According to research by the World Health Organization, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Consuming food containing low cholesterol is thus important. This does not mean eating some boring food, especially considering there are some tasty low cholesterol snacks. Some foods help lower cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Furthermore, low cholesterol foods also help in containing weight gain. Low cholesterol meals can be in the form of snacks or a full course meal. It is important to watch the amount of cholesterol you consume in order to avoid heart complications. Low cholesterol snacks should be part of your healthy diet. You can add a personal twist to the snacks as long as you are not adding a lot of calories. These snacks for high cholesterol level individuals can be consumed at any time. Below are the top low cholesterol snacks:
Nuts
Nuts particularly almonds and walnuts have a lot of nutritional benefits. They contain monounsaturated fats. Furthermore, research shows that eating nuts is good for the heart. In addition, you can slightly lower LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) by simply eating 2 ounces of nuts daily. These are mainly known as bad cholesterol. These foods help in the treatment of high cholesterol. Nuts also contain additional nutrients that offer protection to the heart, which include calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The nutrients help ease blood pressure and lower the possibility of heart disease. Daily consumption of nuts lowers the risk of fatal and non-fatal heart disease by 28%. Nuts also have L-arginine, an amino acid that makes nitric oxide in one’s body which, sequentially, regulates blood pressure. Nuts do not have to be consumed directly, almonds, for example, can be baked into cookies or added to fruit salad. You can also bake almond butter cookies.
Fruits
Fruits are among the foods that lower cholesterol. Fruits like strawberries, grapes, apples, and citrus are rich in pectin, a soluble fiber that helps in lowering LDL. Avocados are also a good source of monounsaturated fats and fiber. Moreover, frozen mangoes or grapes are great for snacking during the day in case you are on a low cholesterol diet. Fruits also have bioactive compounds that play a great role in thwarting chronic illnesses like heart disease, mainly due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nature. Regularly consuming grapes and berries can help lessen LDL (bad cholesterol) besides increase HDL (good cholesterol), especially due to their high plant compounds composition.
Whole Grains (Oats and Barley)
Research has shown that whole grains help lower cholesterol and in turn, help in lowering the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, having three servings of whole grain every day can lead 20% less chance of getting heart disease and stroke. Whole grains are rich in minerals, fiber, plant compounds, and vitamins. Two grains stand out when it comes to lowering cholesterol, though these are oats and barley. Oats are compromised of beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that aids in lowering cholesterol. Barley also has beta-glucan thus helps in lowering LDL.
Vegetables
Vegetables are one of the healthiest foods available. They are rich in vitamins, fiber, and minerals while at the same time being low in calories, cholesterol, fat, and sodium. Eggplants, carrots, potatoes, and okra are particularly good sources of soluble fiber which help in lowering cholesterol. There are creative vegetable recipes for lowering cholesterol. For example, you can bake some spicy potato wedges that incorporate garlic powder, nutritional yeast, black pepper, and sea salt. You can also make ants on a log using celery stalks. You do not have to be basic, find a healthy low cholesterol recipe, and try it out.
Legumes
Legumes are rich in protein, fiber, and minerals. They are alternate to meat. Replacing meat with legumes in your diet can lower the risk of heart disease. Research has shown that eating a ½ cup of legumes daily can help in lowering LDL by about 6.6mg/dl. Legumes include beans, peas, and lentils. There are creative recipes that help you come up with a good snack. A good example is the curried roasted chickpeas where all need is chickpeas, curry powder, garlic powder, oil, black pepper, and sea salt. After mixing everything up, roast it in an oven.
Dark Chocolate and Cocoa
Research has shown that cocoa can help in lowering cholesterol. The study also showed that drinking cocoa twice a day can lead to a reduction of LDL cholesterol of 6.5mg/dl. Cocoa is the main component in dark chocolate. Often, sugar is added to chocolate, which makes it not as healthy. It is, therefore, important to select dark chocolate with at least 75% of cocoa. There also creative snack recipes based on chocolate and cocoa. For example, you can make chocolate protein bites with the ingredients being protein powder, almond butter, cocoa powder, Marple syrup, cinnamon, sea salt, and coconut oil. After mixing everything up form some small balls using the butter and place them in a fridge. This is an easy snack to make that you can eat at any time.
Popcorn
Popcorns are high in fiber, which is essential when it comes to lowering cholesterol. According to the American Heart Association, popcorns help in lowering cholesterol if prepared correctly. An example of a creative popcorn snack that is low on calories is the “Cheese” and onion popcorn. First, add one tablespoon of coconut oil to a pot then add some popcorn kernels. After the popcorn has popped place it in a bowl then add nutritional yeast, onion powder, and sea salt and mix it up. This is a perfectly healthy dairy-free snack.
Low Cholesterol Snacks
Living a healthy life does not have to be boring. You can find creative ways of coming up with low cholesterol snacks. Health is invaluable, and everyone should strive to take care of their bodies. There other ways of ensuring your cholesterol levels are low, which include working out. Eat healthily, and stay active. Contact us for tips on better healthy meals.
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