Making just small changes to diet can help people give their heart health a boost.
This is according to Heart UK ambassador and Italian chef Aldo Zilli, who noted people will always know what is going into their meals if they cook from fresh ingredients.
Mr Zilli recommended people base their dinners around starchy wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, while also reducing their meat, fish and cheese portions.
His comments come in response to Heart UK research conducted ahead of National Cholesterol Week, which showed almost one-third of survey respondents were unaware that high cholesterol is something that can be inherited from their parents.
Mr Zilli said it is a good idea for people to keep a log of the different foods they eat, adding: “Simple changes such as cutting your portion size, leaving the table before you are feeling full and swapping creamy sauces for those based on tomatoes can really make a difference.”
He observed people can make slight alterations to their food preferences in order to achieve a healthier intake, including swapping fizzy drinks for juice cartons, steak pies for potato-topped pies, Danish pastry for a cereal bar and cheese cake for low-fat yoghurt.