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10 Simple Food Choices That Can Help Your Heart

Read how a well-rounded diet full of leafy greens and healthy fats can help lower your risk for heart disease

content provided by Healthwise

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To have a heart-healthy diet:

Eat fruits and vegetables: Eat a variety of fruit and vegetable servings every day. Dark green, deep orange, or yellow fruits and vegetables are especially nutritious. Examples include spinach, carrots, peaches, and berries.
Eat a variety of grain products every day: Include whole-grain foods that have lots of fiber and nutrients. Examples of whole grains include oats, whole wheat bread, and brown rice.
Eat fish at least 2 times each week: Oily fish, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, are best for your heart. These fish include tuna, salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, and sardines.
Limit saturated fat and cholesterol: To limit saturated fat and cholesterol, try to choose the following foods:
- Lean meats and meat alternatives like beans or tofu
- Fish, vegetables, beans, and nuts
- Nonfat and low-fat dairy products
- Polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, like canola and olive oils, to replace saturated fats, such as butter
Read food labels and limit the amount of trans fat you eat: Trans fat raises the levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and also lowers high-density lipoprotein, HDL, (or "good") cholesterol in the blood. Trans fat is found in many processed foods made with shortening or with partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated vegetable oils. These foods include cookies, crackers, chips, and many snack foods.
Choose healthy fats: Unsaturated fats, such as olive, canola, corn, and sunflower oils, are part of a healthy diet. But all fats are high in calories, so watch your serving sizes.
Limit salt (sodium): Limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day (about one teaspoon). Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Watch for hidden sodium in foods.
Eat only as many calories as you need to stay at a healthy weight: Learn how much is a serving, and then check your portion sizes. Limit drinks with added sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. If you want to lose weight, increase your activity level to burn more calories than you eat.
If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation: Limit alcohol intake to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
Limit added sugar: Limit drinks and foods with added sugar.