Sometimes it may be difficult to choose nutritious snacks, and it's easy to default to highly processed foods such as cookies, chips, and candy bars. These ultra-processed snacks are often high in salt and saturated fat, which may raise cholesterol levels (2).
Snack foods are also closely linked to higher rates of obesity and high cholesterol levels. Avoid unhealthy snacks, such as potato chips, crackers, fried foods and other packaged foods.
Fried foods, such as deep-fried meats and cheese sticks, are high in cholesterol and worth avoiding whenever possible. That's because they're high in calories and may contain trans fats, which can increase heart disease risk and be detrimental to your health in many other ways ( 25 ).
Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Soluble fiber is found in such foods as oatmeal, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Add whey protein. Whey protein, which is found in dairy products, may account for many of the health benefits attributed to dairy.
Red meat, fried foods, and baked goods are notorious for raising levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the sticky kind that builds up in artery walls.
Trader Joe's Crispy Crunchy Okra
Made from only okra, rice bran oil, and salt, these chips are delicious on their own or as a salad topper. They're loaded with soluble fiber, which makes them a cholesterol-friendly choice.
Bread does not generally contain cholesterol, but varieties that include animal products, such as milk and butter, do contain cholesterol. White bread and other types made from refined grains may raise a person's cholesterol levels.
While coffee does not contain cholesterol, it can affect cholesterol levels. The diterpenes in coffee suppress the body's production of substances involved in cholesterol breakdown, causing cholesterol to increase. Specifically, coffee diterpenes may cause an increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels.
The best in terms of lowering cholesterol are tuna, salmon, and swordfish. Sardines and halibut are good options, too.
Can you still eat bread if you have high levels of cholesterol? Yes! You can still eat bread, but some types of bread are a lot healthier for you to eat if you have high cholesterol levels. Most bread products are primarily made of wheat flour.
The lowdown. A diet high in salt can cause bloating, high blood pressure, and dehydration. Although salt consumption does not affect cholesterol levels, eating foods containing high salt levels can increase your risk of developing heart disease, stomach cancer, and stroke.
Plain salted potato chips are “a low-nutrient, high-calorie food,” says Lindsay Malone, registered dietitian who works at the Cleveland Clinic. A typical 1.5-ounce bag will run you 223 calories, plus 14 grams of fat and 221 mg of sodium.
The good: This food is very low in Cholesterol. The bad: This food contains Trans Fat.
Research has shown that refined carbohydrates, like white bread and white pasta, can increase LDL cholesterol. If you can't live without your mac and cheese, opt for a homemade version with whole-wheat pasta and low-fat milk and cheese.
When people have high cholesterol their LDL (bad) is high and their HDL (good) is low. Eating healthy, regular exercise and drinking plenty of water will help to bring down cholesterol levels within 2-3 weeks.
The antioxidants in pasta help control inflammation and insulin, which in turn helps reduce levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Chicken eggs are an affordable source of protein and other nutrients. They're also naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way some other foods, such as those high in trans fats and saturated fats, do.
Tisch Center for Women's Health at the NYU Langone Medical Center, says it can take between three to six months to see lower LDL numbers through just diet and exercise, noting that it takes longer to see changes in women than men. Read on for more information on how to lower your LDL levels.
Chronic stress leads to consistently high levels of stress hormones, which in turn can lead to consistently high blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and/or triglycerides.
Unsaturated fats, the type found in avocados, are considered healthy types of fat. And avocados have no cholesterol whatsoever. Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats can help lower blood cholesterol levels, making avocados a heart-healthy food.
Why is my cholesterol high if I eat healthy and exercise? Even if you eat right and exercise, you can still have high cholesterol if you have inherited a genetic form of high cholesterol from your parents called familial hypercholesterolemia.