What are good substitutes for ham sandwiches, steak, and pizza if you are trying to eat less saturated fat and cholesterol? I was asked this interesting question recently and wanted to share some thoughts on it. These are clearly favorite entrees for lots of people. When it comes to red meat and processed meat, how often you eat it and how big your servings are becomes key. For health reasons, we want to eat red meat less often (especially if we have it more than once a day) and we want the servings to be sensible when we do eat it (ideally 4-6 ounces of steak, for example or no more than 2 ounces of ham). Beyond that here are some specific tips: HAMMING IT UP Some deli ham is actually pretty lean. A 2-ounce serving has around .4 grams saturated fat and 26 mg cholesterol whereas a 2-ounce serving of turkey breast lunch meat contains .2 grams saturated fat and 24 milligrams of cholesterol. It's also nice to sometimes have vegetarian sandwiches like roasted eggplant or roasted bell pepper with mozzarella cheese, or one of my favorites - fresh mozzarella, topped with fresh basil, ripe sliced tomato and a splash of balsamic vinaigrette. STEAK SAVVY For steak, it's nice to go with fish instead of meat sometimes, but when you do have that beef steak, there are way leaner cuts to behold. These really take down the total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol! For example, if you enjoy 4 ounces of top sirloin, trimmed of visible fat and broiled or grilled, it contains:

• 207 calories, 6.5 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol.

Compare this to richer cuts of beef:

• T-bone steak with 1/4-inch trim and broiled: 229 calories, 10.9 grams fat, 4 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol.
• Rib eye steak, broiled, select, EVEN trimmed of visible fat: 261 calories, 14.5 grams fat, 5.6 g saturated fat, 109 mg cholesterol.

PIZZA PERFECT There are also ways to eat a healthier pizza - opt for less cheese on top or use a reduced fat cheese when making at home, top your pizza with veggies and not meat. And if you buying your crust, choose a whole wheat one like Boboli's whole wheat pizza crust; if you are making one at home use 2/3 whole wheat flour and 1/3 white flour. If you just switch to reduced fat cheese, you shave off quite a bit of saturated fat and cholesterol. Two ounces of part-skim mozzarella contains 144 calories, 9 grams fat, 5.7 grams saturated fat, 36 mg cholesterol compared to whole milk mozzarella which contains 170 calories, 13 grams fat, 7.5 grams saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol. An ounce of cooked sausage contains: 117 calories, 11 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 22 mg cholesterol. Compare that to veggie toppings with contain zero saturated fat and cholesterol! Related Topics:

• High Cholesterol - Lifestyle Changes
• Recipes Men Love

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