High Cholesterol Low Fat Diet Food List
A large population of adults worldwide suffers from high cholesterol worldwide.
Cardiovascular diseases, stroke, weight gain or obesity, and high blood pressure are all increased risks of high cholesterol levels.
However, changes in lifestyle, eating a low-fat diet, and medication help lower cholesterol levels, thus minimizing the development of adverse health disorders.
High cholesterol levels are more prevalent in people over 40 years. However, several cases of people below that age, including children developing high cholesterol, are also true.
Therefore, it is paramount to have regular cholesterol checkups to ensure that you stay within the desirable ranges.
What Is High Cholesterol?
High Cholesterol Low-Fat Diet – What Is High Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty molecule found in the bloodstream. It is also a requirement in the body as it helps build healthy cells.
However, high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream can increase health complications such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, among others.
It is possible to develop fatty deposits in the blood vessels with high cholesterol levels.
After a while, these deposits increase in size, making it difficult for sufficient blood to flow through your arteries.
There are two types of blood cholesterol: LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) and HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein). LDL is bad cholesterol, while HDL is good cholesterol.
The three main components of total cholesterol in the body are LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. The typical range for cholesterol level is 125-200 mg/dL.
Anything more than the standard range is excessive. Various foods and diets can affect the cholesterol levels in your body.
The optimal diet for high cholesterol should include particular meals that you should consume and avoid eating.
High cholesterol can pass down from one person to the other genetics, but it is more often the result of poor lifestyle choices, making it both preventable and treatable.
Consuming a low-fat diet is one way to reduce high cholesterol levels.
Alongside the diet you should consume to lower your high cholesterol levels, you should also make lifestyle alterations, exercise, and, if necessary, go on medication.
In this article, we look at the high cholesterol, low-fat diet that will help you manage the levels.
Low-Fat Diet for High Cholesterol
For the most part, nutritionists advise following any of the following diet plans: the DASH Diet and the Mediterranean Diet.
These two diet plans help lower high cholesterol levels, help to improve heart health, aid in weight loss, and maintain your overall wellbeing.
The low-fat foods recommended by experts for lowering high cholesterol levels are vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, legumes, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats.
Besides being high in fiber, the foods also contain antioxidants and other micronutrients the body needs to burn fat.
DASH Diet
The DASH is a heart-healthy diet that lowers high blood pressure while simultaneously improving cholesterol levels.
The diet plan emphasizes vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.
Fatty cuts of meat and full-fat dairy products, refined and processed sweets, and tropical oils are discouraged as part of the DASH diet.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet includes fruits, vegetables, potatoes, and other root vegetables, nuts and seeds, olive oil, dairy products, eggs, fish, and poultry, all taken in small quantities.
Alongside the low-fat foods, the diet plan also recommends exercise to help burn the extra fats.
High Cholesterol Low-Fat Foods
Consider the following low-fat foods to incorporate into your diet to manage high cholesterol levels.
Fruits and Vegetables
High Cholesterol Low-Fat Diet – Fruits and Vegetables
On top of our list are vegetables and fruits that are low fat, rich in fiber, and full of other micronutrients. The best choices include:
- Kale
- Spinach
- Collards
- Bok Choy
- Arugula
- Dandelion greens
- Rapini
- Swiss chard
- Mustard greens
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Lettuce
- Brussels sprouts
- Root vegetables
- Sweet potatoes
- Onions
- Turnips
- Ginger
- Radishes
- Garlic
- Fennel
- Beets
- Carrots
- Celeriac
- Turmeric
- Rutabaga
- Potatoes
- Berries
- Avocado
- Apples
- Pears
- Citrus fruits
- Melons
Beans, Peas, and Legumes
High Cholesterol Low-Fat Diet – Beans, Peas, and Legumes
Beans, Peas, and legumes are rich in fiber and excellent plant-based protein sources. The low-fat beans and legumes to consume for high cholesterol are:
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Kidney beans
- Pinto beans
- Black beans
- Green peas
- Pigeon peas
- Mung beans
- Pink beans
Lean Animal Proteins
High Cholesterol Low-Fat Diet – Lean Animal Proteins
Lean proteins provide the body with the energy it needs without increasing cholesterol levels. The following protein sources are low fat and contain fewer calories.
- Chicken breast
- Turkey breast
- Salmon
- Lake trout
- Mackerel
- Herring
- Sardines
- Tuna
- Pork tenderloin
- Egg whites
Nuts and Seeds
High Cholesterol Low-Fat Diet – Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds contain healthy fats essential for good health and improving cholesterol levels. The best nuts and seeds to incorporate into your low-fat diet are:
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Flaxseed
- Pumpkin seeds
- Grapeseed
- Chia seeds
- Sunflower seeds
Healthy Fats and Oils
High Cholesterol Low-Fat Diet – Healthy Fats and Oils
The body needs healthy fats and oils to aid in the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Fish oil also contains omega-3 fatty acids essential for the body.
- Avocado oil
- Fish oil
- Olive oil
- Canola oil
- Safflower
- Sesame oil
- Peanut oil
- Soybeans oil
Whole Grains with Soluble Fiber
High Cholesterol Low-Fat Diet – Whole Grains with Soluble Fiber
Whole grains are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber. They help with digestion and lowering LDL cholesterol. The high fiber soluble grains to include in your diet are:
- Oat bran
- Oatmeal
- Barley
Besides the above low-fat foods, you can also incorporate other diets and lifestyle changes to help lower cholesterol levels.
Other diets you can try include Intermittent Fasting and Weight Watchers (WW) Diet. It would help if you also incorporated exercises into your daily routine.
Your physician might also recommend cholesterol-lowering medication.
High Cholesterol Foods and Lifestyles to Avoid
High Cholesterol Low-Fat Diet – High Cholesterol Foods and Lifestyles to Avoid
Your high cholesterol low-fat diet should not include the following foods:
- Processed meats
- Red meats
- Refined sugar
- Fried and processed foods
- Baked goods
- Margarine
- High-fat dairy
- Non-diary creamers
- Egg yolks
- Alcohol-drink in moderation
- Sodas
- Smoking
- High salt foods and diets
Besides the above foods and lifestyle changes that you should limit, you should also live a stress-free life to avoid high cholesterol.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining low cholesterol levels is challenging, but it is easy to achieve by eating right, changing your lifestyle and mindset.
High cholesterol levels in the bloodstream cause severe health issues that might take a while to treat, which is why it is advisable to prevent them.
The above low-fat foods will help maintain desirable cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, thus preventing you from adverse health issues.
Printable High Cholesterol Low Fat Diet Food List (PDF)
| Vegetables and Fruits |
|---|
| Kale |
| Spinach |
| Collards |
| Bok Choy |
| Arugula |
| Dandelion greens |
| Rapini |
| Swiss chard |
| Mustard greens |
| Broccoli |
| Cauliflower |
| Cabbage |
| Lettuce |
| Brussels sprouts |
| Root vegetables |
| Sweet potatoes |
| Onions |
| Turnips |
| Ginger |
| Radishes |
| Garlic |
| Fennel |
| Beets |
| Carrots |
| Celeriac |
| Turmeric |
| Rutabaga |
| Potatoes |
| Berries |
| Avocado |
| Apples |
| Pears |
| Citrus fruits |
| Melons |
| Beans, Peas, and Legumes |
| Lentils |
| Chickpeas |
| Kidney beans |
| Pinto beans |
| Black beans |
| Green peas |
| Pigeon peas |
| Mung beans |
| Pink beans |
| Lean Animal Proteins |
| Chicken breast |
| Turkey breast |
| Salmon |
| Lake trout |
| Mackerel |
| Herring |
| Sardines |
| Tuna |
| Pork tenderloin |
| Egg whites |
| Nuts and Seeds |
| Walnuts |
| Almonds |
| Pecans |
| Flaxseed |
| Pumpkin seeds |
| Grapeseed |
| Chia seeds |
| Sunflower seeds |
| Healthy Fats and Oils |
| Avocado oil |
| Fish oil |
| Olive oil |
| Canola oil |
| Safflower |
| Sesame oil |
| Peanut oil |
| Soybeans oil |
| Whole Grains with Soluble Fiber |
| Oat bran |
| Oatmeal |
| Barley |
| High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid |
| Processed meats |
| Red meats |
| Refined sugar |
| Fried and processed foods |
| Baked goods |
| Margarine |
| High-fat dairy |
| Non-diary creamers |
| Sodas |
| Egg yolks |
| Alcohol-drink in moderation |
| Smoking |
| High salt foods and diets |
