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Sept. 20, 2024—Controlling cholesterol levels reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. Eating a cholesterol-friendly diet can help. Still, making changes isn't always easy to do.

If you're looking for ways to make your diet heart-healthy, it may help to start small, with these simple—and delicious—swaps.

Choose healthier fats

To help lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol, choose foods with heart-healthy unsaturated fats—while limiting saturated fats and avoiding trans fats. To get started:

• Use olive or avocado oil instead of butter or lard.
• Eat a meatless dinner once a week.
• Choose heart-healthy fatty fish like salmon or tuna instead of a steak, a burger or fried foods.
• Opt for fat-free or low-fat dairy products as well as lean, grilled proteins.

Eat the rainbow

Eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and veggies is a delicious way to help your heart and manage your cholesterol. Look for ways to make them part of your favorite meals and snacks—aim for five to seven servings a day. Not sure how to get started? Think beyond salad with these easy recipe upgrades:

• Top your whole-grain toast or English muffin with low-fat cream cheese, cottage cheese or even hummus. Add crunch and flavor with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, cilantro, green onions or other vegetables.
• Sneak healthy stuff like spinach or kale into your fruit smoothie.
• Instead of meats or cheeses, fold roasted or sautéed vegetables into your omelet.
• In place of white-flour pita bread or chips, dip red peppers, carrots or cucumbers into hummus.

Feel fiberlicious

Fiber from whole grains and legumes helps your digestive system manage cholesterol levels—but too many of us aren't getting enough. To step up your fiber game:

• Choose whole-grain cereals made with oatmeal, barley, whole wheat or brown rice. Add fruit and nuts for added cholesterol-lowering power.
• Instead of a standard burrito, build a burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, grilled chicken, salsa and avocado.
• Bypass the steak fajitas and go for fish tacos in corn tortillas, which are made from whole grains.
• Replace white pasta with whole-grain noodles or spaghetti squash.

Save room for sweet treats

Making healthy changes doesn't mean giving up on dessert. Just choose your moment—and make sure your overall diet is balanced. But if you're looking for a new, cholesterol-friendly fave, try these sweet ideas:

• Make your favorite baked treats healthier by using avocado or olive oil instead of butter or lard.
• Swap traditional ice cream for a make-it-yourself frozen treat. Peel and slice some bananas, then freeze them on a baking sheet. (Store them in a plastic bag when they are completely frozen.) When they're ready, toss them in a food processor and blend up for instant "ice cream." Top with a few dark chocolate chips and/or nuts.

Remember, small changes can add up to big results—and make it easier to stick to new habits. Pick a few of your favorite tips, and work them into your routines slowly. Your doctor can offer more advice and help you set goals that are right for you.

Ready to make more changes? Check out our interactive guide to learn more about how your diet can help your cholesterol levels.

Sources

• Ace Fitness. "21 Easy Food Swaps." https://www.acefitness.org/resources/pros/expert-articles/5948/21-easy-food-swaps/.
• American Diabetes Association. "Meal Planning: Swaps for Sustainable Healthy Diets." https://diabetesfoodhub.org/blog/healthy-swaps-sustainable-healthy-diets.
• American Heart Association. "The Skinny on Fats." https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/prevention-and-treatment-of-high-cholesterol-hyperlipidemia/the-skinny-on-fats.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Prevent High Cholesterol." https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/prevention.