Canola, olive and peanut oils and avocados are sources of monounsaturated fatty acids. Both types of unsaturated fatty acids may help lower your blood cholesterol level when used in place of saturated fatty acids in your diet. But you should be moderate in your intake of all types of fat. The AHA recommends that you limit polyunsaturated fatty acids to no more than 10 percent of your total calories. The rest of your unsaturated fatty acid intake, about 10 to 15 percent of total calories, is made up of monounsaturated fatty acids.
Dietary cholesterol is found only in animal foods such as meat, fish, poultry and dairy products.
These foods are also sources of saturated fatty acids. Dietary cholesterol can raise your blood cholesterol level, which results in an increased risk of heart disease. That's why the AHA recommends that you limit your cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams per day. The recipes in this booklet are low in dietary cholesterol. Dietary fiber is the term used for several materials that make up the parts of plants that your body cannot digest.