Snacking is a great way to include foods in your diet that will help to lower your cholesterol, like oats, apples and beans. And eating regularly throughout the day also helps to stabilise your blood sugar and keep your metabolism ticking along.
Here are some of my favourites:-
1. Oatcakes with toppings
Oatcakes are a great base for a cholesterol-friendly snack because oats are one of the best foods for actively lowering cholesterol. If you top them with avocado, houmous or almond butter, you will be increasing the cholesterol-lowering benefits even more.
I find the plain oatcakes a bit boring, but have discovered the ‘Rude Health’ varieties, which taste so much better, and are much more substantial too. They do a few different flavours, so you can mix it up a bit.
2. Popcorn
Healthy popcorn seems to be all the rage these days. It’s a great healthy snack because it’s low in saturated fat and high in fibre, making it an excellent cholesterol-friendly option. My favourites are the ‘Propercorn’ and ‘Tyrrells’ brands.
3. ‘Garbanzo’ dry roasted chickpeas
I discovered snack sized bags of ‘Garbanzo’ Dry Roasted Chickpeas in Holland & Barrett a few years ago, and have became slightly obsessed with them. They’re only 88 calories a pack and you get loads in each portion, so they last for ages. Eating chickpeas has been proven to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), so these are the perfect cholesterol-friendly snack.
They come in a few different flavours, like ‘Thai Sweet Chilli’ and ‘Bombay Firecracker’. Warning: they’re very noisy to eat, so best not to eat them in a quiet office or on a packed train!
4. Chopped apple with blackberry soya yoghurt
Easy to prepare and very tasty, apple and soya yoghurt is a great combination for a cholesterol-friendly snack (or dessert). It’s even better topped with flaked almonds or muesli, which will help to lower cholesterol even more, and makes it nice and crunchy. I also like chopped apple dipped in almond butter, which you can buy from big supermarkets or health food shops like Holland & Barrett.
5. Houmous with carrot sticks or pitta bread
Research has shown that eating half a cup of beans every day will help to lower your cholesterol. Eating houmous is a great way to get your daily dose. I try and make my own houmous when I have time because I can add even more cholesterol-lowering ingredients, like ground flaxseeds. I toast the wholemeal pitta bread to make it crispy, or brush it with garlic oil and stick it under the grill.
6. ‘Nakd’ Crunch Protein Bars
These are a fairly new addition to my life, and I rave about them to anyone who will listen (which isn’t many people admittedly!). They contain natural healthy ingredients and soya protein crunchy bits, which fill you up and help reduce cholesterol. My favourites are ‘Banana Crunch’ and ‘Strawberry Crunch’.
apples-and-beans 