Aim for a healthy weight
Being overweight can increase your cholesterol levels and also your risk of Type 2 diabetes
Everyone needs to look after their cholesterol levels for a healthy heart, and if you’re from a South Asian background, it’s even more important. This is because South Asian people tend to be more likely to develop heart disease.
Heart disease is the UK's biggest killer and can affect anyone. But South Asian people are 1.5 times more likely to die from it at a younger age. The exact reason isn’t clear, but common risk factors include diet, smoking (including shisha and chewing tobacco), and low physical activity.
South Asian people are also more likely to develop conditions linked to heart disease, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, which is up to six times more common.
The good news? A healthy diet and lifestyle can help. You don’t have to give up traditional foods - many, like dahls, pulses, and vegetables, are great choices. But how they're prepared matters. Small changes can make a big difference.
What are the best ways to lower your cholesterol?
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Cut back on saturated fat and choose more heart-healthy fats.
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Include more cholesterol-lowering foods - there’s plenty to choose from, like beans, lentils, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and so much more. Pick what works for you! See below.
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Stay active with regular physical activity.
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Maintain a healthy weight.
Eat less fat
Remember all kinds of fats are high in calories, so keep to small amounts if you are trying to lose weight.
Eat less saturated fat
- Avoid using ghee, butter, coconut oil or palm oil in cooking. Did you know that there is 10g of saturated fat in just one tablespoon of ghee? Vegetable ghee is often high in harmful trans fats too. So, replace these saturated fats with small amounts of healthier unsaturated fats such as rapeseed oil (usually sold as pure vegetable oil), olive oil, sunflower oil or corn oil.
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Don't re-use oil for deep frying because the chemical reactions that happen when oil is reheated produce potentially harmful substances.
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Check food labels. For saturated fat, look for foods with 1.5g or less of 'saturates' per 100g. If a product has 5g or more per 100g it is high in saturates. Some foods have a front of pack nutrition label which uses red, amber and green colour coding. Aim to include more foods which are green for saturates. As a guide, for a food to qualify as a healthy choice, look for a mixture of greens and ambers and very few reds.
Cut down on fat generally
- Whenever possible, microwave, steam, poach, bake, boil or grill instead of frying. If you use oil for making curries, measure it out with a spoon instead of pouring from the container. Limit it to one teaspoon per person. Add water or tinned tomatoes to stop food sticking to the pan. Double the amount of onions you use for sauces to increase the moisture content.
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Invest in a good quality non-stick frying pan and use it to start your Turka or vagar.
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Brown your meat in a non-stick pan, drain excess fat and then add the Turka.
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Avoid adding ghee or butter to your chapatti dough and cooked dhal, and avoid spreading fat on cooked chapatis.
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Skim off any oil that settles on top of the cooked curry.
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Use smaller portions of meat and add extra vegetables and pulses such as peas, beans and lentils.
Fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables can help keep your cholesterol down, whether they're fresh, frozen, canned or dried. Aim for at least five servings every day. Include a side salad whenever possible with your main meals. More practical tips and information.
Beans and pulses
Aim for at least one portion of dhal/beans or soya daily. You can also add dhals to your meat dishes. Lots more practical tips and information.
Unsalted nuts
Have a handful (30g) of unsalted nuts such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios and pecans each day. Practical tips and more information.
More plant sources of proteins
Try cut down on red meat and and other animal proteins and include more plant proteins like beans, lentils, soya, mycoprotein, tofu. Easy and tasty ways to include plant proteins.
What about carbohydrates?
When choosing starchy (carbohydrate) foods, go for wholegrain varieties:
- Opt for medium brown or wholemeal chapati flour or try a combination of wholemeal and white flour mixed together. Bhajra (millet) roti is a good source of fibre, as is besan (gram flour). You can also mix soya flour with your regular chapati atta to boost fibre and protein.
- Try brown rice instead of white or try a 50/50 mix.
- Choose wholemeal, granary, rye or seeded breads instead of white.
- Aim for three portions of oat or barley-based foods each day, such as porridge, oat bran, oatibix, oatcakes, barley flakes and pearl barley.
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Traditional |
Healthier swaps |
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| Starchy foods |
Paratha, puri, kachori, pulao, biriyani, fried potatoes |
Chapati, pitta bread, idli, boiled basmati rice, potatoes prepared with minimal oil |
| Vegetables |
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| Meat and alternatives |
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| Dairy |
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| Snacks |
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Eat some omega 3-rich foods
Aim for two servings of fish per week, one of which should be oily, such as salmon, sardines and pilchards. Canned fish still counts and is convenient and cheap, and frozen fish can be as nutritious as fresh. You can add traditional spices to suit your taste buds!
Vegetarian sources of omega 3s include nuts, linseeds (ailsi/flaxseeds), dark green vegetables and soya beans.
Lead a healthy lifestyle
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