Naturally produced by the liver, cholesterol is a wax-like substance that is essential for producing hormones and vitamin D in your body. High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) are lipoproteins found in cholesterol. While HDL is the good cholesterol that carries unwanted cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver for elimination, LDL is the bad cholesterol that leads to the buildup of plaque in the arteries in case of excess. Chronic health issues like blood clots, chest pain, heart attack, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease can arise because of the accumulation of bad cholesterol and plaque buildup.

If you are diagnosed with high cholesterol, you must eat healthy foods to both increase HDL and reduce LDL cholesterol levels in your body. To help you, here are some guilt-free snack options for managing high cholesterol while also satiating those mid-meal hunger pangs:

• Colorful mixed berries
  A bowl of colorful fruits like strawberries, blueberries, grapes, oranges, and grapefruits tops the list of guilt-free snacks for people with high cholesterol. You can also add in pieces of lime and a dash of honey to enhance the flavor. Berries contain antioxidants that help lower LDL levels, while citrus fruits like oranges and lime contain limonoid compounds that also lower LDL, while also helping slow down atherosclerosis of the arteries. All-in-all, a healthy and guilt-free snack for people with high cholesterol.
• Fresh avocado wrap
  Monounsaturated fatty acid-rich avocados are a good snack option for those with high cholesterol. Simply take fresh lettuce leaves and pack them with thinly sliced avocado, tomato, and onion. Add some Kalamata olives and pumpkin seeds, and drizzle some fresh pesto sauce before wrapping them up. Enjoy this fresh avocado wrap when you crave a snack.
• Fragrant cinnamon apple sticks
  The aroma-inducing cinnamaldehyde compound that gives cinnamon its flavor and odor, as well as its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, help minimize the risk of heart disease by reducing the levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the body. The polyphenols and fiber in apples also have the same effect on bad cholesterol, making a combination of these two ingredients extremely nutritious. Slice some organic apples, sprinkle some cinnamon powder over them, and enjoy a crunchy, refreshing snack.
• Luscious papaya
  The fiber in this superfood helps control blood pressure. Along with being rich in vitamins A and C, papaya has folate and potassium. This cholesterol and fat-free fruit can be had as a snack in many different forms. You can have a green papaya salad, enjoy the fresh ripe fruit, or add dried, unsweetened papaya chunks to your trail mix.
• Flavorful herbal tea
  The fruits, flowers, buds, leaves, barks, and roots of plants like peppermint, hibiscus, orange, lavender, ginger, chamomile, lemongrass, dandelion, rooibos, and cranberry are used for brewing several types of herbal tea that make for guilt-free snacks for people with high cholesterol. These aromatic plants are rich in antioxidants that help lower blood cholesterol levels.

You must consult a doctor before making changes to your diet as certain foods might interact with the medications you may already be having for cholesterol, and also ensure that the transition to a new diet is smooth.