While you may hear a lot about keeping your cholesterol low, what may come as a surprise to you is that not all cholesterol is bad for you. When people talk about ‘bad’ cholesterol they are referring to LDL cholesterol, which can build up in your arteries. HDL cholesterol is the one that is considered ‘good’ and is not the one the doctor is checking for.

Something else that you may not know is that many snacks are healthy to keep your bad cholesterol low. Here are the most common snacks for lowering cholesterol:

1. Nuts
While it may sound weird, nuts are one of the best snacks for those trying to lower their cholesterol. They have many good benefits such as low saturated fat, protein, and antioxidants to help your body in many ways. The best nuts to eat are almonds, walnuts, and cashews. Peanuts are okay as long as you don’t have an allergy to them. If you’re wondering how many will do the trick, the American Heart Association recommends that you eat ¼ cup a day to keep your cholesterol low.

2. Vegetables
When thinking about snacks, the last thing that comes to mind is any type of veggie. While it may sound gross, what many people don’t know is that there are healthy ways to dress up vegetables that are good for cholesterol. For example, the classic celery and peanut butter is a double serving of health. Even broccoli topped with cheese is good for you.There are many different ways that vegetables can be dressed up and still be healthy. Using your imagination, the possibilities are endless.

3. Fruits
There are not many people in the world that don’t enjoy some type of fruit. With that being said, many types of fruits out there can lower your LDL and still taste great in the process. The best type of fruit to eat is berries. This can include raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pretty much anything that ends with berry. They are rich in antioxidants and are low in sugar compared to other fruits.

This is not to say that you are only stuck to berries, though. Apples, oranges, cherries, and so many others have their benefits to help you get through high cholesterol.

4. Dark chocolate
Don’t think that you have to give up all types of chocolate when you eat foods to lower your LDL. While it is true that milk chocolate has too much sugar to help you out, dark chocolate can be the answer to your solution. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants that lower the bad cholesterol circulating around in your body. If you are not a fan of the bitter taste of dark chocolate, there are many versions that include sweeteners such as stevia to give it some taste. And another added benefit is that it does not raise your blood sugar.

It can seem like a struggle to lower your bad cholesterol and triglycerides. However, doing so can help reduce your chance of heart attack and stroke by half.