In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhy This Meal Plan Is Great for YouFrequently Asked QuestionsCauses of High CholesterolShopping ListCholesterol Lowering FoodsMeal-Prep TipsDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You
Frequently Asked Questions
Causes of High Cholesterol
Shopping List
Cholesterol Lowering Foods
Meal-Prep Tips
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
In this 7-day plan for beginners, we provide a week of nutritious meals and snacks designed to help lower your cholesterol. To keep it simple, wemeal-prep breakfast and lunchso you can grab and go—plus, we focus on simple recipes without lengthy ingredient lists. As a bonus, you’ll see severalone-potandsheet-pan dinners, which means less time spent on cleanup.
How We Create Meal PlansRegistered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
How We Create Meal Plans
Registered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
If you’re overweight and weight loss is a goal, theNational Institutes of Healthindicate that losing only 3 percent of body weight can positively impact your cholesterol, so we set this plan at 1,500 calories, a level where most people willlose weight.
This 1,500-calorie meal plan has modifications for 2,000 calories to support those with differentcalorie needs. While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWe no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Causes of High Cholesterol (Plus, How to Lower It)
Several factors increase the risk of high cholesterol—including family history. Lack of physical activity, excessive weight, nutrient-poor diet (think foods high in added sugars, sodium and saturated fat) and smoking may play a role in raising your cholesterol.
According to theCDC, total cholesterol of over 200 mg/dL is considered high. However, there are no symptoms of high cholesterol, so be sure to discuss getting your levels checked with your medical provider.
While high cholesterol itself doesn’t have symptoms, side effects of high cholesterol include heart attack and stroke, so it’s important to practice prevention and discuss risk factors at your annual visit.
To reduce risk, there are several lifestyle changes you can make, like increasing exercise and focusing on a diet that is high in fiber andhealthy unsaturated fats(think olive oil, salmon and nuts and seeds) while limiting excess sugar and saturated or trans fats.
The 6 Best Bedtime Snacks for People with High Cholesterol
Ali Redmond
Shopping for Foods to Lower Cholesterol
When grocery shopping, there are foods you’ll want to focus on and foods to avoid to lower your cholesterol. To lower your cholesterol,focus on foods high in fiber, like canned or dried beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables (fresh or frozen), as well as whole grains like quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice and whole-wheat bread.
Other healthy options to focus on include those foods high in unsaturated fats like nuts and seeds—including chia and flax—as well as olive oil, avocado and foods rich inomega-3 fatty acids, like salmon. Thesehealthy fats help protect the heartin many ways, including lowering blood pressure and triglyceride (fat) levels in the bloodstream that contribute to blocked arteries.
Some other foods you can eat that may surprise you areeggs and shrimp. Although traditionally avoided because they’re high in dietary cholesterol, new evidence suggests that dietary cholesterol doesn’t impact blood cholesterol as strongly as previously thought. So, while the focus should still be on eating an overall healthy diet, feel free to include these two foods in your meal plan.
When trying to lower cholesterol, work to eat fewer foods high in saturated fats—namely animal fats like butter, cream and fatty cuts of meat, such as sausages. Because they are high in saturated fat, theAmerican Heart Associationrecommends limiting red meat, including beef and pork and processed meats, like deli meats and hot dogs.
Another sneaky fat that has a big impact on raising your cholesterol is trans fat. The FDA banned trans fats from foods, as they can significantly raise cholesterol and should be avoided as much as possible. However, packaged foods may still contain them because they can be listed as 0 g on the label as long as the food contains less than 0.5 g of trans fat per serving.
To identify trans fats, look at the ingredient list and try to avoid foods that say “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated fats.” You’ll often find them in processed foods, especially processed baked goods, as well as some kinds of peanut butter, so try to opt for a natural peanut butter that contains just two ingredients: peanuts and salt.
You’ll also want tolimit refined sugarsand simple carbohydrates like white bread, white flour, white rice and sweets, soda and alcohol. An excessive amount ofthese foods can raise triglycerides, so be sure to focus on whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Healthy Foods to Lower Cholesterol
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals
Breakfast (293 calories)
A.M. Snack (131 calories)
Lunch (387 calories)
P.M. Snack (206 calories)
Dinner (504 calories)
Daily Totals:1,521 calories, 67 g protein, 153 g carbohydrates, 37 g fiber, 76 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 1,257 mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 1/3 cup walnut halves to A.M. snack, add 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt to lunch and add 1 large apple to the P.M. snack.
Breakfast (280 calories)
A.M. Snack (206 calories)
Lunch (428 calories)
P.M. Snack (112 calories)
Dinner (472 calories)
Daily Totals:1,497 calories, 85 g protein, 184 g carbohydrates, 42 g fiber, 52 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 1,664 mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 1 large apple to breakfast, add 1 large pear to A.M. snack, add 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt to lunch and add 1 servingGuacamole Chopped Saladto dinner.
P.M. Snack (197 calories)
Dinner (450 calories)
Daily Totals:1,486 calories, 96 g protein, 158 g carbohydrates, 33 g fiber, 57 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,623 mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts to breakfast, add 1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to A.M. snack and add a 1-oz. slice whole-wheat baguette to dinner.
P.M. Snack (291 calories)
Dinner (374 calories)
Daily Totals:1,504 calories, 84 g protein, 172 g carbohydrates, 30 g fiber, 58 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,390 mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to A.M. snack and add 1 servingGuacamole Chopped Saladto dinner.
Meal-Prep Tip:In the morning, prepare theSlow-Cooker Mediterranean Diet Stewthrough Step 1 so it’s ready in time for dinner.
A.M. Snack (193 calories)
P.M. Snack (95 calories)
Dinner (501 calories)
Meal-Prep Tip:Reserve 2 servings of theSlow-Cooker Mediterranean Diet Stewto have for lunch on Days 6 and 7.
Daily Totals:1,496 calories, 68 g protein, 149 g carbohydrates, 35 g fiber, 74 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,551 mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Increase to 1/3 cup almonds and add 1 large pear to A.M. snack plus add 3 Tbsp. almond butter to P.M. snack.
A.M. Snack (95 calories)
Lunch (322 calories)
P.M. Snack (244 calories)
Dinner (548 calories)
Daily Totals:1,490 calories, 66 g protein, 175 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 62 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,490 mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 1 medium orange to breakfast, add 3 Tbsp. almond butter to A.M. snack and add 1/2 avocado, sliced, to dinner.
A.M. Snack (301 calories)
P.M. Snack (116 calories)
Dinner (482 calories)
Daily Totals:1,514 calories, 70 g protein, 161 g carbohydrates, 30 g fiber, 69 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 883 mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt to breakfast, increase to 1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds at A.M. snack and add 1 servingGuacamole Chopped Saladto dinner.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
