6 Healthy Snacks for Managing High Cholesterol
People often suggest that snacking should be avoided to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. However, eating at regular intervals is vital to maintain blood sugar levels, metabolism, and cholesterol throughout the day. At the same time, choosing the right snacks is extremely important to ensure these benefits. Here are some guilt-free snacks for high cholesterol that will tantalize your taste buds, satiate those cravings, and also help maintain great health:
- Veggies with dips
Veggies are not only great for you but are also considered one of the best guilt-free snacks for high cholesterol as they’re loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. You can have sliced or diced veggies with home-made hummus or beetroot dip. Hummus can be prepared from chickpeas or white beans blended with olive oil and sesame seeds. Beetroot dip is also quite easy to make using beetroot, hung curd, and seasonings of your choice. - Fruits topped on whole-grain toasts
It’s always wise to choose barley, brown rice, whole grain oats, finger millets, and whole wheat bread over white bread. Put a generous amount of peanut or almond butter on a slice and top it with seasonal fruits of your choice, like strawberries, blueberries, avocado, or fresh figs. To make it healthier, you can also sprinkle some sesame, sunflower, flax, or pumpkin seeds on top. - Fruits with porridge or rolled oats
This recipe is one of the easiest guilt-free snacks to make for managing high cholesterol. You have to simply cook porridge or oats in the milk of your choice, vegan or dairy, till you get the consistency you want. Add a dash of sweetness with honey, stevia, or maple syrup and give a good mix. Then, add layers of fruits like mango, apple, banana, and berries. You can also add some cocoa powder if you want. - Bean soup with veggies
Beans provide soluble fiber and protein to help stave off hunger. You can just boil some beans, be it cannellini beans, kidney beans, white beans, garbanzo beans, or pinto beans, with some salt and ginger garlic paste and grind them to get a soupy texture. Then, sauté some onions, carrots, mushrooms, beans, and corn kernels in olive oil, top the soup with the sautéed vegetables, and enjoy. - Cabbage walnut salad
Take some shredded red and green cabbage, and add some shredded carrots, chopped celery, and sliced cucumber to it. Top it with toasted walnuts, pine nuts, and sesame seeds. Mix everything and drizzle some olive oil, lemon juice, Himalayan salt, and honey over the salad for a delicious and wholesome snack. - Home-made potato chips
Potatoes top the list of guilt-free snacks for high cholesterol as they are low in calories, high in fiber, and filled with potassium. You just have to put a layer of sliced potatoes on a baking dish, spray them with olive oil, and sprinkle them with salt, onion powder, or rosemary before baking.
Healthy snacking is considered a task by many as it requires lots of prepping, but these recipes for guilt-free snacks for high cholesterol help save time and maintain overall health at the same time.