What should you know about meals for people with high cholesterol?

A meal pattern can be changed without making food bland or eliminating every favourite. Try lentil soup, bean stews, vegetable-rich rice dishes, grilled fish, oats with fruit, or whole-grain bread with hummus. Nuts and seeds provide unsaturated fats but are energy-dense, so use portions that suit your needs. Foods such as fatty meat, processed meat, butter, ghee, cream, pastries and deep-fried items can add more saturated fat. High cholesterol may have no symptoms, so meal changes should sit alongside a cholesterol test and a clinician's overall risk assessment.

At each meal, include vegetables or fruit, a fibre-rich carbohydrate and a protein such as beans, lentils, fish, skinless poultry or low-fat dairy. Use olive oil or another unsaturated oil instead of butter where practical. Choose grilled, baked or stewed foods more often than deep-fried versions, and compare labels for saturated fat. Make changes gradually and keep a food note for a week so a nutrition counsellor or GP can help refine the plan. If statin therapy has been prescribed, do not stop it because your meals have improved.

High cholesterol does not usually announce itself through a meal-related symptom. Call emergency services for crushing or persistent chest pain, severe breathlessness, sudden weakness on one side, facial drooping, trouble speaking or sudden loss of vision. For non-urgent care, book a review if you have not discussed your cholesterol results, family history or other cardiovascular risks with a clinician.

Which foods should I change first? Can you suggest alternatives for my cultural or family meals? What do my cholesterol test results mean? Should I discuss statin therapy or nutrition counselling?