Hold your spoiled, boxed pasta pitchforks and realize that the fight between chili and mac ‘n cheese isn't about deciding who's a health-food saint or punishing your naughty food sins. What we're dealing with is a classic showdown of comfort foods, served with a side order of heart-health awareness.

The issue here isn’t mac ‘n cheese or chili's health food status, which, let's be honest, would be as likely as catching a unicorn doing Pilates. Nope, it's about understanding their impact, in reasonable doses, on things like Annie's Greatest Hits-also known as cholesterol levels.

For the hard strips of truth-yes, chili is less likely to give your cholesterol a high-flying boost than mac ‘n cheese. But don't pack your spoons yet, it honestly depends more on how you prep the stuff. Saturated fat, our bad-cholesterol pusher present in meat and dairy products, plays a key role.

The wisdom nugget for high-cholesterol champions is to limit the saturated fat intake to 6% of daily calories-which is about 11 to 13 grams on a 2,000-calorie diet.

On a scorecard, chili tallies fewer calories, less saturated fat, sodium, and sugar than macaroni and cheese, which makes it less of a blood pressure bully. Both dishes do contain sodium-the secret ingredient that can send your blood pressure skyrocketing. But the wickedness of sodium depends on the recipe and how processed your meal is.

Chili also plays the fiber card better than mac 'n cheese, especially if it's accessorized with beans. Fiber, found in our chili add-ons like bell peppers and onions, is a monstrous heart-health promoter and a formidable opponent to cardiovascular diseases. Most importantly, it gorges on dietary cholesterol in the digestive tract like a starved werewolf, reducing its absorption and keeping LDL and total cholesterol levels in check.

So if you're scheduled for a meal with mac & cheese or chili, and you're thinking of making healthier picks, here are some heart-friendly prep suggestions. Remember: chili may still cut slightly better figures on your health report card than mac 'n cheese. But, keep in mind, it's ultimately your cooking moves that shape these dishes’ dietary impact.