Best Diet Foods for High Cholesterol

The best diets for high cholesterol are low in saturated and trans fats and high in fiber. While diet alone will not cure high cholesterol, it can make a significant impact on your cholesterol levels. Always consult your doctor before making any major changes to your diet and do not stop taking your prescribed medications without your doctor's consent.

Include two servings of fish each week in your cholesterol-lowering diet. Fish with high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids should be selected. These include salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines and herring. The healthiest ways to enjoy your fish are grilled or baked.

Legumes add valuable fiber to your diet while also providing healthy protein. Fiber helps your body to reduce low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol.

Oatmeal is another great way to add fiber to your diet. Five to ten grams of fiber a day is recommended for the best diets for high cholesterol. You can get this by eating a bowl of oatmeal with a serving of fresh fruit.

While eggs are often looked down on as a high-cholesterol food, you can enjoy egg whites without worry. Try an egg white omelet with fresh herbs and vegetables for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Dairy products provide your body with calcium. If you are trying to reduce your cholesterol, you should choose dairy products low fat or non fat.

A handful of nuts each day will keep your blood vessels healthy with polyunsaturated fats. Just don't over do it. Nuts are high in calories so a one and a half ounce serving in plenty. Avoid salted or sweetened nuts. Healthiest nuts include walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts and pistachios.

Cooking with olive oil adds antioxidants to your diet. Antioxidants help to raise the high-density lipoproteins, or HDL cholesterol in your body. Just two tablespoons of olive oil a day will do the trick.

The best diets for high cholesterol include foods that have been enriched with plant sterols. A minimum of two grams a day may lower cholesterol by over ten percent. Enriched foods include orange juice and yogurt.

If you want to lower your cholesterol level, you should also avoid foods that are high in trans fats. These foods include margarine as well as cookies, crackers, cakes and other snack foods.

To learn more about lowering cholesterol through diet, read Cholesterol Lowering Diet.