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You know that your cholesterol level is too high -- which increases your risk for heart attack or stroke. But what you eat can make a big difference to your cholesterol. The Lower Your Cholesterol Diet gives you a simple daily plan packed with foods that will help lower your total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels. Even better, these foods taste great and won't make you feel deprived.

Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, contributes the most to heart disease because it carries cholesterol into the plaque build-up in your arteries. This meal plan will help you to lower LDL levels by using monounsaturated fat instead of saturated fat, decreasing total fat intake and eating 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day. (It can also help to lose a moderate amount of weight, if necessary.)

High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is the good type of cholesterol because it's typically excreted from the body and doesn't contribute to plaque that builds up on the inside walls of the arteries. The best way to increase HDL levels is to exercise, stop smoking and lose a moderate amount of weight, if needed. This diet will also help by offering monounsaturated fats, found in vegetable products, such as olives, olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds, in place of saturated fats, found primarily in animal fats, like the skin on poultry and the fat in red meat, as well as dairy products with fat, like cheese and milk.

Trans fatty acids are the latest culprit in cholesterol levels and heart disease. They are formed when liquid fats are hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated, to become more solid at room temperature. Trans fatty acids are known to raise both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. This diet will help you avoid trans fatty acids, which are found in hydrogenated oils in crackers, baked goods, cereals and breads; fast foods such as french fries, fried fish and onion rings; and margarine, especially stick margarine.

Legumes (beans) contain folate, which helps lower levels of homocysteine (an amino acid that may lead to blockages in the arteries) and reduce heart disease risk. This meal plan offers legumes at least once each day in soups, salads or vegetable recipes.

Cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, albacore tuna, haddock, mackerel, herring and sardines, are high in omega-three fatty acids, which help lower triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels. Eating seafood at least twice a week could lower your risk of heart disease by 29 to 40 percent! This meal plan helps by offering a seafood choice for dinner.

BREAKFAST 

Option one :

• 1 cup plain oatmeal cooked with skim milk, topped with 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup purple grape juice

Option two :

• 1 cup Cheerios with skim milk
• 1/2 grapefruit
• 1 slice whole-wheat toast topped with 1 teaspoon tub margarine

Option three :

• 1/2 cup Eggbeaters made into an omelet with 1/2 cup chopped raw veggies (try onions, green and red peppers, celery and zucchini)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 teaspoon tub margarine

LUNCH 

Option one :

• 1/2 cup tuna packed in water mixed with 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise and chopped celery, peppers and carrots
• 2 cups mixed dark green lettuce (try romaine, kale or escarole)
• 1/2 cup Marinated Two Bean Salad with Corn
• 1 apple
• 1 cup skim milk

Option two :

• 2 cups Black Bean Soup
• 1 cup grapes
• 1 cup sliced tomatoes drizzled with 1 tablespoon olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing
• 1 cup skim milk

Option three :

• 1 whole-wheat pita sandwich stuffed with 2 ounces turkey breast, 1/2 sliced avocado and 1/2 cup dark green lettuce
• 1 cup Minestrone Soup
• 1 orange
• 1 cup skim milk

DINNER 

Option one :

• Grilled Salmon with Fruit Salsa
• 1 small baked potato topped with 1 teaspoon tub margarine and 1 teaspoon fat-free sour cream
• 1 cup steamed broccoli
• 1 baked apple topped with cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins

Option two :

• Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
• 1/2 cup baked sweet potato
• 1 cup steamed asparagus
• 1 sliced banana, tossed with brown sugar and cinnamon and broiled until the sugar melts

Option three :

• Tempe fry
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup fresh fruit salad with 1/3 cup fruit sorbet

SNACKS

• 1/2 cup  nuts
• 1 piece fresh fruit
• 1 cup berries
• 1 cup non-fat yogurt
• 1 cup cold cereal with at least 5 grams of fiber; 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 cups raw vegetables with fat-free dressing for "dip"
• 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 teaspoon fruit spread
• 1 milk smoothie (blend 1 cup soft tofu with your favorite fresh fruit; thin with milk

Healthy Do's and Don'ts Do:

• Choose monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil or canola oil, in cooking. Monounsaturated fats can actually help raise your HDL levels, especially if you replace saturated fat with monounsaturated fat -- for instance, by using olive oil instead of butter
• Replace cow's milk with soy milk to increase soy protein intake to 25 grams per day, the amount the American Heart Association says is necessary to lower cholesterol levels. As an added bonus, soymilk contains no saturated fat or cholesterol!
• Drink eight ounces purple grape juice or red wine each day (check with your physician before you use wine or other types of alcohol on a regular basis). Antioxidants called flavonoids are found in both purple grape juice and alcohol and appear to help lower risk of heart disease
• Go nuts! A small handful of nuts can add protein, fiber, monounsaturated fats and even antioxidants that help reduce risk of heart disease. Toss a few nuts in your breakfast cereal or on a lunchtime salad
• Use ground flax seeds, which may lower cholesterol levels. Ground flax seeds are high in soluble fiber and omega-three fatty acids, essential nutrients for a healthy cardiovascular system. Mix one to two tablespoons ground flax seeds in a morning fruit smoothie, stir them into yogurt or add to granola

Don't:

• Eat lunch meat with more than two grams of fat per ounce, fatty meat or poultry or fried foods. This will help decrease your saturated fat intake, which raises blood levels of cholesterol more than any other food
• Skimp on the fiber. The Nurse's Health Study showed that every additional five grams of fiber consumed on a regular basis decreased risk of heart disease by 37 percent.

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