Choose Heart-Healthy Foods

Heart-healthy nutrition involves selecting specific foods, such as fruits and vegetables, while on the other hand, it involves limiting other foods, such as saturated fats and added sugars.

These foods form the foundation of a heart-healthy eating plan:

• Vegetables such as leafy greens (spinach, kale, collard greens), broccoli, and carrots
• Fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, pears, grapes, and dried plums
• Whole grains such as plain oatmeal, brown rice, and whole grain bread or tortillas
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy products such as milk, cheese, or yogurt
• Protein-rich foods:
  • Fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, tuna, and trout)
  • Lean meats such as 95% lean ground beef or pork, skinless chicken or turkey
  • Eggs
  • Nuts, seeds, and soy products (tofu)
  • Legumes such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and lima beans
• Oils and foods high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats:
  • Canola, corn, olive, safflower, sesame, sunflower, and soybean oils (not coconut or palm oil)
  • Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts
  • Nut and seed butters
  • Salmon and trout
  • Seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, or flax)
  • Avocado
  • Tofu

Foods to Limit

A heart-healthy eating plan limits sodium (salt), saturated fats, added sugars, and alcohol. Understanding the nutrition label’s information can help you choose healthier foods.

Limit Sodium

Adults and children over 14 should eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Children under 14 should eat even less sodium each day based on gender and age. If you have high blood pressure, you may need to further limit your sodium intake.

Try these shopping and cooking tips to help you choose and prepare lower-sodium foods:

• Read food labels and choose products that have less sodium for the same serving size.
• Choose low-sodium, reduced-sodium, or salt-free products.
• Opt for fresh, frozen, or no-salt-added foods over pre-seasoned, sauced, cured, or processed meats, poultry, and vegetables.
• Eat at home more often so you can cook from scratch, allowing you to control the amount of sodium in your meals.
• Season your food with herbs and spices instead of salt.
• When cooking, limit the use of pre-made sauces, blends, and instant products like rice, noodles, and instant pasta.

Limit Saturated Fats

Saturated or “bad” fats come from animal sources such as butter, cheese, and fatty meats. They should make up less than 10% of your daily calories. Unsaturated fats, known as “good” fats, are found in plant oils and nuts.

Read food labels and choose foods that have less saturated fat and more unsaturated fat. Choose leaner cuts of meat and skinless poultry over fatty cuts of meat and skin-on chicken. Consume low-fat or fat-free dairy products instead of full-fat dairy. Use certain plant-based oils (such as olive and canola oil) instead of butter, lard, coconut oil, and palm oil.

Limit Added Sugars

You should limit the number of calories you get each day from added sugars. This will help you choose nutrient-rich foods and stay within your daily calorie limit.

Some foods, like fruits, contain natural sugars. Added sugars do not occur naturally in food; they are used to sweeten food and drinks. They include brown sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, raw sugar, and sucrose.

Sweetened drinks, snacks, and sweets are the primary sources of added sugars.

• Sweetened drinks include non-alcoholic or carbonated drinks, fruit drinks, sweetened coffee and tea, energy drinks, and sweetened water. Sweetened drinks account for about half of all consumed added sugars.
• Snacks and sweets include grain-based desserts such as cakes, pies, cookies, doughnuts; dairy desserts like ice cream, frozen desserts, and pudding; candy; syrups; sweet toppings.

Reduce the amount of sugar you eat or drink.

• Choose beverages without added sugars, such as water, low-fat or fat-free milk, or 100% vegetable juice.
• Choose unsweetened snacks or desserts.
• Eat sweetened drinks, snacks, and sweets less often and in smaller amounts.

Limit Alcohol

Talk to your doctor about how much alcohol you drink. They can recommend reducing the amount of alcohol you drink or not drinking alcohol at all.

Alcohol:

• Increases calorie intake in your daily diet, potentially causing weight gain
• Raises blood pressure and blood fat (triglyceride) levels
• Contributes to or worsens heart failure in some people, like those with certain types of cardiomyopathy
• Increases the risk of other conditions like cancer

If you don’t drink, don’t start. You shouldn’t drink if you’re pregnant, under 21, taking certain medications, or have certain medical conditions, including heart failure.

How Much to Eat?

You should eat the right number of calories for your body, which will vary based on your gender, age, and level of physical activity. Remember that some healthy foods, including oils and dairy products, can still be calorie-dense. Certain fruits can have a lot of natural sugar, especially when dried. Create a personalized meal plan using the MM method.