7 Day Meal Plan to Lower Cholesterol – Overview
Are you looking for the perfect meal plan to simultaneously lower cholesterol and lose weight?
High cholesterol harms one’s health and can make it difficult to achieve weight loss goals.
Many people attempt to manage and lower their high cholesterol levels through medication, physical activity, and lifestyle changes.
On the other hand, many are entirely unaware of what they have on their plate.
Diet plays a significant role in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.
Consuming foods that help keep cholesterol levels in a healthy range can help prevent health complications such as heart disease, stroke, a spike in blood sugar levels, and excess body weight.
Our 7-day meal plan will serve as an excellent starting point for you to lower your cholesterol levels while also losing weight.
What Is Cholesterol, And Why Should You Lower It?
7 Day Meal Plan to Lower Cholesterol – What Is Cholesterol, And Why Should You Lower It?
Although our bodies require a certain amount of cholesterol to function correctly, high cholesterol levels can harm our health.
There are two types of cholesterol: high-density lipoproteins (HDL), considered good cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), regarded as bad cholesterol.
Triglycerides are a type of cholesterol also found in the body.
In people with high cholesterol levels, bad fats accumulate inside their blood vessels, preventing blood from flowing freely.
If left untreated, the accumulation of fats in your body can completely block your blood flow, resulting in a heart attack or stroke, chest pressure or pain, and discomfort in the arms, neck, or shoulders.
Excessive weight gain is another side effect of elevated cholesterol levels.
What Are The Causes Of High Cholesterol?
High cholesterol levels in your body can be due to various factors, including age and genetics. However, the following unhealthy risk factors also contribute significantly to the elevation of the levels.
- Unhealthy diet of trans and saturated fats
- High intake of refined carbs and sugar
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Obesity
- Lack of physical activities such as exercises
How To Lower Cholesterol Levels With A Diet
What you put on your plate significantly affects your cholesterol levels. You should follow a heart-healthy diet plan such as the Vegetarian or Mediterranean Diet to lower the levels.
The diet emphasizes consuming a broad range of fresh and unprocessed foods while limiting or avoiding processed foods and refined carbohydrates.
Besides lowering cholesterol levels, healthy eating provides the body with all the essential nutrients it needs and minimizes the risks of health complications.
The following healthy eating guidelines will help control cholesterol levels.
1. Go For Healthy Fats
Unlike their saturated fat counterparts, healthy unsaturated fats do not raise cholesterol levels.
They are helpful because they lower overall cholesterol and blood pressure while generating energy for the body.
According to the American Heart Foundation, 25- 35 percent of your daily calories must come from dietary fats, while saturated fat consumption must stay below 7 percent.
You can find healthy fats in foods such as fish, lean red meat, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.
2. Limit Food Items That Are Higher In Cholesterol
7 Day Meal Plan to Lower Cholesterol – Limit Food Items That Are Higher In Cholesterol
According to the recommendations of health experts, the daily cholesterol intake should not exceed 200 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol.
Foods high in cholesterol but not healthy should not be in your diet. If you cannot avoid them entirely, you should, at the very least, limit your intake to a significant minimum.
Red meat, processed meats, baked goods, fried foods, sweets, and high-fat diets are all examples of high-cholesterol foods to avoid. Eggs, shellfish, and lean meat are foods you can consume in moderation.
3. Bulk Up On Fiber
According to the American Heart Association, adults should consume 20-25 grams of dietary fiber daily. Fiber helps lower cholesterol levels by absorbing and flushing it out of the body.
Because of this, a high-fiber diet can lower a person’s risk of obesity, type 2 diabetic complications, and heart disease.
Therefore, you should consume more high-fiber foods to achieve this requirement. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and fiber-fortified fruit juices are high-fiber-content foods.
4. Exercise
7 Day Meal Plan to Lower Cholesterol – Exercise
Maintaining a healthy diet alone might not be enough to lower your cholesterol levels and lose weight simultaneously.
Incorporate physical activities into your routine for more effective results. You can do aerobics, walk regularly, swim, hike, jog, work while standing, strength training, etc.
Apart from the above changes, you should also minimize your salt intake, moderate alcohol, take health supplements, and quit smoking.
7 Day Meal Plan to Lower Cholesterol
Day 1.
7 Day Meal Plan to Lower Cholesterol
Breakfast: 1 serving of oatmeal with 1 cup of raspberries and non-fat milk and 1 cup of tea or coffee
Snack: 1 serving of baby carrots with non-fat yogurt dip
Lunch: 2 servings of Sweet Potato with a Dollop of Dijon Mustard and 1 serving of mixed salad of Romaine Lettuce, Red Onions, and Cherry Tomatoes
Snack: 1 medium-sized apple
Dinner: 1 serving of salmon with sweet chili sauce with 1 cup of mixed green salad and 1 cup of garlic-roasted Brussels sprouts
Day 2.
Breakfast: 2 servings of egg white omelet with chopped onions and fresh salsa with 1 serving of cantaloupe
Snack: 1 medium-sized pear
Lunch: 1 cup of mixed green salad and 1 cup of garlic-roasted Brussels sprouts with one cup of homemade barley soup
Snack: 1 cup of grapes
Dinner: 1 serving of veggie patty burger cooked in olive oil and topped with roasted bell pepper and 1 serving of baked potato with non-fat yogurt dip
Day 3.
7 Day Meal Plan to Lower Cholesterol
Breakfast: 1 serving of homemade muesli and a cup of black coffee or tea
Snack: 2 Oranges
Lunch: 1 serving of edamame salad with steamed asparagus
Snack: 1 cup of roasted corn
Dinner: 2 servings of trout filets with mango salsa and white bean soup
Day 4.
Breakfast: 2 servings of tofu scramble with ½ half whole-grain bagel
Snack: 1 banana
Lunch: 1 serving of toasted barley salad with mixed veggies and 1 cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt with strawberries
Snack: 2 servings of celery sticks with pineapple hummus dip
Dinner: 1 serving of black bean soft tacos with roasted red peppers and onions
Day 5.
Breakfast: 2 servings of oatmeal with fresh raspberries and non-fat soymilk
Snack: 1 serving of fresh mixed green salad
Lunch: 1 serving of red beans and veggies soup with brown rice
Snack: 1 serving of baked sweet potato with non-fat Greek yogurt
Dinner: 1 serving of Pritikin Caesar salad with vegetarian chili
Day 6.
Breakfast: 1 serving of homemade muesli and a cup of black coffee or tea
Snack 1 serving of fresh mixed green salad
Lunch: 1 serving of edamame salad with steamed asparagus
Snack: 2 Oranges
Dinner: 1 serving of salmon with sweet chili sauce with 1 cup of mixed green salad and 1 cup of garlic-roasted Brussels sprouts
Day 7.
7 Day Meal Plan to Lower Cholesterol
Breakfast: 1 serving of oatmeal with 1 cup of raspberries
Snack: 2 servings of celery sticks with pineapple hummus dip
Lunch: 1 serving of red beans and veggies soup with brown rice
Snack: 1 cup of roasted corn
Dinner: 1 serving of veggie patty burger cooked in olive oil and topped with roasted bell pepper and 1 serving of baked potato with non-fat yogurt dip
Final Thoughts
To live with a healthy heart, maintain a healthy weight, and prevent other health risks, you must check your cholesterol levels occasionally.
Now that you cannot always stay in touch with a doctor, a diet plan to lower cholesterol and lose weight is highly advisable.
Printable 7 Day Meal Plan to Lower Cholesterol (PDF)
| Day | Breakfast | Morning Snack | Lunch | Afternoon Snack | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 serving of oatmeal with 1 cup of raspberries and non-fat milk and 1 cup of tea or coffee | 1 serving of baby carrots with non-fat yogurt dip | 2 servings of Sweet Potato with a Dollop of Dijon Mustard and 1 serving of mixed salad of Romaine Lettuce, Red Onions, and Cherry Tomatoes | 1 medium-sized apple | 1 serving of salmon with sweet chili sauce with 1 cup of mixed green salad and 1 cup of garlic roasted Brussels sprouts |
| 2 | 2 servings of egg white omelet with chopped onions and fresh salsa with 1 serving of cantaloupe | 1 medium-sized pear | 1 cup of mixed green salad and 1 cup of garlic roasted Brussels sprouts with one cup of homemade barley soup | 1 cup of grapes | 1 serving of veggie patty burger cooked in olive oil and topped with roasted bell pepper and 1 serving of baked potato with nonfat yogurt dip |
| 3 | 1 serving of homemade muesli and a cup of black coffee or tea | 2 Oranges | 1 serving of edamame salad with steamed asparagus | 1 cup of roasted corn | 2 servings of trout filets with mango salsa and white bean soup |
| 4 | 2 servings of tofu scramble with ½ half whole-grain bagel | 1 banana | 1 serving of toasted barley salad with mixed veggies and 1 cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt with strawberries | 2 servings of celery sticks with pineapple hummus dip | 1 serving of black bean soft tacos with roasted red peppers and onions |
| 5 | 2 servings of oatmeal with fresh raspberries and non-fat soymilk | 1 serving of fresh mixed green salad | 1 serving of red beans and veggies soup with brown rice | 1 serving of baked sweet potato with non-fat Greek yogurt | 1 serving of Pritikin Caesar salad with vegetarian chili |
| 6 | 1 serving of homemade muesli and a cup of black coffee or tea | 1 serving of fresh mixed green salad | 1 serving of edamame salad with steamed asparagus | 2 Oranges | 1 serving of salmon with sweet chili sauce with 1 cup of mixed green salad and 1 cup of garlic roasted Brussels sprouts |
| 7 | 1 serving of oatmeal with 1 cup of raspberries | 2 servings of celery sticks with pineapple hummus dip | 1 serving of red beans and veggies soup with brown rice | 1 cup of roasted corn | 1 serving of veggie patty burger cooked in olive oil and topped with roasted bell pepper and 1 serving of baked potato with nonfat yogurt dip |
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