Some restaurants are offering soy substitutes for meat dishes. Soy products are rich in non-fat proteins. Women have a much lower incidence of heart disease than men until they pass menopause when estrogen levels fall off. Legumes include all forms of beans and bean products. In addition to being an excellent source of non-fat protein, they are very high in both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Most foods now contain levels of cholesterol contained in each serving size.
As long as your serving size is the same as the one listed on the container, you can track your daily input of cholesterol. Be aware that some food labels may indicate the product is fat-free, but this does not mean it is cholesterol free. For those individuals with risk factors for cardiovascular disease or pre-existing heart disease and elevated cholesterol levels, restricting cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg per day is desirable. See the VFS section on Cholesterol Reduction for more info. Exercise 30 minutes per day most days of the week.