Your food choices can have a big impact on the health of your heart. In our fast-paced society, it's quick and easy to grab fast foods, canned foods and processed foods that are high in calories, sodium and artery-clogging fats. Instead, make healthy substitutions that your heart will thank you for.
Swap Your Fats
Fat is an essential part of a heart-healthy diet, but choose your type of fat wisely. Avoid heart-damaging saturated fats and trans fats. Foods that contain saturated fats include butter, fatty meats, full-fat dairy products and tropical oils. Trans fats are found in foods such as French fries, doughnuts, fried chicken, crackers, cookies and other baked goods. Instead, get heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from olive and canola oils, avocados, nuts and nut butters, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, olives and cold-water fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and lake trout.
Choose Less Salt
Choose heart-healthy foods that are lower in sodium. Excess salt, or sodium, can cause fluid retention that increases blood pressure and raises your risks of kidney and heart disease, congestive heart failure and stroke. Processed foods -- tomato sauces, canned soups, frozen meals, lunch meat, pickles, condiments and packaged foods -- are the biggest source of sodium. Natural foods, like cheeses, olives and seafood, might have more sodium than you'd expect. Substitute high-sodium processed foods with their heart-healthier low-sodium versions or with homemade. Set aside your salt shaker and use herbs and spices to add flavor instead. Replace salty chips and pretzels with sliced fruit and vegetables, and choose unsalted nuts.
Switch Your Carbs
Avoid highly refined carbs -- sugary sodas and soft drinks, white bread and bagels, white rice, processed breakfast cereals, doughnuts, cookies, candy and desserts. These refined carbs are turned to sugar and absorbed quickly during digestion, sending your blood sugar and insulin levels up rapidly. This process can eventually lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Whole grains -- oatmeal, barley, bulgur, millet, brown rice, whole-grain breads, pasta, crackers and cereals -- are digested slowly and steadily, keeping your blood sugar and insulin levels stable. When shopping for whole-grain products, make sure "whole wheat" or another whole grain is the first ingredient. Substitute water or unsweetened iced tea for sugary drinks.
Make Healthier Menu Choices
Make heart-healthy substitutions at restaurants. Instead of pasta with a butter or cream sauce, choose marinara or red clam sauce. When ordering pizza, skip the extra cheese, pepperoni and sausage, and ask for a thin-crust pizza with half the cheese and lots of vegetables. Avoid French fries, fried chicken and triple burgers with bacon. Instead, have a grilled chicken sandwich and a side salad with fat-free dressing. Skip menu choices described as "breaded," "batter-dipped," "crispy," "creamy," "scalloped" or "au gratin." Have broth-based soup, such as minestrone, instead of cream soup.
References
- American Heart Association: Shaking the Salt Habit
- Harvard School of Public Health: Good Carbs Guide the Way
- Harvard School of Public Health: Time to Focus on Healthier Drinks
- HelpGuide.org: The Truth About Fat, Nutrition, and Cholesterol
- Columbia University: Enjoy the Foods You Love Without a Calorie Overload
