6 High Cholesterol Triggers: How Fast Food, Processed Meats and More Push LDL in the Wrong Direction

High cholesterol drives the leading cause of death in the world, and the foods on your plate may matter more than you think. The American Heart Association has pushed back on parts of the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, warning that recommendations around red meat and salt seasoning could lead consumers to exceed safe limits for saturated fat and sodium.

Cardiologists say cutting six common foods can move your numbers in the right direction. Here is what doctors and dietitians want you to know.

Why high cholesterol matters right now

When cholesterol builds up along artery walls, it forms plaque that can trigger heart attacks and strokes. Romit Bhattacharya, MD, a Mass General Brigham cardiologist, urges patients to keep saturated fat below 10% of daily calories. “High-fat dairy is for growing calves,” he said. “It’s for growing infants who need cholesterol and fat in their diet to build their brains, their nerves, their bodies.”

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The American Heart Association said it encourages low-fat and fat-free dairy and urges consumers to prioritize plant-based proteins, seafood and lean meats while limiting red meat, butter, lard and tallow, which the group links to increased cardiovascular risk.

The 6 worst foods for high cholesterol

Red meat. Steak, ribs, ground beef and pork chops tend to be high in saturated fat. “Eating red and processed meats regularly may raise LDL and apoB cholesterol, the types that form plaque, impacting overall heart health,” dietitian Michelle Routhenstein told EatingWell. Leaner cuts like sirloin, tenderloin and 90% lean ground beef are better options.

Processed meats. Bacon, salami and sausage stack saturated fat on top of sodium and nitrite preservatives. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine notes that the saturated fat in processed meat raises LDL cholesterol, while the salt used as a preservative increases the risk of high blood pressure.

Fried foods. Reused frying oil can lose unsaturated fat and develop trans fats. “Foods that have taken a dip in the deep fryer, like chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, and onion rings are among the worst when it comes to cholesterol,” Harvard Health warns. The fix? An air fryer with a little olive oil, or baking at high heat until food turns golden brown.

Baked goods. Pastries, pies, biscuits and cakes pack saturated fat from butter or palm oil. The British Heart Foundation says choosing pies with only a top crust can cut saturated fat by 40%. Dietitian Julia Zumpano told Cleveland Clinic that most store-bought desserts are loaded with processed sugars, saturated fat and sometimes trans fats like vegetable shortening.

Fast food. Bacon cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches pile sodium and simple carbs onto saturated fat. “If people are regularly eating fast food or food from places like gas stations or having a lot of soda or pop in their diet, that’s where I usually start,” Jeremy Van’t Hof, MD, a preventive cardiologist with M Health Fairview, said. He recommends keeping daily sodium under 2,000 mg.

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Refined carbs. White bread, sugary cereals, crackers and pizza can prompt the liver to make extra LDL cholesterol while lowering HDL. “Simple sugars like white bread can actually prompt our livers to produce more LDL cholesterol and may also lower the amounts of HDL cholesterol in our blood,” dietitian Gabrielle Gambino told The Healthy. NKH Health advises eating these foods in small to moderate portions.

How to lower high cholesterol through diet

Bhattacharya keeps the advice simple. “Plants basically don’t make cholesterol,” he said. “So, if you’re worried about cholesterol, eating plants is going to help. And among plants, high fiber content is important. It cleans out your gut, it allows you to detoxify, it feeds your gut microbiome in a healthy way, and it can help prevent cholesterol from absorbing into your bloodstream.”

The stakes are real. “Heart attack and stroke are the most common problems caused by a very high cholesterol level,” Bhattacharya said. “When we think about the ways that we can prevent cardiovascular disease, which is the number-one cause of death in the world, controlling your cholesterol and blood pressure are key.”