The Cholesterol-Friendly Grocery List

Forget your former throw-whatever-looks-good-into-the-cart approach and bring this list next time you head to the supermarket. Stocking your pantry with these heart healthy choices will set you up for cholesterol-success.

For the cupboard

• Canned beans, such as black, white, pinto, garbanzo, and kidney.*
• Dried fruits, such as figs, raisins, prunes, apricots, and dates.
• Whole wheat flour for baking.
• Apple sauce for baking.*
• A good bottle of virgin or extra virgin olive oil.
• Canola oil.
• Canned salmon and water-packed tuna.*
• Canned clams.*
• Canned sardines.*
• Canned fruit packed in its own juices or in light syrup.*
• Quick-cooking or old-fashioned oatmeal, but not the instant kind.
• Whole grain mix for pancakes and waffles.
• Cans of chopped tomatoes flavored with herbs, onions, or garlic for tossing with pasta.*
• Peanut butter (the natural kind, made without hydrogenated oil or added sugar).*
• Jarred artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, and flavorful spreads, all of which can add pizzazz to pasta, rice, couscous, or other grains.*

*Refrigerate after opening

For the fridge

• Low-fat mayonnaise.
• Hard, flavorful cheeses like Romano or Parmesan.
• A sterol-based spread such as Benecol or Take Control, or a margarine free of trans fats (such as Smart Balance).

For the freezer

• Frozen veggie or soy burgers.
• Frozen turkey meatballs.
• Frozen vegetables in bags.
• Frozen berries.
• Fillets of frozen fish, not breaded (slip unthawed pieces into simmering poaching liquid for a fast meal).

Fruits and vegetables

• At least one fruit or vegetable of every color: red, green, orange, and yellow.
• Avocados.
• Garlic.
• Eggplant and mushrooms (for meatless meals).
• Bags of prewashed lettuce.
• Bags of baby carrots.
• Precut vegetables.
• Something new for you, like mango, star fruit, jicama, or bok choy.

Breads and grains

• Bread with the word “whole” in the first ingredient.
• Cereal with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.
• Brown rice (regular or Minute Rice).
• Other grains, such as bulgur, barley, and quinoa.
• Whole wheat pasta.
• For a splurge, buy fresh-baked rounds of sourdough, rosemary, or olive bread for dipping in olive oil.

Meat and poultry

• Extra lean loin and round cuts.
• Chicken breasts.
• Ground turkey.
• Free-range meats, if you can find them (they’re generally lower in fat).
• Game meats.

Seafood

• Fresh fish, especially salmon, tuna, and mackerel.
• Fresh shrimp, oysters, clams, crabs, or mussels.

Dairy

• Low-fat cheese.
• Strong-flavored cheeses like blue and feta.
• Nonfat or low-fat yogurt.
• Nonfat milk (low-fat is okay if you’re not ready to drop all the way to nonfat just yet).
• Eggs enriched with omega-3 fatty acids.

Other

• Firm tofu.
• Soy crumbles (found in the frozen food section).
• Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds.
• Flaxseed, available in health food stores and some grocery stores.
• Wheat germ.

Condiments

• Capers.
• Hot sauces.
• Spicy mustard.
• Prechopped garlic and ginger.
• Low-fat vinegar-based salad dressings and marinades.
• Plum sauce, black bean sauce, and other Asian sauces for vegetable stir-fries.

Beverages

• Vegetable juice or 100 percent fruit juice.
• Green or black tea.
• Wine.

Originally Published in Reader's Digest