When I first started my cholesterol-lowering diet I assumed I’d have to cut out all desserts because they tend to contain things like butter and cream. But after a bit of research I realised that desserts could actually be a great way to include more cholesterol-lowering foods in my diet, as long as they’re low in saturated fat and sugar.
Dates are a brilliant cholesterol-friendly natural sweetener that can be added to desserts to give a lovely chewy texture. I love combining them with chia seeds to add a bit of crunch, and also because chia seeds are another great cholesterol-lowering food. Pistachios also contain healthy fats that lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. So these bites really do tick all the boxes!
Oats are a great cholesterol-reducing food, so I try to eat them every day. I always used to associate oats with porridge and oatcakes, but I’m starting to discover more interesting ways to incorporate them into my daily diet, like these chocolate oaties.
Oatcakes are so cheap and versatile – I eat them all the time. I have them for breakfast topped with cottage cheese or almond butter, for lunch topped with tuna or houmous, or as a snack dipped in houmous or with sliced avocado on top. Eating them is a great way to add more fibre to your daily diet, which helps to lower cholesterol. I always carry a packet around in my bag, and have boxes of them at home and at work, and find they work really well as an afternoon snack to tide me over until dinner.
Oatcakes are so cheap and versatile – I eat them all the time. I have them for breakfast topped with cottage cheese or almond butter, for lunch topped with tuna or houmous, or as a snack dipped in houmous or with sliced avocado on top. Eating them is a great way to add more fibre to your daily diet, which helps to lower cholesterol. I always carry a packet around in my bag, and have boxes of them at home and at work, and find they work really well as an afternoon snack to tide me over until dinner.
These chocolate truffles contain dates, nuts and seeds, all of which help to lower cholesterol and provide tons of nutrients. They also contain 70% dark chocolate, which can help to lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol when eaten in moderation.
Most of the ingredients that make desserts taste good, like butter and cream, are high in saturated fats, which unfortunately means they’re not great for anyone with high cholesterol. Luckily though there are lots of chefs and bloggers who have dedicated a lot of time to creating healthy dessert recipes that don’t include high fat ingredients, but still taste great.
I really love chocolate, so when I found out I had high cholesterol I was worried that I’d have to cut it out of my diet. Imagine my delight then when I found out that eating chocolate can actually help to reduce cholesterol! There’s a catch though…well two actually. It has to be dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher), and it has to be eaten in moderation, because unfortunately it’s still pretty high in sugar and saturated fats.
apples-and-beans 