Whether you treat yourself to a greasy burger or cheesy chips covered with mayonnaise, certain food choices are an obvious cholesterol red flag. However, a popular breakfast could also spell bad news for your arteries.

A pharmacist has warned that one food item that is often consumed first thing in the morning “should be avoided”. Fortunately, he also suggested a heart-healthy alternative to try instead.

Abbas Kanani, a pharmacist from Chemist Click, told Express.co.uk: “Pastries should be avoided for people with high cholesterol. 

“They tend to be high in saturated fats like butter and oils, have added sugars and are generally low in nutrients.”

Saturated fats found in the buttery breakfast foods raise your “bad” cholesterol, also known as the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. 

Having too much cholesterol in your blood can cause a build-up of the fatty substance in your arteries, causing them to become obstructed. This hikes your risk of serious health problems like heart disease and stroke.

What’s worse, many people with high cholesterol don’t even know their levels are too high until they develop these problems.

As healthy dietary choices can offset this risk, the pharmacist recommended a different breakfast to try instead.

Kanani advised reaching for a plain white yoghurt with some heart-healthy toppings.

He said: “Berries such as blackberry and strawberry are especially good because they help to lower the blood cholesterol levels in your body.  

“If you have a sweet tooth, you could add a small amount of honey which can also be beneficial and help improve cholesterol levels. 

“You can also add some unsalted nuts such as almonds and walnuts. They are a good source of unsaturated fats and are lower in saturated fats too.”

In a previous exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, Dr Sunni Patel, from Dish Dash Deets, also outlined the following foods as good options for cholesterol:

1.Oats (the main ingredient in the popular breakfast staple contains soluble fibre that can help lower your levels of “bad” cholesterol)

2.Wholegrain toast (this alternative could boost your fibre intake and subsequently help reduce bad cholesterol levels and improve heart health)

3.Avocado (a good source of monounsaturated fats, particularly oleic acid, which can improve blood lipid profiles and reduce bad cholesterol levels)

4.Eggs (while eggs contain cholesterol, they are also a good source of healthy fats, protein and other nutrients, including vitamin B12, vitamin D, riboflavin, choline and selenium, making them beneficial for heart health).