Simple changes to what you eat can help support healthy cholesterol levels. Discover six everyday food swaps, from oats and nuts to oily fish and plant sterols.
🕒 8 min read
High cholesterol is common and usually causes no symptoms. According to Our Future Health, testing carried out between summer 2022 and June 2023 found that 54% of the people tested had high total cholesterol levels.
What you eat can make a difference. In particular, the NHS recommends cutting down on foods high in saturated fat and choosing foods containing healthier unsaturated fats, alongside eating more wholegrains, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in your blood and cells. Your body needs some cholesterol to function normally, including to make cell membranes, hormones and vitamin D. However, having too much cholesterol in your blood can increase your risk of heart and circulatory disease.
LDL cholesterol is often referred to as 'bad' cholesterol because high levels can contribute to fatty deposits building up in artery walls. HDL cholesterol is often called 'good' cholesterol because it helps transport cholesterol back to the liver.
The only way to know whether your cholesterol is high is to have a blood test. Your overall cardiovascular risk also depends on other factors such as blood pressure, smoking, age and family history.
What can help lower cholesterol?
A cholesterol-friendly diet is only one part of the picture. Regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking and keeping alcohol within recommended limits can also support cardiovascular health.
If lifestyle changes are not enough, some people will also need cholesterol-lowering medication. Do not stop or change prescribed medication without speaking to your doctor.
Learn more about cholesterol, what your results mean and the lifestyle measures that can help manage it.
Read more
Six simple food swaps to help lower cholesterol
You do not need to change your entire diet overnight. Making a few targeted swaps can reduce your intake of saturated fat while increasing foods that provide fibre and unsaturated fats.
Some foods also contain specific components with an established cholesterol-lowering effect, including beta-glucan from oats and barley and plant sterols.
| Instead of | Try | Why it may help |
|---|---|---|
| Sugary or refined breakfast cereal | Porridge or an oat-based cereal | Oats contain beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that has been shown to lower blood cholesterol when 3g is consumed daily. |
| Full-fat cow's milk | Unsweetened, calcium-fortified soya drink | This can reduce saturated fat intake while still providing a useful source of protein. Choose a fortified option. |
| Chocolate bar | Fruit with a small handful of unsalted nuts | Nuts provide fibre and unsaturated fats, while the swap can reduce the amount of saturated fat in your snack. |
| Cream | Lower-fat plain yoghurt | A lower-fat yoghurt can contain substantially less saturated fat than cream while still providing a creamy texture. |
| Butter | Unsaturated or plant-sterol-enriched spread | Replacing butter reduces saturated fat, while an effective daily amount of added plant sterols can help lower blood cholesterol. |
| Fatty or processed red meat | Oily fish such as salmon or mackerel | Oily fish provides unsaturated omega-3 fats and can replace foods that are higher in saturated fat. |
1 Swap breakfast cereal for oats
Oats and barley contain a soluble fibre called beta-glucan. It forms a gel in the gut that can bind with cholesterol-rich bile acids, reducing their reabsorption.
HEART UK says that consuming 3g of oat or barley beta-glucan per day has been shown to lower blood cholesterol.
A 30g serving of porridge oats provides roughly 1g of beta-glucan, so several servings of oat or barley foods may be needed across the day to reach 3g. Other options include oat bran, oatcakes and pearl barley.
Try swapping a refined or sugary breakfast cereal for porridge, overnight oats or an unsweetened oat-based cereal. Add fruit, seeds or a small handful of nuts for extra fibre and variety.
2 Swap full-fat cow's milk for an unsweetened soya drink
If you regularly use full-fat milk, replacing it with an unsweetened soya alternative can be a simple way to reduce your intake of saturated fat.
Choose a soya drink fortified with calcium, and ideally vitamin B12 and vitamin D. You can use it over cereal, in porridge, in smoothies or in hot drinks in much the same way as cow's milk.
If you prefer dairy milk, choosing a lower-fat version is another straightforward way to reduce saturated fat.
3 Swap a chocolate bar for fruit and unsalted nuts
Chocolate can contain significant amounts of saturated fat. For an everyday snack, try swapping it for fresh or dried fruit with a small handful of unsalted nuts such as almonds or walnuts.
Nuts contain unsaturated fats, fibre and protein. The NHS recommends nuts and seeds among the foods to eat more of when trying to lower cholesterol.
Dried fruit such as raisins or sultanas can also contribute fibre, but portions are relatively concentrated in natural sugars, so a small portion alongside nuts is sensible.
4 Swap cream for lower-fat plain yoghurt
Cream is high in saturated fat, and eating too much saturated fat can raise cholesterol. A lower-fat plain yoghurt can be an easy replacement in many meals and desserts.
Use yoghurt with fruit, add herbs and spices for savoury dishes, or stir it into sauces after taking the pan off the heat. When choosing yoghurt, compare labels for saturated fat and added sugar.
5 Swap butter for an unsaturated or plant-sterol-enriched spread
Butter is high in saturated fat. Replacing it with a spread based on unsaturated vegetable oils can help reduce saturated fat intake.
For people who need to lower their cholesterol, foods or supplements containing plant sterols are another option. Plant sterols have a structure similar to cholesterol and reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed in the intestine.
HEART UK reports that 1.5g to 3g of plant sterols or stanols each day can lower LDL cholesterol by around 7% to 12.5%, with the effect generally seen within two to three weeks.
They need to be consumed consistently and are best taken with food. There is no additional cholesterol-lowering benefit from consuming more than 3g a day.
You can learn more in our guide to how plant sterols work to lower cholesterol. If you already take cholesterol-lowering medication, see our guide to plant sterols vs statins.
Plant Sterols 800mg
Scientifically shown to lower cholesterol
- 800mg plant sterols per tablet
- Two to three tablets daily to help lower blood cholesterol
- One tablet daily contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels
6 Swap fatty or processed red meat for oily fish
Fatty and processed meats can be high in saturated fat. The NHS recommends cutting down on foods such as fatty meat and sausages when trying to lower cholesterol.
Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and trout provides unsaturated fats, including long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Swapping a meal containing fatty meat for oily fish can therefore reduce saturated fat intake while increasing unsaturated fats.
The NHS recommends eating at least two portions of fish each week, including one portion of oily fish.
Food and cholesterol: frequently asked questions
Here are quick answers to some common questions about foods and cholesterol.
Is Ryvita good for cholesterol?
Wholegrain rye crispbreads such as Ryvita can form part of a cholesterol-friendly diet because they can provide wholegrain fibre and are generally low in saturated fat. However, ordinary rye crispbread does not have the same established cholesterol-lowering effect as the beta-glucan found in oats and barley or an effective dose of plant sterols.
What you put on it matters too. Try toppings such as hummus, vegetables, avocado or a small amount of nut butter rather than butter or high-fat cheese.
Are raisins good for cholesterol?
Raisins can be included as part of a healthy, high-fibre diet, but they should not be thought of as a specific treatment for high cholesterol. Dried fruit contains fibre but is also concentrated in natural sugars, so keep portions moderate.
Pairing a small portion of raisins with unsalted nuts can make a more balanced snack than foods high in saturated fat such as chocolate bars or biscuits.
What foods can help lower cholesterol?
A cholesterol-friendly diet should be low in saturated fat and rich in wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and foods containing unsaturated fats. Oats and barley provide beta-glucan, while foods or supplements containing an effective amount of plant sterols can also lower blood cholesterol.
What is a good breakfast if you have high cholesterol?
Porridge or overnight oats are useful options because oats contain beta-glucan. Try adding fruit and a small handful of nuts or seeds, and choose lower-fat dairy or an unsweetened fortified plant drink if you want to reduce saturated fat.
Are oats good for cholesterol?
Yes. Oats contain beta-glucan, a soluble fibre with an authorised cholesterol-lowering effect. A daily intake of 3g of beta-glucan from oats or barley has been shown to lower blood cholesterol.
Are plant sterols good for cholesterol?
Plant sterols have been shown to lower blood cholesterol when consumed in an effective daily amount. HEART UK recommends 1.5g to 3g a day for cholesterol lowering. Plant sterols should not be used to replace prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication.
Small changes can add up
Lowering cholesterol does not mean removing every food you enjoy. Regularly replacing foods high in saturated fat with wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, unsaturated fats and oily fish can make your overall diet more cholesterol-friendly.
Some people will need medication as well as lifestyle changes. If you have been told that your cholesterol is high, follow the advice of your GP or other healthcare professional and do not stop prescribed treatment in favour of dietary changes or supplements.
For more advice, read what you need to know about cholesterol and how to lower it or discover how plant sterols work.
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