Foods that boost your good cholesterol by CHARLOTTE HARDING, femail.co.uk We look at foods that boost your levels of HDL - the so-called 'good' cholesterol that can lessen your chances of a heart attack or stroke. Beans and lentils. All types of beans - from chick peas to lentils and even plain old baked beans - can help to boost your levels of good cholesterol. One study, by the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, showed eating a cup of cooked dried beans a day suppressed bad cholesterol by 20 per cent.