•  Many kinds of crackers and snacks are now available with no added salt and unsalted tops. Some are high in saturated fatty acids. So read the labels.

•  If you use any egg yolks in cooking quick breads, be sure to count them in your daily allowance.

•  Cakes, pies, doughnuts, cookies, and candy offer very little benefit to a cholesterol-lowering diet. They're typically high in calories and low in important nutrients. Plus, many baked goods are made with egg yolks and saturated fats, which will harm your cholesterol-lowering efforts. Commercially produced baked goods are usually the worst offenders. If you bake at home using unsaturated oils and substituting egg whites for whole eggs, you can at least control the fat. However, baked goods of any kind add calories.

•  Cereals, pasta and rice cooked without salt are lower in sodium than instant or ready-to-eat types of these foods.