The words cholesterol and diet don't have to make us groan when used together. In fact, lowering cholesterol doesn't have to include strict requirements or special, expensive and tasteless foods. While foods consumed can have a great affect on cholesterol levels, therefore, affecting heart health, there are ways that consumers can make healthy changes to a diet without sacrificing flavor and the enjoyment of mealtime.

Saturated Fats
One of the number one causes of high cholesterol is a diet high in saturated fats, which can, in turn, result in issues like heart disease. The good news combatting the seriousness of high cholesterol is the changes that can be completed easily with a few adjustments in the food that enters out bodies. Educating oneself and the fats that are harmful to cholesterol levels can be an important way of taking charge of health and resulting issues. The American heart Association recommends that saturated fats be maintained at 7 percent of caloric intake, or 16 grams of saturated fat. Beef, pork, poultry fat, butter and high fat dairy products are all foods that are high in cholesterol.

Foods labeled partially hydrogenated are examples of foods containing cholesterol raising fats and should be steered away from when seeking healthy diet changes. Food choices that contain saturated and/or trans fat or partially hydrogenated ingredients are a sure-fire way to continue on an unhealthy path of high cholesterol, raising levels even higher in the process.

Healthy, Cholesterol Lowering Fats
While dieters may groan at the list of delicious foods containing high amounts of LDL cholesterol raising saturated fat, there are delicious, healthy fats that can help combat high cholesterol without sacrificing taste and richness. Even though a doctor may have prescribed medication to lower high cholesterol and reduce the accompanying dangers, lifestyle and diet changes are imperative. Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats are a powerful tool when it comes to reducing dangerous levels of bad cholesterol. Substituting the healthy fats mentioned for the unhealthy, cholesterol raising saturated and trans fats is a great first step at reducing cholesterol painlessly.

While maintaining a low fat diet is helpful when looking to reduce bad cholesterol, it is also important to swap out bad fats for their healthier counterparts. Seeking foods containing olive or canola oil, which are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. In addition, dieters can also make a point to cook with the above mentioned fats instead of using high fat meats and butters to add flavor to meals or create a non-stick environment for cooking. Vegetable oil is also a similarly healthy choice, offering the healthy aspects of polyunsaturated fat.