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When it comes to snacks, I’ve heard different viewpoints from a lot of people. Some people are most certainly in favor of snacks, while others prefer not to enjoy them. But sometimes that perspective has something to do with the perception of how a snack might influence one’s nutrition.
For people who are struggling with high cholesterol levels, snacking may seem like an activity that could contribute to higher cholesterol levels. But in reality, the right snacks can help lower your cholesterol levels and reduce risk for further cardiovascular concerns down the road.
In this post, we’ll discuss some snacks that could be particularly helpful in lowering LDL cholesterol, the type of cholesterol that may increase the risk for heart issues if it remains too high.
Quick disclaimer—although I am a registered dietitian nutritionist, your reading of this or any articles on this website does not constitute medical nutrition therapy advice nor create a practitioner-client relationship. The information I provide here on this website is for educational and informational purposes only. Please see my full disclaimer for more information.
Components of a Healthy Snack
Before we dive into the list of snacks to try, it’s important to explain why the foods in these snacks can potentially support lowering cholesterol levels, as well as how they can support overall health.
When I’m working with patients, I will generally encourage snacks with more than one food in them—I use the term “balance” when I refer to this plan.
What does my definition of “balance” mean? That snacks include 2 out of 3 types of nutrients—lean proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. I usually specify that they for sure include carbohydrate and either protein or healthy fat.
Why this combination? First, because this balance helps in managing hunger. It often takes longer for a mix of foods to empty from the stomach than it does for one food, like a carbohydrate,1 which is often the type of snack that many people typically eat.
This is also important when it comes to managing blood sugars for people with diabetes—longer emptying time means slower blood sugar rise instead of a quick spike and subsequent drop.
Second, with more than one type of nutrient, you’re giving your body opportunity to more consistently receive the nutrition it needs, helping to promote steady energy levels and muscle building.
So with that background, let’s go a little further and talk through what these major components of a snack could be.
Lean Proteins
One of the components I’m constantly encouraging my patients to make sure they include in a snack is a source of lean protein.
As we age, our protein needs tend to increase, and preserving muscle mass is especially important to improve overall quality of life down the road.2 Sufficient protein helps to preserve that muscle mass.
You may ask, why lean proteins? The leaner the protein, the lower it is in saturated fat, which means it won’t be as likely to raise LDL cholesterol levels.
Guidance for lowering LDL cholesterol levels includes keeping saturated fat as low as you’re able to for the most part.3
What do lean proteins look like? They can actually come from both plants and animals, which means you have options.
Some examples of animal proteins include:
- Lean beef, lean pork, lean ground turkey and ground chicken (i.e. without skin)
- Fish and shellfish like salmon, shrimp, tuna
- Eggs
- Reduced-fat or fat-free dairy products
A few plant protein examples could include:
- Tofu, soybeans (e.g. edamame)
- Beans, lentils
- Nuts and seeds like pistachios and chia seeds (which are also a source of healthy fats, which we’ll see in a bit)
There are definitely plenty of options in the protein department. So let’s move on to the healthy fats category.
Healthy Fats
Next on our list of major categories is healthy fats. Healthy fats may help to lower LDL levels to some extent, as well as support the rise of HDL cholesterol levels (depending on the specific type of healthy fat).4
As alluded to earlier, this category includes nuts and seeds.
Healthy fat sources generally look like these:
- Nuts and seeds (including nut and seed butters)
- Avocado
- Plant oils like olive and avocado oil
Although healthy fats are a smaller category, the next category of heart-healthy carbohydrates is a whole different story.
Nutritious Carbohydrates
When it comes to nutritious carbohydrates, there’s definitely more information to cover. I’d like to point out that whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes (like beans) can all be sources of carbohydrate that go wonderfully in snack combinations.
But when we’re specifically looking at lowering LDL cholesterol levels, a few foods really stand out. They are foods that contain a unique type of fiber called viscous fiber (a type of soluble fiber), which has been associated in the research with lowering LDL cholesterol levels.3
So what do viscous fiber foods look like? Here are some examples:
- Oats
- Oat bran
- Whole grain rye products
- Barley
- Beans, chickpeas, split peas, and lentils (all of which are also considered plant-based protein sources)
- Sweet potatoes
- Winter squash
- Apples
- Oranges
- Berries
- Pears
- Avocado (which is also a healthy fat and contains some carbohydrate)
Some other foods that have a lower amount of carbohydrate but still contain viscous fiber are:
- Brussels sprouts
- Okra
- Eggplant
- Artichokes
So now that we have the basic components, what are some ways you can put them together to help support lower LDL cholesterol levels?
Snack Ideas
As we discussed earlier, the concept of balance is extremely important when choosing snacks for the reasons mentioned before. Therefore, each of these snack ideas will include the balance that I often suggest to my patients.
Keep in mind that snack portions are just that—smaller portions designed generally to be used as an extra in between meals. (Talk with your dietitian for any further details that might be different in your unique situation).
So here are few ideas that you can start out with and adjust as needed depending on your tastes.
- Greek yogurt with berries (leaner protein if you choose lower fat yogurt, and viscous fiber from the berries)
- Apple slices with nut or seed butter of your choice (viscous fiber from the fruit and healthy fats from the nuts/seeds)
- Trail mix that includes berries (viscous fiber from the berries and healthy fats from the nuts)
- Avocado toast on whole grain bread (viscous fiber and healthy fat in the avocado and the potential for viscous fiber in the bread you choose)
- Lower fat cottage cheese with pears (lean protein from the cottage cheese and a good source of viscous fiber from the pears)
- Chia pudding (chia seeds as a source of both healthy fat and viscous fiber, and the potential for additional protein depending on the other ingredients in the chia pudding)
- Small snack plate including hard boiled eggs, hummus, whole grain crackers, raw veggies of your choice (lean protein from the eggs and some viscous fiber and healthy fats from the hummus depending on the ingredients)
- Edamame (a unique snack that combines plant protein, carbohydrate, and healthy fat all in one)
- Orange slices with a handful of walnuts (viscous fiber from the orange and plant protein and healthy fat from the walnuts)
Conclusion
As we conclude our exploration of healthy snacks for high cholesterol, I hope you’ve been able to see how LDL-lowering snacks can be fairly simple and also provide beneficial nutrients to your eating patterns.
I encourage you to pick one of these snacks to try, or create your own, to be on your way to lowering your cholesterol.
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Sources
- Cleveland Clinic Editorial Staff. How long does it take to digest food. Cleveland Clinic. April 19, 2021. Accessed October 13, 2024. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-long-does-it-take-to-digest-food
- Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2013;14(8):542-559. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.021
- Kirkpatrick CF, Sikand G, Petersen KS, et al. Nutrition interventions for adults with dyslipidemia: A Clinical Perspective from the National Lipid Association. J Clin Lipidol. 2023;17(4):428-451. doi:10.1016/j.jacl.2023.05.099
- Dietary fat: Know which to choose. Mayo Clinic. February 15, 2023. Accessed October 13, 2024. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fat/art-20045550
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