We all know salad is good for us. However, if you're after something a bit more exciting than a few lettuce leaves, this tuna and mixed bean salad is ready in just a few minutes and will do wonders for your cholesterol levels.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 cans of tuna (in spring water, not oil)
- 1 pack of cherry tomatoes
- 2 onions
- 2 cans of mixed beans
- 1 avocado
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
How to make it
- Drain the tuna and flake the fish with a fork.
- Slice the tomatoes, onions and avocado.
- Drain the beans.
- Mix every together thoroughly and separate into four bowls.
- Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve.
How does it improve your cholesterol?
There's a reason we're always being told to eat two portions of fish a week. Fish like tuna are really good for your heart. They remove LDL ('bad') cholesterol, lower blood pressure and reduce the amount of plaque clinging to your artery walls.
Onions and beans are both high in potassium and anthocyanins, both of which are linked with a reduced risk of heart disease and low blood pressure. Tomatoes have been shown to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes in middle-aged men, suggesting that they help keep cholesterol under control.
Those dressings weren't an afterthought, either. Balsamic vinegar protects you against a condition called atherosclerosis, where your arteries harden as a result of too much LDL cholesterol. Olive oil is famously good for your heart and is used in many of the world's healthiest diets, most notably in the Mediterranean.
Find more recipes to lower your cholesterol
Fruit & nut cinnamon porridge
Devilled tofu
Healthy sticky toffee pudding
