Is Cholesterol Found in Foods Vegetarians Eat? Cholesterol is found in foods from animals. Eggs and dairy products do have cholesterol. Grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and vegetable oils do not have cholesterol or only contain insignificant amounts. We do not need any cholesterol in our diets since our bodies can make all the cholesterol we need. High blood cholesterol levels are associated with diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Fiber

Fiber is found only in plant foods. A vege-tarian diet featuring fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, and dried beans will be high in fiber. Oats, carrots, fruits, and beans are especially high in one kind of fiber that helps to lower blood cholesterol.

Saturated fat, cholesterol, fiber — Does this sound like too much to think about? Try to make food choices that emphasize whole grains, dried beans, vegetables, and fruit. If you do this and follow a vegetarian diet, you'll find that, without much effort, your diet will be low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber.

How Much Fat Should We Eat?

Experts do not agree about the ideal level of dietary fat and, in fact, there may not be just one ideal level. A reasonable goal for most people would be to have saturated fat pro-viding no more than 8-10% of calories and a total fat intake between 15 and 30% of total calories. Fat intakes at the higher end of this range, when the fat is monounsaturated fat (nuts, seeds, olive oil, canola oil, avocado), may be a better choice than restriction of all types of dietary fat. Fat should not be limited in children less than 2 years. After 2 years, children should gradually limit dietary fat so that by around age 5, between 20 and 30 per-cent of calories come from fat. This type of diet should be used throughout childhood and adolescence.