You can lower your cholesterol level and decrease your risk of heart disease by cutting down on your fat consumption. Here are some ways:

Avoid fried foods; bake or broil.

Choose lean meats; cut off the fat before cooking.

Avoid luncheon meats (hot dogs, bologna).

Eat sparingly or sausage and bacon.

Remove skin from poultry (before cooking, if possible).

Steam vegetables.

Use half the fat (oil, margarine, butter, lard, shortening, mayonnaise) called for in recipes.

Use less than 1 teaspoon margarine or butter on bread, hot cereals, vegetables.

Use low-fat salad dressings; limit other salad dressings to 1 tablespoon.

Season with herbs, lemon, vinegar, onion, garlic, tomato products.

Thicken sauces, soups with a mixture of corn starch (or flour) an cold water.

For snacks, choose fruit, vegetables, whole grain bread/cereals/crackers.

Choose low-fat milk products such as buttermilk, 2% fat milk, non-fat dry milk powder and skim milk.

Use lean pieces of meat instead of fatback as seasoning for beans, peas, greens.