Everything you eat matters if you are someone who is battling high cholesterol. You will hence need to keep a watch on all the food that you eat, and this includes snacks as well. You will be left wondering how a hamburger or even a bowl of grapes will impact your numbers.

This doesn’t mean that you will have to give up on snacking altogether; there are a few healthy snacks that can actually help you maintain your metabolism, blood sugar and even your cholesterol levels. If you are wondering what those snacks might be, just take a look at some snacks that you can indulge yourself in:

• Nuts: Walnuts, almonds and even peanuts are great for your heart. Certain studies have shown that nuts can actually help to lower LDL cholesterol levels. The recommended intake of nuts is ¼ cup per day according to the American Heart Association. You will need to keep in mind that anything more than the recommended amount is harmful for you and will have your cholesterol numbers shoot up. So you will need to exercise caution when you snack.
• Vegetables: Vegetable help to lower LDL cholesterol levels as they are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The only problem with vegetables is that they are not usually the first snack that we reach out for. Eating vegetables as a snack can be made easier if you buy pre-cut veggies from the store or if you prep some for your snack every week.

  Just grabbing a handful of baby carrots is a lot easier when you want a snack rather than prepping the vegetable you want to eat then. That is when you will reach out for that bag of chips as it is much handier to eat at that moment when you are craving a snack. You can always pair your veggies with a dip of your choice, just ensure that the dip that you pick is low-fat.

• Popcorn: Popcorn can be low in calories when you eat a smart serving size without any butter or salt. So when you reach out for your bag of popcorn, you will need to stop imagining that it would taste like the popcorn that you eat at the movie theater. If you pick popcorn that is whole grain then you know that it is full of fiber and good for you. The best option will be to air pop some popcorn at home with some olive oil, you can add some Parmesan cheese to it for a bit of flavor. Replacing the butter in the popcorn with olive oil will help lower LDL cholesterol and also increase HDL cholesterol.
• Oatmeal: Including a bowl of oatmeal in your diet every day will help you reduce your cholesterol levels. The soluble fiber that is present in oatmeal helps to move the cholesterol through your body without being absorbed as it soaks the cholesterol up. Oatmeal can hence make a great snack option.
• Fruits: Fruits make an awesome snack option if you have high cholesterol. Avocados, berries, and grapes are known to bring down cholesterol levels.