How critical is it to fast the 12 hours before taking the cholesterol blood test? Which component of the test results (HDL, LDL, cholesterol, triglycerides) will be botched by eating small, frequent meals?
Total cholesterol will be the only variable that is not affected significantly by eating. If you eat, you are likely to raise your triglycerides. Because triglycerides are used in the calculation of HDL and LDL, you won’t get accurate numbers unless you go in fasted. Just try to schedule your blood draw for first thing in the morning so that your fast does not take you through any significant portion of the day.