Approximately 71 million Americans (more than 20%) have high cholesterol. Your diet is very important if you're trying to lower yours. Follow these heart-healthy guidelines:
• Eat whole grains and beans. They're high in soluble fiber, which basically binds to the cholesterol you eat so that it passes out of your body instead of sticking around to clog up your arteries.
• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some fruits and veggies contain lots of soluble fiber, while others contain more insoluble fiber (which is also good for you but doesn't affect cholesterol). Eat a variety of fruits and veggies so you get plenty of both kinds of fiber.
• Eat vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. The monounsaturated fats in these foods can lower your LDL cholesterol, aka bad cholesterol. Walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds are all good choices.
• Eat fatty fish, nuts, and avocado. "Omega-3 fatty acids may help raise HDL cholesterol, which is your good cholesterol," says Keri Gans, a New York-based registered dietitian and the author of The Small Change Diet. Salmon is great for Omega-3s, but so are lots of other fish like trout, mackerel, and sardines.
• Limit fatty animal products, such as whole milk, processed meats, and high-fat cuts of red meat. Saturated fat, present in all those foods, has long been considered a major threat to heart health because it can raise the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Recent research questions that wisdom, but Gans says she still follows American Heart Association guidelines. "I still advise my patients to limit saturated fats," she told BuzzFeed. Play it safe by keeping plenty of variety in your diet and not relying solely on animal-based foods for your protein.
2. Apple and Chicken Egg White Omelet
When you're looking for a savory breakfast, make an egg white omelet. (All of the cholesterol in eggs is found in the yolk.) This one is full heart-healthy nuts, apples, and collard greens, so you won't miss the cheese. Just swap out the coconut oil for olive oil — coconut oil is high in saturated fat and "the verdict is still out" on its health impact, says Gans. Recipe here.
3. Curry Roasted Vegetable and Avocado Naan-Wich
Chickpeas and whole grain naan for fiber, avocado for healthy fats, and curry because it's delicious. Recipe here.
4. Black Bean and Corn Burger
This burger comes with beans and oats, both of which are full of soluble fiber. Adding avocado to the 'wich throws some omega-3s in there, too. Recipe here.
6. Thai Chicken Crunch Wraps
Peanuts for healthy fat, cabbage and carrots for fiber, and some ginger for good measure — which, a few early studies suggest, is good for your heart. Recipe here.
7. Farro Salad with Oven-Roasted Grapes and Autumn Greens
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If you haven't tried farro yet, consider this your formal invitation. Its nutty flavor and chewy texture makes it a great, fiber-filled whole grain alternative to boring old brown rice. Grapes are also an excellent source of soluble fiber, so pile this salad onto your plate and enjoy. Recipe here.
8. Honey Mustard Salmon with Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
The Omega-3s in the salmon unite with the soluble fiber in the Brussels sprouts to create one delicious, heart healthy meal you can make in UNDER TEN MINUTES. Recipe here.
9. Trout Salad with Citrus and Radishes
If you're bored of salmon, try trout. It's got plenty of Omega-3s, too, and this salad combines it with almonds and oranges, another great source of that soluble fiber we won't shut up about. (And feel free to take a bigger portion than the very dainty one shown in the picture!) Recipe here.
10. Lentil and Bulgur Soup
On top of all the fiber you're getting from the bulgur, lentils, and vegetables, you're also getting tons of protein and other nutrients. Recipe here.
11. Almond-Crusted Chicken Strips
Try these next time you're craving fried chicken. You'll get health points for staying away from the deep fryer, and for adding in almonds, which may lower your LDL. Plus, using just the whites of the eggs means you don't get any of their cholesterol. Recipe here. (For an extra heart-health boost, try this similar recipe, made with salmon.)
12. Roasted Vegetable Salad with Garlic Dressing + Toasted Pepitas
All those vegetables means tons of fiber, and the pumpkin seeds are full of the LDL-lowering compound phytosterol, as well as magnesium, an essential nutrient for your body's nerves, muscles, bones, and blood. Recipe here.
13. Curry Tofu Tacos with Pintos & Kale Slaw
Between the beans, the avocado, the tofu, and the kale (yep, kale is good for cholesterol, too!), these tacos may be one of the tastiest things you can do for your heart. Recipe here.
14. Curried Quinoa with Spinach and Almonds
Check off healthy whole grains with quinoa, good-for-you fats with almonds, and fiber in both the spinach and the raisins. Recipe here.
16. Italian Orzo Spinach Soup
This easy, 30-minute dinner has whole wheat orzo for fiber, plus lots of all-powerful spinach, which can lower your cholesterol thanks to its high content of LDL-lowering lutein, a nutrient that — bonus! — also improves your eyesight. Recipe here.
17. Dark Chocolate Brown Rice Pudding
Made with brown rice and almond milk, this yummy dessert has both whole grains and monounsaturated fats. But because it's, you know, a dessert, there's also a fair amout of sugar from the maple syrup, so treat yourself to (just) a single serving. Recipe here.
