A good low-cholesterol dinner is built on fish, skinless chicken, beans or lentils, with plenty of vegetables and a whole grain, and cooked in a little vegetable oil rather than butter, cream or cheese. Most of the meals below have under 2g of saturated fat per serving, and all of them are on the table in under an hour.
Below are three full recipes (a salmon traybake, a red lentil dal and a chicken stir-fry), six more quick meal ideas with the saturated fat for each, and the dinners where saturated fat adds up fastest.
General information, not medical advice
If your doctor or dietitian has given you specific limits for fat, salt, sugar or calories, follow those. Nutrition figures in this article are estimates from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values and vary by brand.
What makes a dinner good for cholesterol
- Lean or plant protein. Fatty meat, processed meat and cheese are the biggest sources of saturated fat at dinner. Fish, skinless chicken, beans, lentils and tofu give you the protein without most of it.
- Soluble fibre. Beans, lentils, chickpeas, vegetables and whole grains help your body clear cholesterol. See soluble fibre and cholesterol for how much to aim for.
- Unsaturated oils, measured. A tablespoon of olive or rapeseed oil shared between four people adds well under 1g of saturated fat each. Butter, ghee, coconut oil and cream sauces add much more. Our guide to how much saturated fat per day puts the numbers in context.
9 low-cholesterol dinner ideas
Saturated fat is per serving, worked out from USDA FoodData Central values.
| Dinner | Serving | Saturated fat | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon and vegetable traybake | 1 fillet + veg (recipe below) | 4.0g | Omega-3 fats, one tray to wash up |
| Red lentil and spinach dal with brown rice | 1/4 of recipe (recipe below) | 0.9g | 13g of fibre, cheap to make |
| Chicken and vegetable stir-fry with noodles | 1/2 of recipe (recipe below) | 1.6g | 42g of protein in 25 minutes |
| Bean chilli with brown rice | 1/4 of a pot (method below) | 1.1g | 13g of fibre and freezes well |
| Baked cod with new potatoes and peas | 150g cod + 200g potatoes + 80g peas | 0.9g | White fish is almost fat-free |
| Wholewheat pasta with tomato and chickpea sauce | 75g pasta + 120g chickpeas | 1.2g | 17g of fibre from store-cupboard tins |
| Tofu and vegetable stir-fry with noodles | 150g firm tofu + veg + 60g noodles | 2.7g | Soy protein instead of meat |
| Jacket potato with baked beans | 1 large potato + 1/2 tin beans | 0.2g | Ready in the microwave in 10 minutes |
| Lean beef and lentil bolognese with wholewheat pasta | 60g 5% fat mince + 25g lentils + 75g pasta | 2.4g | Half the meat, twice the fibre |
Quick bean chilli (serves 4)
Soften a chopped onion and red pepper in 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, stir in 2 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp ground cumin, then add 2 tins of kidney beans (drained and rinsed) and a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve with 200g (dry weight) brown rice. Per serving: about 405 kcal, 1.1g saturated fat and 13g fibre.
Three easy low-cholesterol dinner recipes
Nutrition figures are estimates per serving from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values.
1. Salmon and vegetable traybake
Serves 4 · Prep 10 min · Cook 35 min
- 600g / 1lb 5oz baby new potatoes, halved
- 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
- 2 red peppers, cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp / 15ml olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 250g / 9oz cherry tomatoes
- 150g / 5oz green beans, trimmed
- 4 skinless salmon fillets (about 110g / 4oz each)
- 1 lemon
- Black pepper
- Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (Gas Mark 6).
- Toss the potatoes, onion and peppers with the oil, paprika, salt and some black pepper in a large roasting tin. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Stir the vegetables, add the tomatoes and green beans, and nestle the salmon fillets in among them. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the salmon and top with slices from the other half.
- Roast for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily and the potatoes are tender.
Per serving (approx.): 425 kcal · 19g fat (4g saturated) · 60mg cholesterol · 38g carbs · 6.5g fibre · 10g sugar · 28g protein
Why it helps: salmon is an oily fish, so it carries more fat than the other recipes here, but around three-quarters of that fat is unsaturated, including omega-3s. Almost all of the 4g of saturated fat comes from the salmon itself (figures use farmed Atlantic salmon). Wild salmon is leaner: with wild fillets the total drops to about 1.7g per serving.
2. Red lentil and spinach dal with brown rice
Serves 4 · Prep 10 min · Cook 35 min
- 200g / 1 cup brown basmati rice
- 1 tbsp / 15ml rapeseed (canola) oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 20g / a thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp mild curry powder
- 250g / 1 1/4 cups red lentils, rinsed
- 1 x 400g / 14oz tin chopped tomatoes
- 800ml / 3 1/3 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 150g / 5oz baby spinach
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Cook the rice following the packet instructions (usually 25 to 30 minutes), then drain.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and golden.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, turmeric and curry powder and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes, water and salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils break down and the dal thickens. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
- Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then the lemon juice. Serve with the rice.
Per serving (approx.): 495 kcal · 7g fat (0.9g saturated) · 0mg cholesterol · 89g carbs · 13g fibre · 6g sugar · 22g protein
Why it helps: lentils bring soluble fibre and plant protein with almost no saturated fat. Many restaurant dals are finished with butter, ghee or cream; this one gets its creaminess from the lentils breaking down, so it stays under 1g of saturated fat per serving. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes well.
3. Chicken and vegetable stir-fry with noodles
Serves 2 · Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min
- 120g / 4oz dried wholewheat noodles
- 250g / 9oz skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 tbsp / 15ml rapeseed (canola) oil
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 100g / 3.5oz broccoli florets
- 100g / 3.5oz sugar snap peas
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 15g / a small piece fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks
- 2 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- Cook the noodles following the packet instructions, drain and rinse under cold water so they don't stick.
- Toss the sliced chicken with the cornflour.
- Heat half the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat and stir-fry the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes until golden and cooked through with no pink left. Tip onto a plate.
- Add the rest of the oil and stir-fry the pepper, broccoli and sugar snaps for 3 minutes, adding a splash of water to help the broccoli steam. Add the garlic, ginger and spring onions for 1 minute more.
- Return the chicken to the pan with the noodles, soy sauce, honey and lime juice, and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is hot.
Per serving (approx.): 525 kcal · 12.5g fat (1.6g saturated) · 90mg cholesterol · 65g carbs · 10g fibre · 11g sugar · 42g protein
Why it helps: skinless chicken breast is one of the leanest proteins you can buy, and stir-frying uses a single tablespoon of oil for two people. Most of the 660mg of sodium per serving comes from the soy sauce, so use 1 tablespoon if you're watching salt.
Log your dinners, then check your numbers
Save these as recipes in Heart Tracker and log them in seconds next time you cook them. The app counts saturated fat and fibre across the day and keeps your lipid panel results alongside, so you can see whether meals like these are moving your LDL.
Download Heart Tracker FreeDinners to limit if you have high cholesterol
None of these is off-limits, but they are where saturated fat adds up fastest, so keep them small and occasional. For swaps at every meal, see our list of 100 food swaps that lower cholesterol, and for cooking fats, our guide to good fats and omega-3s.
| Dinner | Saturated fat | Easy swap |
|---|---|---|
| Curry made with full-fat coconut milk (1/4 of a 400ml tin each) | About 19g from the coconut milk alone | A tomato-based curry or the red lentil dal above |
| Two pork sausages | About 11.7g | Bean chilli or a jacket potato with beans |
| Cheese-topped pasta bake (40g cheddar each) | About 7.5g from the cheese | Wholewheat pasta with tomato and chickpea sauce |
| Quarter-pound beef burger, 15% fat (113g raw) | About 6.5g before cooking | Skinless chicken breast or a bean burger |
Low-cholesterol dinners: quick answers
Is salmon good for high cholesterol?
Yes. Most of the fat in salmon is unsaturated, including omega-3 fats that help lower triglycerides, and the NHS recommends at least two portions of fish a week, one of them oily. A 110g fillet of farmed salmon does have about 3.4g of saturated fat, so it fits best alongside low-fat sides like vegetables and potatoes rather than a creamy sauce.
Can I eat chicken if I have high cholesterol?
Yes. Skinless chicken breast is very low in saturated fat: about 0.7g in a 125g raw portion. Leaving the skin on raises that roughly fivefold, so take the skin off and avoid breaded or fried chicken.
Are lentils good for lowering cholesterol?
Yes. Lentils, beans and chickpeas are rich in soluble fibre and almost free of saturated fat. A 2014 meta-analysis of trials found that eating about one serving of pulses a day lowered LDL cholesterol by around 5%.
Can I eat red meat with high cholesterol?
In moderation, and the cut matters. 100g of 5% fat beef mince has about 2.2g of saturated fat, compared with 5.7g for 15% fat mince. Choose lean cuts, trim visible fat, bulk dishes out with lentils or beans, and keep processed meats like sausages and bacon occasional.
What is a quick low-cholesterol dinner when I'm tired?
A jacket potato with baked beans (about 0.2g of saturated fat), wholewheat pasta with chickpeas and tinned tomatoes (about 1.2g), or beans on wholemeal toast all take 10 minutes or less of actual work and keep saturated fat very low.
Planning the rest of the day? Try our low-cholesterol breakfast ideas, the low-cholesterol snacks list, or browse every recipe on the low-cholesterol recipes page.
Sources
- NHS: Fat, the facts
- NHS: Fish and shellfish
- American Heart Association: Saturated fat
- USDA FoodData Central (nutrition values for ingredients)
- Ha V, et al. Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. CMAJ. 2014.