QuestionI am 41 and I workout. A few months ago, my diet changed dramatically when I learned I had high cholesterol and borderline high blood pressure. I now eat like a vegetarian who eats fish. My goal is high protein, low fat / sat. fat, and no cholesterol. I need snacks for work but my old protein bars are out - too much fat and cholesterol. I also need more choices of fish. Getting sick of Salmon. Any ideas?
Thanks.
AnswerHi Richard! It sounds like you are eating a very healthy diet but getting a little worn out. There are a lot of different kind of fish out there. If you have been eating a lot of fish I am sure you have heard warnings about mercury and know the recommended amount for safe consumption is no more than 14 ounces of low mercury fish and no more than 7 ounces of higher mercury fish per week. Tilapia has become very popular in the last few years and can be cooked in the same way you are cooking the salmon. Catfish can be broiled or rolled in a corn flour breading and baked. Canned mackerel and tuna are good for sandwiches (mixed with plain low-fat yogurt instead of mayonnaise...or a fat-free mayo if you find you don't like using yogurt) but are both higher in mercury than some other choices and should be eaten no more than once a week. Shrimp is another option, containing very low levels of cholesterol, mercury levels low enough not to be measurable, and more omega-3 fatty acids than light tuna; one snack/meal idea is to put pre-cooked, frozen shrimp in a thermos and they should be thawed and ready to eat by lunch. Scallops are another option and can be served on grilled kabobs with vegetables. Herring and sardines can be purchased packed in mustard, which can be eaten straight out of the can as a snack. My family likes to eat imitation crab (which is made of fish) plain as a snack. We also like sushi but, unless you live near the ocean and have access to fresh fish daily, do not recommend you try making sushi yourself. I would suggest visiting an online recipe site (such as allrecipes.com or sea-ex.com/recipes) for more ideas.
I already gave you some seafood snack ideas. Nuts are another good high protein snack; they are high in fat but it is healthy fat, and a handful of nuts daily are often recommended for people with cardiovascular problems (walnuts and almonds are good choices but you would want low sodium options due to your elevated blood pressure). Fat free cottage cheese salad (with fresh fruits or vegetables) can give you protein and fiber. Homemade hummus (so you can control fat content from olive oil), a fat free refried bean burrito, soy nuts, or any other bean-based snack would be high in protein and low in cholesterol. It is kind of involved for a snack, but scrambled egg whites with tomato, peppers, and onion is really filling.
I hope that helps. If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me again. Otherwise, keep up the good work!
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