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Step 1
Increase your fiber intake to lower cholesterol levels by up to 15 percent. Fiber is the part of foods that our bodies can't digest. Fiber is found only in foods that come from plants, such as fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes. Meat, fat and dairy products don't contain fiber. On average, Americans consume approximately 14 grams of fiber per day, which is about half of the 28 to 35 grams per day recommended by the Institute of Medicine.
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Step 2
Eat one serving of fruit or vegetable at every meal to increase your fiber intake and lower cholesterol levels. Add a sliced banana to your cereal at breakfast or bring along a fresh apple for lunch and serve a tossed salad at dinner. Include fruit or vegetables with your snacks as well, such as eating trail mix with dried fruit and nuts or snacking on baby carrots. All types of fruits and vegetables contain fiber so it doesn't matter if you prefer fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables. Juices, however, usually contain little to no fiber.
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Step 3
Choose whole grains instead of processed grains to boost fiber intake and lower cholesterol. Look for the word "whole" in the first ingredient on the food label. For example, choose whole wheat bread instead of white bread or whole grain crackers instead of snack crackers. Other sources of whole grains include brown rice, whole wheat pasta, barley and oatmeal.
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Step 4
Look for a higher fiber breakfast cereal as a simple way to boost your fiber intake. Choose a cereal with at least 3 grams of fiber and preferably at least 5 grams. If a cereal contains more than 5 grams of fiber per serving, start with half of a serving and gradually increase the amount you eat to a full serving over the next 2 weeks to avoid gas and bloating. Aim for 1/3 of your daily fiber intake at breakfast from fruit and higher fiber cereal combined.
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Step 5
Include at least 1 cup of legumes each day to lower cholesterol with fiber. Legumes are dried beans and peas such as lentils, chickpeas, black beans and pinto beans. Enjoy lentil soup, toss chickpeas on your salad, make chili with navy or kidney beans, or add your favorite legume to a brown rice pilaf.
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Step 6
Eat more soluble fiber, a type of fiber that binds with cholesterol in your gastrointestinal tract and removes it from your body. Oats, oatmeal, legumes, barley and citrus fruit such as grapefruit and oranges are especially high in soluble fiber. Choose at least one serving of these foods per day.
