What we eat affects our cholesterol levels and can help reduce our risk of disease. We should follow a heart-healthy diet, which means eating a variety of fresh, unprocessed foods and limiting highly processed foods including takeaways, baked goods, chocolate, chips, lollies and sugary drinks. This not only helps keep the diet healthy and enjoyable, but also provides essential nutrients for the body.
A heart-healthy diet includes:
- Lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains
- A variety of healthy protein foods (especially fish and seafood), legumes (such as beans and lentils), nuts and seeds. Small amounts of eggs and lean poultry can also be included in a heart-healthy diet. If you choose red meat, make sure it is lean and limit it to one to three times a week
- Unflavored milk, yogurt, and cheese. People with high cholesterol should choose healthy fats and oils that are low in fat. Choose nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, and their oils for cooking
- Herbs and spices to flavor foods, rather than adding salt.
This way of eating is also naturally high in fiber, which is good news because high fiber intake in the diet can also lower bad cholesterol in the blood.
Also, be mindful of how much you eat. Portions add up over time, and many of us eat more than we need, which can increase cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
Ideally, a healthy plate would include ¼ serving of healthy protein, ¼ serving of whole grains, and ½ serving of colorful vegetables.
Portions may vary depending on age, gender, and specific nutritional needs.
Healthy Eating Tips to Lower Cholesterol
In addition to eating a varied and healthy diet, try these tips to help you control your cholesterol:
- A heart-healthy diet should be based primarily on eating plant-based foods. Eating plenty of plant-based foods such as vegetables, beans, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds is good for heart health.
- Include beans (or legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, split peas), legumes (such as haricot beans, kidney beans, baked beans, bean mixes) in at least two meals a week. Check food labels and choose products that are lowest in sodium (salt).
- Beans are a great alternative to meat in tacos or hummus with vegetables. You can also add beans to soups, pasta sauces, curries and stews.
- Use tofu or lentils instead of meat in stir-fries or curries.
- Choose wholegrain breads, cereals, pasta, rice and noodles.
- Snack on unsalted nuts and fresh fruit (ideally two servings of fruit per day).
- Use avocados, nut butters, tahini or spreads made from healthy unsaturated fats (such as canola, sunflower or extra virgin olive oil) instead of those made from saturated fats (such as butter, coconut oil and cream).
- Use healthy oils for cooking – some examples include canola, sunflower, soybean, olive oil (extra virgin is a good choice), sesame oil and peanut oil.
- For people at high risk of heart disease, people should eat 2-3 grams of plant sterol-rich foods per day (such as margarine, yogurt, milk and cereals enriched with plant sterols).
- Eat fish two to three times a week (150 grams fresh or 100 grams canned).
- Most people do not need to limit the number of eggs they eat each week. However, up to seven eggs per week is recommended for people with high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Choose lean meats (skinless cuts of meat and poultry) and limit unprocessed red meat to 350 grams per week.
- Choose unflavored milk, yogurt, and cheese. People with high cholesterol or heart disease should choose low-fat options. Check labels to make sure there is no added sugar. Non-dairy milk and yogurt are fine; choose unsweetened and calcium-fortified varieties.
- Limit or avoid processed meats including sausages and cold cuts (such as ham, bacon, and salami).
