Heart-Healthy Living

Heart-healthy eating involves choosing certain foods, such as fruits and vegetables, while limiting others, such as saturated and trans fats and added sugars.

Your doctor may recommend the heart-healthy Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan because it has been proven to lower high blood pressure and “bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood. Visit our Delicious Heart-Healthy Eating page for recipes, cooking tips, and more.

Foods to eat- Heart-Healthy Living – Choose Heart-Healthy Foods

The following foods are the foundation of a heart-healthy eating plan.

• Vegetables such as leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, kale, cabbage), broccoli, and carrots
• Fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, pears, grapes, and prunes
• Whole grains such as plain oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain bread or tortillas
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy foods such as milk, cheese, or yogurt
• Protein-rich foods:
  • Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, tuna, and trout)
  • Lean meats such as 95% lean ground beef or pork tenderloin or skinless chicken or turkey
  • Eggs
  • Nuts, seeds, and soy products (tofu)
  • Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and lima beans
• Oils and foods high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats:
  • Canola, corn, olive, safflower, sesame, sunflower, and soybean oils (not coconut or palm oil)
  • Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts
  • Nut and seed butters
  • Salmon and trout
  • Seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, or flax)
  • Avocados
  • Tofu

How much should you eat?- Heart-Healthy Living – Choose Heart-Healthy Foods

You should eat the right amount of calories for your body, which will vary based on your sex, age, and physical activity level. Remember that some healthy foods, including oils and dairy, can still have a lot of calories. Some fruits can have a lot of natural sugar, especially when they are dried. Develop a personalized food plan at Get Your MyPlate Plan.

You can visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for more information about healthy eating and to read about their recommendations for the following healthy eating patterns.

• Healthy U.S.-style eating pattern
• Healthy Mediterranean-style eating pattern
• Healthy vegetarian eating pattern

Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/subscribe/24044
Source Agency: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Captured Date: 2016-06-28 15:04:00.0