Flavor Abounds Ye Who Enter

If your doctor has told you that you need to lower your cholesterol, the first place to look is your plate. If you’re used to juicy hamburgers and crunchy fried chicken, you’re going to want some hardcore flavor if you’re going to eat healthy.

Click “next” to find out how to help your heart without neglecting your tongue.

The Sweet, Stinky Onion

If your mom used to say that onions were good for your blood, well, mom was right. These stinky beauties prevent the hardening of arteries, which is important for people with high cholesterol. So, if you’re eating a salad, garden burger, or whatever, feel free to pile on the numerous different types of onions. Onion rings, however, are not a cholesterol-friendly way to go. 

The Biting, Fighting Garlic

There’s no taste quite like garlic. Feel free to use this as much as you’d like, because, like onions, garlic is awesome for your heart. A great way to use it is by simmering whole cloves of garlic in olive oil until they’re soft and using it as a spread on bland-tasting foods.

The Mighty Mushroom

Mushrooms are another way to add some interesting flavors into your foods. If you’re a texture aficionado, they’re an excellent addition to healthier foods to add some chewiness. Don’t be afraid to try the different kinds offered at your supermarket or, better yet, your farmers’ market. Mushroom growers are fun guys. (Get it?)

An Avalanche of Avocado

These creamy delights are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, something your heart and brain love. Great by itself as a snack, you can mash together avocado with numerous veggies and spices to create your own custom guacamole. Slide some of it into your sandwich and see how good life can be.

The Powerful Pepper

Nothing gets your heart racing (in the good way) quite like the heat from peppers. From salads to soups, peppers can bring spice and sweetness and provide life to an otherwise listless meal. If you’re timid about spice, try bell peppers to start and work your way up the heat scale as you please.

Salsas, Pico, & More

Forget about mayo or ketchup. If you’re looking for some killer condiments, get out your chef’s knife and get chopping. Throwing together tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, and other ingredients is a great way to keep you interested in eating heart-healthy. Be wary of store-bought salsa, though—it’s often high in sodium.

The Fragrant Fruit

All this talk about vegetables and we almost forgot about fruit. Packed with vitamins—and more importantly flavor—fruits of all kinds are great ways to add life to nearly anything. Mix and match, graze or snack, your heart will love you for a long time for your fruity attitude. Ever try mango salsa? This easy-to-make salsa works well as a side dish, or swapped in for mayo on a sandwich.

Aww Yeah! Nuts!

Time for some crunch! Harvard University recommends that 2 oz of nuts a day can lower your cholesterol as much as five percent. That’s good, but the flavor and texture of nuts might be the easiest way to eat healthy. Go for unsalted nuts to avoid excess sodium. 

Using Common Sense

We hope these tips got you excited, but hopefully your head is still on straight. You still have to avoid the danger foods, like red meat. Sorry, but you can’t slap pico de gallo on a 4-lb hamburger and call it healthy. You can, however, enjoy lower-cholesterol meats, like fatty fish, turkey, and chicken. 

Keep It Fresh

The easiest way to know if your food will be good for your heart is if it’s fresh. That means eating lots of fresh produce and avoiding things in jars, bags, and boxes. Many products marketed as “healthy” still have too much sodium for your heart. While you’re watching your cholesterol, you also need to be wary of sodium since your heart hates that too. 

More Information

We hope we’ve given you some ideas to inspire you to get in the kitchen and get creative while caring for your heart. We’ve got more heart-healthy ingredient substitutions for you here.

Don’t forget to check out Healthline’s High Cholesterol Learning Center to learn more about what you can do to take care of yourself for you and those you love.