Healthier Food Makes Your Heart Happy

Your food choices have a big impact on your heart's health. If you have other risk factors, such as age, gender and family history that cannot be controlled, what foods you eat, how those foods are prepared, how much you eat, and how often you exercise tend to play a larger role in preventing heart disease. Take control of your health in 2020!

Eating Healthier:

Try a variety of nutrient dense foods.

Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and fish.

Aim to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables.

Include fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, lake trout, albacore tuna, mackerel or sardines twice a week.

Bake, broil, roast or grill your fish, poultry and lean cuts of beef or pork.

Consider choosing legumes, including beans and lentils, instead of meat a few times a week. Not only are they heart-healthy and great sources of fiber, they are also very affordable.

Choose whole-grain foods most often and minimize refined grain foods.

Opt for Spices –not salt and sugar:

In the kitchen, think out of the box, saltshaker, and sugar bowl!

Most sodium consumed (around 75%) comes from the packaged and processed foods we eat.

You can control the amount of sodium in your meals by preparing foods at home.

Enjoy more low-sodium seasonings such as lemon or lime juice, herbs or salt-free herb blends and vinegar to boost the flavor of your favorite foods.

When shopping, select reduced-sodium or no-salt-added soups and vegetables.

Check food labels for added sugars, and read ingredient lists for hidden sugars. Total carbohydrates should come from complex, whole grain sources.

Avoid trans fats and limit your intake of saturated fat.

Change Gradually:

Don’t try to change everything at once. Make gradual changes over time, adding new healthy behaviors slowly. Make them part of your lifestyle!

Be cautious of fad diets, quick promises of weight loss and lowering cholesterol by eliminating a food or entire food group.

Remember good health is your goal, not a quick fix. Focus on balanced nutrition, portion control and enjoyable exercise on your heart healthy journey.

Add these to your next grocery list:

 Beans, peas and lentils

 Fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned without salt or added sugars)

 Salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel  Whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta, brown rice, barley

 Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts