Healthy Eating

The health of your heart is affected by everything you eat. You can take the first step in your Heart Smart lifestyle by deciding to eat healthier foods more often. Learning which foods are healthier for your heart is vital to your long-term health.

You may already be familiar with some of the steps of a healthy, Heart Smart eating plan:

Eat a variety of vegetables each day.
Eat a variety of fruits each day.
Choose whole grains, which are a good source of fiber and nutrients.
Pay attention to the saturated and trans fat and cholesterol in the foods that you eat.
Choose low-fat protein foods, like chicken or turkey without the skin, fish, or lean cuts of meat.
Reduce salt intake.
Pay attention to your portion sizes.
Learn how to read nutrition labels and start a habit of reading labels when you shop for food.
Plan your meals ahead of time to build menus with healthy ingredients like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat, fish, or poultry.

By committing to change your eating habits, you will:

Increase your HDL cholesterol or “good” cholesterol that carries fat away from your arteries.
Decrease your LDL cholesterol or “bad” cholesterol that forms fatty deposits in your arteries.
Improve your blood pressure.
Reduce your risk of heart disease.

And the benefits are not only long-term – they begin immediately. Commit to changing your eating habits and you will feel better both physically and mentally.

Learn new heart-healthy recipes, take advantage of new cooking techniques, and share your new-found knowledge with family and friends.

If you have a special condition (like diabetes or cancer) , consult your doctor or other healthcare professional for an eating plan that is best for you.

A Plan for Heart Smart Eating:

1. Eat a variety of vegetables each day. The vegetables you eat can be fresh, frozen, canned (without added salt) or 100% vegetable juice.

Choose vegetables in a variety of colors – green, orange, yellow, and red – to eat throughout the week.
Vegetables are a good sources of nutrients, high and fiber, and most vegetables are naturally low in fat, cholesterol, and calories.

Adults should have 1 ½ - 3 ½ cups of vegetables each day, depending on their age, sex, and level of physical activity. In general, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens can be considered as 1 cup from the vegetable group. For more information about recommended daily intake of vegetables, visit www.mypyramid.gov.

Tips for adding more vegetables to your day:

If possible, buy fresh vegetables when they are in season - they cost less and they taste great. Or if you have space, try growing a vegetable garden.
Stock up on frozen or canned (no added salt) vegetables for quick and easy cooking.
Include a green salad with your dinner every night. Top with in-season vegetables for variety through the year.
Add vegetables to your foods by shredding carrots or zucchini into meatloaf, casseroles, quick breads, and muffins or including chopped vegetables in pasta sauce or lasagna.

2. Eat a variety of fruits each day.

The fruit you choose can be fresh, frozen (no sugar added), canned (look for “unsweetened” or “in its own juice”), dried, or 100% fruit juice.

Make most of your choices whole or cut-up fruit rather than juice; whole fruits have more fiber and nutrients.
Fruits are a good sources of nutrients, high and fiber, and most fruits are naturally low in fat, cholesterol, and calories.

Adults should have 1 ½ -2 ½ cups of fruits each day, depending on their age, sex, and level of physical activity. In general, 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or ½ cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the fruit group. For more information about recommended daily intake of fruits, visit www.mypyramid.gov.

To increase the amount of fruit you eat each day:

Keep a bowl of whole fruit on the table or counter, and keep cut-up fruit readily available in the front of your refrigerator. You will be more likely to choose fruit instead of another snack if it is in front of you and ready to eat..
Buy fresh fruits in season. They are less expensive and they’ll taste great!
At breakfast, add fruit to your cereal or low-fat or fat-free yogurt; drink 100% orange or grapefruit juice; or, make a fruit smoothie by blending fat-free or low-fat milk or yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit like bananas, peaches, strawberries, or other berries.
Include mandarin oranges, sliced apples, or grapes in a tossed salad.
For dessert, try a fruit salad.
Fruit is a great snack choice. Dried fruits are easy to carry and store well - because they are dried, ¼ cup is equivalent to ½ cup of other fruits. Individual containers of fruits like unsweetened applesauce are also easy and convenient.

3. Choose whole grains, which are a good source of fiber and nutrients

Foods made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain are grain products. Examples of grain products are bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, crackers, and grits.

Grains can be “refined” or “whole”.

Refined grains have been processed to give them a finer texture and to improve their shelf life, but processing removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins. Some examples of refined grain products are white flour, white bread, rolls, flour tortillas, and white rice.
Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel. Examples include whole-wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and brown rice. When shopping for foods that are whole grains, choose foods that name one of the following whole-grain ingredients first on the label’s ingredient list: brown rice, bulgur, graham flour, oatmeal, whole-grain corn, whole oats, whole rye, whole wheat or wild rice.

Most Americans consume enough grains, but few are whole grains. Adults should have at least 3 ounces of whole grains each day. In general, 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice, cooked pasta, or cooked cereal can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the grains group.

To add more whole grains to what you eat each day:

Use the Nutrition Facts label to compare products when you shop, and choose products with a higher % Daily Value (%DV) for fiber – the %DV for fiber is a good clue to the amount of whole grain in the product.
Substitute a whole-grain product for a refined product – try whole-wheat bread instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white rice, or whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta. It’s important to substitute the whole-grain product for the refined one, rather than adding the whole-grain product to your meals and snacks.
Use whole grains in mixed dishes, such as barley in vegetable soup or stews and bulgur wheat in casserole or stir-fries.
Use whole-grain bread or cracker crumbs in meatloaf.
Try rolled oats or a crushed, unsweetened whole grain cereal as breading for baked chicken, fish, veal cutlets, or eggplant parmesan.
For snacks, try whole grain cereals (such as toasted oat or shredded wheat cereal), a whole-grain snack chip like Triscuits, or have popcorn, a whole grain that can be a healthy snack when eaten with little or no added salt and butter.
Use whole-grain flour or oatmeal when making cookies or other baked treats.
Foods labeled with the words “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100% wheat,” “cracked wheat,” “seven-grain,” or “bran” are usually not whole-grain products.

4. Pay attention to the saturated and trans fat and cholesterol in the foods that you eat.

Look at the Nutrition Facts label of the foods you buy. Choose foods that are lower in fat. Limit foods containing saturated fat and avoid trans fat.

Saturated fat raises the cholesterol in your blood, and is found in meat, milk, milk products, and baked goods. To limit saturated fat:
- Use butter sparingly. Choose canola or olive oil or spreads made from these oils.
- Choose cheeses that say “skim”, “low-fat”, “reduced fat”, or “light” on the package
- Instead of whole milk, choose non-fat (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk
- Avoid heavy cream and half and half
- Use plain non-fat yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Try turkey sausage, Canadian bacon, or lean ham instead of bacon or sausage made from pork
- For burgers, choose 95% lean ground beef or ground turkey breast
- When eating chicken or turkey, remove the skin and opt for baked, grilled, or broiled – not fried
- Instead of biscuits or croissants, choose whole wheat breads, rolls, or English muffins

Trans fats are found in “partially hydrogenated” vegetable oils. Trans fats, which raise total blood cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol while lowering HDL (good) cholesterol, should be avoided. It is important to look at the Nutrition Facts label and list of ingredients to identify foods that contain trans fats. Trans fats can be found in
- Margarine
- Shortening
- Packaged cakes, cookies, crackers, icings, and microwave popcorns

Unsaturated fats help to reduce blood cholesterol when they replace saturated fats in your food. However, they are still fats, so they should be eaten in moderation. Foods that are good sources of unsaturated fat include:
- Olive, canola, soybean, corn, safflower, and sunflower oil
- Most nuts, especially walnuts
- Seeds, such as flax and sunflower
- Fish, including mackerel, salmon, trout, and herring
- Avocados
- Olives

Our bodies make all of the cholesterol we need, so eating foods that are high in cholesterol can cause our blood cholesterol levels to be high. Many foods that are high in saturated fat are also high in cholesterol. Cholesterol comes from animal sources like:
- Egg yolks
- Organ meats (such as liver)
- Meat, poultry, and fish
- High fat milk products, such as cream, whole milk, ice cream, sour cream, butter and cheese.

5. Choose low-fat protein foods.

Heart healthy options for protein include those that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol:

Choose lean or low fat cuts of meat and chicken:
- For beef, choose cuts with “round” or “loin” in the name like round steaks and roasts (round eye, top round, bottom round, round tip), top loin, and top sirloin. When buying ground beef, look for extra lean ground beef. That label should say at least “90% lean”, but ideally 93% or 95% lean.
- When you eat pork, choose pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham.
- Buy skinless chicken or turkey, or remove the skin.
- Choose lean or low-fat luncheon meats (such as lean turkey, roast beef, or ham) for sandwiches instead of meats with more fat, such as bologna or salami.
- To prepare low-fat meat and chicken:
  - Trim visible fat before cooking
  - Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil instead of frying
  - Drain off fat that appears during cooking
- Add more beans and peas to your eating plan, including kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans, tofu, lentils, baked beans (cooked without pork), and garbanzo beans. Beans and peas are low in fat, good sources of protein, and are often good sources of fiber. Some items that can help to incorporate more beans and peas include:
  - Chili with kidney or pinto beans
  - Split pea, lentil, minestrone, or white bean soups
  - Black bean enchiladas
Choose fish, nuts (such as walnuts, almonds, cashews) and seeds (such as sunflower, flax and pumpkin) that contain healthy oils
Limit intake of organ meats like chicken livers.

6. Reduce salt intake.

Many people can reduce their chances of developing high blood pressure by consuming less salt. There is no way to tell who might develop high blood pressure from eating too much salt. However, consuming less salt or sodium is not harmful and can be recommended for the healthy, normal person.

Tips for reducing salt include:

Do not add salt at the table.
Choose and prepare foods with less salt. Salt is found mainly in processed and prepared foods. Not all foods with added salt taste salty, so it’s important to read the Nutrition Facts label. Also, look for labels that say “low-sodium.” They contain 140 mg (about 5% of the Daily Value) or less of sodium per serving.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low in salt.
Use herbs, spices, and fruits to flavor food instead of salty sauces and seasonings. Also, go easy on condiments such as soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and olives—they can add a lot of salt to your food.

Your preference for salt may decrease if you gradually add smaller amounts of salt or salty seasonings to your food over a period of time.

7. Pay attention to portion sizes.

A “portion” is the amount of food you eat or drink. Sometimes the food portions we eat can equal the amount that is recommended for the whole day. A good way to see how big your portions are is to measure the size of bowls, glasses, cups, and plates you usually use. This can help you choose sensible portions.

Portion Distortion Quizzes

Remember: The main function of food is to fuel our bodies to do work. It is important to listen to your body’s cues when you feel hungry or full to avoid eating too much. Eating for reasons other than hunger can cause weight gain.

Strategies for controlling portion sizes include:

Eating from a smaller plate or bowl and drinking from a smaller cup
Putting food away (on the counter or in the refrigerator) after serving it
Putting snacks in single-serve containers or bags rather than eating right out of the bag or container.
At restaurants, splitting a meal with a friend or family member, or putting half of your meal in a box to take home before you start eating. You can also order a kid’s meal, and stay away from “all you can eat” restaurants.

8. Learn how to read nutrition labels and start a habit of reading labels when you shop for food.

The Nutrition Facts label provides the following information about packaged food:

The serving size and the number of servings in the package.

Serving sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare similar foods; they are provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces. The serving size on the food package influences the number of calories and all the nutrient amounts listed on the top part of the label. Pay attention to the serving size, especially how many servings there are in the food package. Then ask yourself, "How many servings am I consuming"?

Calories.

Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of the food. Many Americans consume more calories than they need without meeting recommended intakes for a number of nutrients. In general, 40 calories per serving is low, 100 calories per serving is moderate, and 400 calories per serving or more is high.

The amount of nutrients in the food.

Fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates (including fiber and sugars), and protein are listed first, followed by vitamins and minerals, like vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron.

% Daily Value (%DV)

To the right of each of the nutrients, the %DV based on a 2000 calorie diet is listed. The %DV helps you determine if a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient. In general, a 5%DV or less is low for all nutrients – both those you want to limit (e.g., fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium), and for those that you want to consume in greater amounts (fiber, calcium, vitamins, etc.) A 20%DV or more is high for all nutrients.

Note that Trans fat, Sugars and, Protein do not list a %DV on the Nutrition Facts label.
- Trans Fat: The US Food and Drug Administration experts have not provided a reference value for trans fat; however, research has linked trans fat with increased blood LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels and decreased blood HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, both of which increase your risk of heart disease. Health experts recommend trans fat intake should be as low as possible.
- Protein: Current scientific evidence indicates that insufficient protein intake is not a health concern for those over 4 years of age.
- Sugars: No recommendations have been made for the total amount of sugar to eat in a day. The Nutrition Facts label includes naturally occurring sugars (like those in fruit and milk) as well as those added to a food or drink. Check the ingredient list for specifics on added sugars. If you are concerned about your intake of sugars, make sure that added sugars are not listed as one of the first few ingredients. On the ingredients list, added sugars may be called: corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, and maple syrup.
- Ingredients list.

Under the nutrients, the ingredients in the product are listed. Reminder: The ingredients are listed in order of their amount in the product with the ingredients used most appearing first, followed by those used in smaller amounts.

9. Plan your meals ahead of time to build menus with healthy ingredients like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat, fish, or poultry.

The benefits of meal planning include:

Eating healthier – you’re less likely to eat high fat and calorie fast food or convenience foods
Saving time – fewer trips to the grocery store
Saving money – you’re less likely to buy things you don’t need

Before you go to the grocery store:

Plan your meals for the week. Make sure to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy foods and lean meats.
Make a shopping list with what you will need to prepare the meals you’ve planned, and only buy the items on your list when you are at the store.
Eat a healthy snack right before you go shopping to prevent buying food you don’t need.

At the store:

Shop around the outside walls of the store first for fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, fish and dairy products. Only go down the inside aisles that have foods that you need.
Check the Nutrition Facts labels as you shop.