Cholesterol control: 5 everyday foods to keep your cholesterol in check

 

Our eating habits have changed so much these days. We're eating out all the time, and it's not great for our health. Want to keep cholesterol away? Just add these simple foods to your daily diet.Spinach is packed with tons of nutrients. Eating it every day can really boost your overall health and well-being.Eating walnuts daily is a great idea.

They help you manage your weight and also keep your cholesterol levels under control.Lemons are loaded with Vitamin C and antioxidants. They fight bad cholesterol and are great for protecting your heart's health.Green tea is full of polyphenols. These compounds help lower the bad cholesterol while giving a boost to the good cholesterol in your body.Amla, or Indian gooseberry, is a powerhouse of Vitamin C, minerals, and amino acids. Eating it daily can help you keep your body's cholesterol levels in check.

Managing cholesterol is often about making small, consistent swaps in your daily diet. Incorporating specific functional foods can help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol while maintaining "good" HDL levels.

Here are five everyday foods that are particularly effective for heart health:

1. Oats and Barley

These grains are rich in beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber. When eaten, it forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that binds to cholesterol-rich bile acids. This prevents them from being reabsorbed into your bloodstream, forcing the body to pull cholesterol from the blood to make more bile.

• Simple Tip: Start your day with a bowl of oatmeal or add barley to your pressure-cooked soups and stews.

2. Legumes (Dal, Chickpeas, and Beans)

Legumes are a powerhouse of fiber, minerals, and plant-based protein. Because they take longer for the body to digest, they also help stabilize blood sugar levels. Replacing a few meat-based meals a week with dal or sprouts can significantly impact your lipid profile.

• Simple Tip: A single serving of cooked beans or lentils daily can help lower LDL levels by about 5%.

  
  
  

3. Nuts (Walnuts and Almonds)

Nuts are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Walnuts, in particular, are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to protect the heart and reduce triglycerides.

• Simple Tip: Stick to a small handful (about 30g) of unsalted, unroasted nuts daily to avoid excess calorie intake.

4. Garlic and Ginger

These common kitchen staples contain bioactive compounds like allicin (in garlic) and gingerols. These compounds help inhibit cholesterol synthesis in the liver and improve blood flow by preventing platelets from sticking together.

• Simple Tip: Crushing or chopping garlic and letting it sit for 10 minutes before cooking activates its beneficial enzymes.

5. Seasonal Fruits (Amla and Guava)

Fruits high in pectin (a soluble fiber) and Vitamin C are excellent for cardiovascular wellness. Vitamin C helps the body metabolize cholesterol, while the fiber clears it out.

• Amla (Indian Gooseberry): Known for its potent antioxidant properties that prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (which is what leads to plaque in arteries).

• Guava: High in potassium and soluble fiber, which helps in managing both blood pressure and cholesterol.

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Cooking Strategy for Heart Health

Since you are using a pressure cooker more often right now, remember that steaming or pressure-cooking these foods is much better for your heart than deep-frying. Using minimal oil—specifically heart-healthy options like mustard oil or rice bran oil—complements the benefits of these foods.

Would you like me to find a few heart-healthy pressure cooker recipes that specifically use these five ingredients?

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LPG gas cylinder shortage: 5 daily dishes to make in a pressure cooker and simple hacks to make LPG cylinders last longer

 

How pressure cooker helps save LPG and other hacks

When it comes to household or commercial kitchens, LPG is the lifeline of any unit. The ongoing war in West Asia involving Iran, Israel and the United States is now beginning to affect Indian kitchens and restaurants, as supply disruptions linked to the conflict hit cities and the hospitality sector. According to PTI, IRCTC has asked operators of food plazas, refreshment rooms and 'Jan Ahaars' to switch to alternative arrangements to maintain seamless catering services for travelling passengers. They have been asked to switch to microwave and induction Cooking. The shortage is being reported in cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, with restaurant associations saying supplies have become irregular over the past few days. In such a crisis, it is important to keep alternatives handy and use LPG sensibly. Here we have listed five daily dishes that can be cooked in a pressure cooker and simple hacks to make LPG cylinders last longer in the kitchen.

Dal Tadka

It is one of the most common dishes cooked in Indian households, and a pressure cooker makes the process quick and energy-efficient. Lentils like toor dal, moong dal, or masoor dal cook perfectly in just a few whistles. How it saves gas: Cooking dal in a pressure cooker drastically reduces cooking time compared to boiling it in an open pot.

Rice

Instead of cooking rice in an open vessel, use a cooker. If you are cooking 1 cup of rice, add 1.5 cups of water and pressure cook on a low-medium flame; your rice will be ready in 7–9 minutes after 2 whistles. To reduce the cooking time further, soak rice for 30 minutes before cooking. How it saves gas: The dish is ready in half the time it would take with open-flame cooking.

Rajma

Rajma requires a longer cooking time, but a pressure cooker makes it much easier. Soaked kidney beans cook faster under pressure and become soft enough for a rich curry. Soaked rajma, pressure cooked at medium flame can be ready in 9-12 minutes after 3-4 whistles. How it saves gas: Instead of simmering for an hour on an open flame, rajma cooks in a fraction of the time in a pressure cooker.

Kathal ki Sabzi

Kathal as an ingredient takes time to cook. If you saute the dices with spices and pressure cook it with curry, your dish will be ready in a maximum of 10–15 minutes, whereas open flame cooking might take 30-35 minutes.
How it saves gas: The dish is ready in half the time it would take with open-flame cooking. It also makes kathal softer and more tender.

Lauki ki Sabzi

While this dish can be made in a kadhai, cooking it in a cooker saves time by 50 percent and your dish is ready in 10-12 minutes. How it saves gas: The dish is ready in half the time it would take with open-flame cooking.

Tips to LPG last longer: Place pot to cover flame

Every time you cook, make sure the flame is not licking the sides of the vessel. This means the flame is too high, and such flames are of no use. It's a sheer waste and should be confined to the bottom of the pan/wok only

Avoid open vessel cooking

Cooking without a lid increases the cooking time and thus utilizes more and more LPG. By covering the lid, you trap the heat, build steam and reduce the cooking time. This also helps maintain the moisture of the dish.

As of March 20, 2026, the ongoing crisis in West Asia has significantly impacted India's LPG imports, leading to supply delays and a rise in "panic bookings." While the government has ramped up domestic production by 38% and secured safe maritime corridors, many households are experiencing refill delays of up to 10 days.

To help you manage your fuel usage during this time, here are five essential one-pot pressure cooker dishes and smart hacks to stretch your cylinder's life.

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5 Daily Dishes to Make in a Pressure Cooker

The pressure cooker is your best ally during a shortage because it reduces cooking time by 30% to 70%. These one-pot meals minimize the number of times you need to ignite the stove.

1. Vegetable Pulao / Tehri: A complete meal that combines rice and seasonal vegetables. By sautéing the spices and vegetables quickly and then pressure-cooking with rice, you use only one burner for about 10–12 minutes.

2. Dal Khichdi: The ultimate fuel-saver. Since lentils and rice are cooked together, you eliminate the need for two separate cooking cycles.

3. Aloo Matar Gobi: Instead of slow-frying on an open kadai, a quick 2-whistle pressure cook with minimal water preserves nutrients and cuts gas usage by half.

4. One-Pot Pasta / Macaroni: Add your pasta, water, and pre-cut veggies directly into the cooker. It takes about 5 minutes of high pressure compared to 15 minutes of boiling on an open stove.

5. Stewed Chicken or Paneer Curry: Using the "pot-in-pot" method (stacking), you can cook your gravy at the bottom and steam rice or potatoes in a separate container on top simultaneously.

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Simple Hacks to Make Your LPG Last Longer

Small changes in your kitchen routine can extend your cylinder’s life by up to 2 weeks.

1. The "Prep First" Rule

Never light the stove until every ingredient is chopped, measured, and ready. Leaving the flame on while you peel ginger or search for a spice jar is the most common form of gas wastage.

2. Soak Everything

• Pulses/Rajma: Soak for 8–10 hours.

• Dal: Soak for 30–60 minutes.

• Rice: Soak for 20–30 minutes.

• Impact: Soaked grains absorb water and soften, requiring roughly 40% less heat to reach the desired texture.

3. Use Residual Heat

Turn off the gas 2–3 minutes before the dish is fully done. Keep the lid on; the trapped steam and the heat from the heavy-bottomed vessel will finish the cooking process for free.

4. Check the Flame Color

• Blue Flame: Efficient burning.

• Yellow/Orange Flame: Indicates a clogged burner or incomplete combustion, which wastes gas. Clean your burner holes with an old toothbrush and a mixture of lemon and baking soda.

5. Always Use a Lid

Cooking in an open vessel allows heat to escape into the air. Covering your pots traps the steam, increasing the internal temperature and reducing cooking time by 20–25%.

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Current Status Note: If you have a Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connection, the government has recently mandated surrendering your back-up LPG cylinder to prioritize supply for those without piped access.

Would you like me to look for the latest local LPG delivery timelines for Rajasthan or help you find nearby PNG registration centers?

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