pulses (beans and peas), legumes, and soy are all rich sources of protein. Good sources of plant protein include whole grains, seeds, nuts, and some vegetables.
- Iron A vegetarian diet may put you at higher risk for iron deficiency. Make sure to get enough good plant-based sources of iron, like dried beans, spinach, dried fruits, and yeast in your diet.
- Vitamin B12 This vitamin is important for reducing the risk of heart disease, and vegetarians often don't get enough B12, which could put them at risk. You can make sure to get enough vitamin B12 by including a type of seaweed called dried purple laver (nori) in your diet, eating fortified products such as B12-fortified soy milk or cereal, or taking a B12 supplement.
- Zinc This mineral is important for growth and development. Grains, nuts, and legumes are good sources of zinc.
- Vitamin D If you don't include dairy in your vegetarian diet and you don't spend much time outdoors in the sun, you might not get the vitamin D you need. You may want to supplement your diet with vitamin D and calcium.
Vegetarian Cooking Tips to Lower Cholesterol
Even though a vegetarian diet eliminates animal foods as a source of saturated fat, if you have high cholesterol, you'll still need to watch out for sources of fat and cooking methods that can affect your cholesterol levels.
- Avoid trans fats. Many vegetable oils have hydrogen added to them. Called hydrogenated oils, these are high in trans fats, which can raise your cholesterol levels. Read the labels of any butter substitute or cooking oil you're choosing in order to avoid trans fats when you cook.
- Limit saturated fats. These fats can raise your cholesterol levels and are primarily found in meat and full-fat dairy products. But beware that coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils do contain saturated fats. Consider substitutes like the heart-healthy oils below.
- Add heart-healthy oils. Cook with healthier unsaturated fats, found in heart-healthy oils like safflower, corn, olive, canola, and peanut oils, to help lower your cholesterol levels.
- Try low-fat cooking. You can sauté in water instead of oil, or use just a very small amount of canola or olive oil to sauté instead of frying. Broiling, steaming, poaching, and boiling are better than frying when you're watching the amount of fat and calories in your diet. When baking, you can cut back on the amount of oil or margarine and replace it with water, juice, or applesauce.
Vegetarian Diet: Eating Out
Eating out and sticking to your vegetarian diet can be a challenge. Here are some tips to help you:
- Plan in advance. Think about what kind of restaurant you want to go to so you'll have more plant-based options. In addition to vegetarian spots, international choices, such as Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Thai, and Japanese restaurants, tend to have more vegetarian diet selections.
- Call ahead. Inquire about the menu when you make reservations.
- Talk to your server. Don't assume that your server knows that food prepared in chicken stock isn't vegetarian, or that lard and gelatin are animal products. Be specific about your dietary requirements to avoid surprises in your meal.
- Ask for a substitution. Many restaurants will gladly substitute meatless pasta or exchange a baked potato for a fried side order. You can also request that your meal be prepared with unsaturated oil to help with your cholesterol levels.
Talk About Your Vegetarian Diet Choice
Family members and friends who are unfamiliar with a vegetarian diet may try to discourage you because they think a diet without animal foods isn't safe or nutritious. Here are ways to get their support:
- Educate yourself. Be ready to explain the benefits of a vegetarian diet. Assure family members and friends that a balanced vegetarian diet isn't missing any nutrients compared with one that includes animal products.
- Don't preach. You've decided to pursue a vegetarian diet because you think it's a healthier choice, but don't expect to change someone else's diet.
- Be patient. A vegetarian diet can seem like a radical idea to people who aren't familiar with it.
- Be responsible. Don't expect your family to change their cooking and eating habits and start making meals just for you. Be prepared to do your own cooking and shopping, and have the plant-based ingredients you need on hand.
- Share your food. Once you've convinced your family that a vegetarian diet is healthy, prepare a vegetarian meal once a week to share with them. Show them that a vegetarian diet can also be appetizing and filling.
If you're worried about cholesterol, adopting a vegetarian diet is a good option to consider. Vegetarian diets are low in total fat and saturated fat, and high in fiber, all of which can help you lower your cholesterol. A carefully planned vegetarian diet is good for your heart and can include all the important nutrients you need.