Maine lobster is delicious and has many healthy nutrients. Just watch the drawn butter

I enjoy a good Florida lobster but I love a big succulent lobster from Maine.

And after a week with family in Boothbay Harbor Maine, I am lobster satisfied. And I’m not worried about my cholesterol levels since I know the science about the relationship between dietary and blood cholesterol levels.

Let’s dispel this myth again.

It is the saturated fat in food that raises blood cholesterol levels, not cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol in an overall nutritious diet is not a concern. Saturated fat increases the “bad” LDL cholesterol that is associated with increased risk of heart disease. The dietary guidelines recommend limiting saturated fat to 10% or less of calories.

For someone eating 2,000 calories a day, that would be 200 calories or less from saturated fat. Four ounces of lobster meat has 1 calorie (.11 gram) of saturated fat. Four ounces of ground beef has about 81 calories (9 grams) of saturated fat. A 4-ounce chicken breast has 9 calories (1 gram) of saturated fat.

Lobster provides a significant amount of zinc, calcium, phosphorous, selenium, potassium and B vitamins. It is low in mercury. For reference, 4 ounces of lobster has about 160 mg of cholesterol and 1 egg has 187 mg of cholesterol. Both are low in saturated fat and fit well in a nutritious diet plan.

The primary concern with lobster is the company it keeps. One tablespoon of butter has 63 calories from saturated fat. One cup of French fries has 36 calories from saturated fat (4 grams of fat).

If someone was eating lobster frequently, they could switch to a mustard sauce with a baked potato. Or top a salad with lobster. This would significantly lower the saturated fat content of the meal.

I support a total diet approach. The Dietary Guidelines describe a total diet approach as everything a person eats averaged out over time. If the majority of the foods you eat are minimally processed, low in saturated fat, with an abundance of vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins,fruits, nuts and seeds than enjoying a lobster and fries fits just fine.

Sheah Rarback MS, RDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice in Miami.