Heart Healthy Eating
You only have one heart. It is important to take care of it!! Here are some tips on a heart healthy diet and ways to keep your heart strong!
Fruits and vegetables should be a huge part of your diet! Try to eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies every day! That can include fresh, canned, frozen and dried!
Eat more whole grains and try to make most of your carbohydrate choices (bread, pasta, rice, cereal) 100% whole wheat. Also include whole grains such as wheat, rye, and oats.
Choose lean cuts of meat and limit your meat intake to 6 oz/day. Fish is a great source of good fats, so try to consume fish at least 2 times/week. Try cold-water fish such as: salmon, mackerel, herring, trout and tuna. Also, include peas, legumes and dry beans in your diet as sources of protein.
If you like milk, choose 1% or fat-free milk. Also try soymilk! When eating dairy, choose the low-fat or nonfat options in yogurt and cheese. Dairy is a great source of protein, so eat 2-3 servings/day. One serving = 1 cup milk, 8 oz yogurt, and 1 oz or 1 slice of cheese.
When using fats & oils, choose unsaturated vegetable oils: olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut and soybean oil. Try using non-stick spray that is nonfat and use fat-free salad dressings, mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese. Limit your intake to 6-8 teaspoons/day.
For dessert, try fat-free frozen desserts: sherbet, sorbet and fat-free frozen yogurt. Try fat-free cakes, such as angel food cake. Good cookies to try are graham crackers, animal crackers, ginger snaps and vanilla wafers. Avoid store-bought baked goods!
To take care of your heart, limit your salt intake and when cooking, try baking, broiling, steaming and grilling. Avoid saturated and trans fats and maintain a normal blood pressure. If you smoke, STOP! And participate in regular exercise to keep yourself at a healthy weight. All of these things will help keep your heart healthy and happy for a long time to come!!!
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