A healthy diet lowers cholesterol levels
Adopting healthier eating habits is one of the keys to effective cholesterol management. To keep your cholesterol in check, experts recommend that you eat a nutritious, balanced diet that’s low in unhealthy saturated and trans fats and high in fruit, vegetables, fibre and healthy unsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids.19
Tips for a Heart-Healthy Diet
Increase healthy fats
- Eat more fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel
- Add omega-3 eggs to your menu for a convenient and inexpensive source of omega-3 fatty acids
- Use unsaturated oils like canola, safflower, flax seed, sunflower and olive oils in your salads and stir-fry
- Replace butter, lard and hydrogenated shortening with non-hydrogenated margarines and spreads
- Avoid stick margarine because it is higher in saturated and trans fats
- Enjoy pecans, walnuts, almonds and macadamia nuts in moderation because they’re high in calories
Decrease saturated and trans fats
- Eat fewer cookies, crackers, pastries, French fries and other processed foods
- Stock your fridge and pantry with healthy snacks like vegetables and dip, fresh fruit, low-fat popcorn and frozen low-fat yogurt
- Purchase leaner cuts of meat, trim visible fat from your meat and remove the skin on chicken and turkey
- Instead of frying food in oil or butter, try baking, broiling, steaming or microwaving it
- Flavour your foods with herbs, spices and lemon juice instead of butter, bacon bits or high-fat sauces