Low-Cholesterol Diet: Shrimp and Scallops

Have you been avoiding scallops and shrimp because you thought they were off-limits in a cholesterol-lowering diet? Well, here is welcome news for seafood lovers. Both are excellent sources of heart-healthy nutrients and do not appear to contribute to heart disease or high cholesterol. Both can be included in the American Heart Association recommendation of two fish servings per week.

Scallops are a heart-healthy alternative to meat as a main dish. They are low in calories and saturated fat, and are an excellent source of the nutrients Vitamin B12, omega-3 fats, potassium, and magnesium.

Shrimp are low in calories, saturated fat and total fat, and are a good source of the nutrients protein, B12, and vitamin D. Although shrimp was once believed to contribute to high cholesterol, it is now considered part of a heart-healthy diet by nutrition experts. So enjoy!

Preparation Tips

Scallops and shrimp pair well with fresh dill, garlic, tarragon, parsley, lemon, fresh grated ginger and/or olive oil. Stir-fry, grill, pan fry, sear, sauté or bake.

Shrimp and Scallop Recipes

Sea Scallops Over Spinach

Spicy Seared Scallops (Use a butter alternative such as Benecol, and omit salt to make this recipe even more heart healthy)

Lemon Ginger Shrimp

Shrimp Tacos

Cajun Shrimp Kabobs

Shrimp and Mango Salad

^Sources:

^{"Effects of shrimp consumption on plasma lipoproteins" ER De Oliveira e Silva, CE Seidman, JJ Tian, LC Hudgins, FM Sacks and JL Breslow}