5-Day Low Cholesterol Menu: 10 Easy Free Dinner Recipes

49mg cholesterol · 45 minutes start to finish · serves 8

Bacon has a reputation that keeps it off most heart-healthy menus. The reduced-sodium kind changes that! A single slice wraps one chicken tenderloin, which is enough smoke and salt to season the whole piece without turning a lean cut into a fatty meal.

A rub of dark brown sugar, chipotle powder and garlic powder goes on before baking, at a moderate oven temperature so the sugar glazes rather than scorches. An air fryer works too if you want the bacon crisper. Each tender delivers 19g protein against only 1g saturated fat.

0mg cholesterol · 20 minutes start to finish · serves 4

Something light belongs next to the savory bacon-wrapped tenders. Summer squash, zucchini and onion soften in a pan with a spoonful of olive oil and a splash of water, then tomato wedges and minced garlic join at the end so they hold their shape.

Nothing in the bowl comes from an animal, so there is no cholesterol in it to begin with. Dried oregano and black pepper bring plenty of seasoning, which is how it stays at 6mg of sodium. Warm or at room temperature, it works either way.

28mg cholesterol · 30 minutes start to finish · serves 10

Taco night usually starts with a seasoning packet, and that packet is where most of the salt hides. These tacos skip it entirely. Chili powder, ground cumin and a can of plain tomato sauce do the same job from your own cupboard.

Ground beef browns with chopped onion on the stovetop, then simmers in the sauce until it thickens, and it goes into corn shells with chopped lettuce, tomato and a little low fat cheddar. Choosing beef that is 93% lean is what holds the saturated fat down to 2g. Just one pound of meat yields 10 servings.

6mg cholesterol · 45 minutes start to finish · serves 8

If you like those flavors cold, this side runs off the same spice rack. It's a great choice for lunch too, because it keeps in the fridge and travels well.

Whole grain rotini goes in with no-salt-added chickpeas and black beans, three kinds of pepper, corn, cherry tomatoes, diced avocado and a lime dressing sharpened with cumin and smoked paprika. Beans and whole grains are the main food sources of soluble fibre, the kind linked to lower LDL, and a serving gives you 14g fiber.

124mg cholesterol · 45 minutes start to finish · serves 4

Lift your midweek slump with something warm and comforting. White ground turkey breast is mixed with mashed whole wheat bread, skim milk, minced onion and garlic, rolled, then browned on the stovetop before sliced mushrooms join the pan. The gravy starts with reduced sodium chicken broth, a splash of white wine and a little cornstarch. Finish it off the heat with plain Greek yogurt instead of cream. That swap is what keeps saturated fat at 1g on a plate that still has 39g protein, served over no yolk egg noodles. An egg yolk binds the meatballs, so this dish sits at the top of the menu for cholesterol, and it's worth pairing with a lighter lunch that day.

0mg cholesterol · 60 minutes start to finish · serves 6

Next to all that gravy, you'll enjoy this simple, light side dish. Plum tomatoes are halved, brushed with olive oil and seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, a pinch of sugar and herbes de Provence. A long, slow spell in the oven pulls the water out and concentrates everything left behind, so they taste much bigger than a six ingredient list suggests. Most of the hour is hands off, which makes this the side to start first and then forget about. A serving is only 30 calories.

32mg cholesterol · 80 minutes start to finish · serves 8

Teriyaki from a takeout counter tends to be heavily sugared and salted, and you get no say in either one. Cooking it at home puts both back in your hands, because a low sodium soy sauce goes into the peanut dip, and you decide how much teriyaki coats the chicken. Chicken breast is cut into thin strips, marinated with fresh ginger and garlic, threaded onto skewers and grilled. The dip blends peanut butter with unsweetened coconut milk, sesame oil and lime, then gets scattered with cilantro and chopped peanuts, with carrot and celery sticks alongside. Marinating stretches the total time, so this is the night to plan ahead for, and each serving has 16g protein.

0mg cholesterol · 30 minutes start to finish · serves 24

Pair your skewers with some crunch! Dried ramen is crumbled and toasted in the oven with sliced almonds and sunflower seeds, and that toasting step is what gives this slaw its texture. Heat pulls the oils out of the nuts and seeds, so the dressing of olive oil, cider vinegar, maple syrup and reduced sodium soy can stay light. Red and green cabbage, grated carrot and green onion make up most of the bowl. With vegetables, nuts and seeds doing the work, a serving has just 54mg sodium. This serves a crowd, so halve it for a weeknight or plan on leftovers for lunch.

85mg cholesterol · 30 minutes start to finish · serves 4

Crab cakes are usually bound with whole eggs and a big scoop of mayonnaise, and the yolks are where the cholesterol collects. This version uses three egg whites and three tablespoons of light mayonnaise instead, and the cakes still pack great flavor and hold together in the pan. Crabmeat is folded with fine whole wheat bread crumbs, red bell pepper, scallions, garlic and fresh basil and parsley, then cooked on the stovetop. Fresh lemon juice in the mix and a squeeze from a wedge at the table lift the whole plate. Each cake has 20g protein and only 2g total fat.

Give yourself a little break at the end of the week with this no-cook salad. Carrots are peeled into long ribbons and tossed with olive oil, lime zest and juice, white vinegar, a little agave, grated garlic and thin rounds of fresh jalapeño, then finished with chopped pistachios and parsley. Chili heat and citrus acid do the job salt usually does, which keeps sodium at 49mg. Fifteen minutes is all it asks for, and that makes it the easiest way to close out the week.