Here are some of my favourite cholesterol-friendly lunch recipes that are healthy, delicious and really simple to prepare:-
1. Moroccan Chicken Salad Pita
This delicious and incredibly simple recipe combines cholesterol-reducing chickpeas with cholesterol-friendly chicken and lots of other healthy ingredients. I use fat-free natural yoghurt, plus an extra tablespoon instead of the mayo to keep the saturated fat content as low as possible. Or alternatively you could just use houmous instead of the yoghurt, which goes really well with the other ingredients and includes cholesterol-reducing chickpeas.
Flatbreads are naturally low in saturated fat, but if you want to make it even more healthy, you could use wholemeal pitta breads, which contain cholesterol-reducing dietary fibre.
Click here to see the recipe by ‘Creme de la Crumb’.
2. Lemony Kale Chickpea Avocado Salad
I love this recipe because it contains chickpeas, garlic and nuts, three of the most powerful cholesterol-reducing foods. Olive oil and avocado are both rich in monounsaturated fats, which also help to lower cholesterol, as well as keeping you feeling full for longer.
You can use it as sandwich filler instead of a standalone salad, and if you use wholemeal bread, then you will be increasing the cholesterol-lowering effects even more. You could also have it with cholesterol-friendly salmon or chicken, to increase the protein content.
Click here to see the recipe by ‘The Kitchen Girl’
3. Spicy Tuna Stuffed Avocado
Tuna is a brilliant cholesterol-friendly lunch option because it’s really low in saturated fat. Even if you get tuna in olive oil (which works really well in this recipe), it will still be cholesterol-friendly because olive oil is high in healthy monounsaturated fats. Avocados are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats too, and they also contain plant sterols, which reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food.
I like to add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and olives, and sometimes put the whole lot in a wholemeal pitta bread to make it a more substantial meal.
Click here to see the recipe by ‘The Stay at Home Chef’.
4. Superfood Salmon Salad
This is my go-to lunch when I’m hungry and need to make lunch in a hurry. It’s jam-packed with cholesterol-reducing ingredients, like salmon, olive oil, houmous and chickpeas, and it’s super easy to prepare. You basically put everything on a plate, and you’re good to go!
Click here to see my recipe.
5. Warming Pesto Butter Beans
Using beans as the base for your lunch will immediately increase its cholesterol-reducing benefits. This recipe combines butter beans with a delicious healthy homemade pesto made with cholesterol-reducing olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and lemon juice.
Click here to see the recipe by ‘Deliciously Ella’.
6. Baked Beans on Toast
This is so simple, but a perfect comforting cholesterol-friendly lunch that takes literally minutes to prepare. I heat the baked beans in the microwave and spoon them onto wholemeal toast (without butter), which increases the fibre content, keeps you fuller for longer and helps to lower cholesterol. I also sprinkle mixed seeds on top, which are full of healthy monounsaturated fats and nutrients.
7. Honey Mustard Turkey Bagel
Turkey is really low in saturated fat, so makes a great cholesterol-friendly bagel filling, and the seeds add extra cholesterol-reducing benefits.
Click here to see the recipe.
8. Houmous & Bean Wrap
Every single ingredient in this wrap helps to lower cholesterol, so this really is the ultimate lunch choice. I also add pitted Kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes, and sometimes chicken pieces to increase the protein content. You can use ready-made houmous, or make your own (here‘s my quick and simple recipe)
Click here to see the recipe on ‘Six Sisters’ Stuff’ website.
9. Asian Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
This is another incredibly quick and simple salad recipe. Edamame beans are a brilliant cholesterol-reducing salad addition because their vibrant green colour contrasts really well with the other ingredients like chopped red bell peppers. I always keep a bag of frozen Edamame beans in my freezer to use whenever I need them.
Click here to see the recipe on ‘The Art of Comfort Baking’ website.
10. Tuscan Bean Soup
The perfect comfort food for a cold winter’s day. Cholesterol-lowering beans are great for bulking up soups, and keep you feeling full for longer. If you have wholemeal (wholegrain) bread with it, you will be increasing the cholesterol-reducing benefits even more because wholemeal bread is rich in dietary fibre.
Click here to see the recipe on ‘Better Homes & Gardens’.
If you don’t have time to make your own, use this guide to find the best shop-bought cholesterol-friendly lunches.
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