A Healthy Heart Diet

A Healthy Heart Diet:
What’s good for heart, is good for all of you!

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods, with an emphasis on reduced saturated and total fat – is now recommended as a foundation for healthy eating for all Americans.

Plan your meals with these three things in mind:
Emphasize fruits, vegetables and whole grains
Include lean meats, low-fat diary products, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
Limit saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), artificial additives and added sugars


Healthier Eating
The healthy plan calls for two to three servings of low-fat dairy foods and eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily—foods that Americans tend to under consume.
This diet is high in calcium, potassium and magnesium, all of which are associated with a reduced risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

You don’t need to make radical changes in your current food choices to eat healthier.

Consider these simple changes to adopt a healthier eating plan:
Add a serving of vegetables at lunch and dinner
Use fruits as desserts and snacks—preferably fresh
At each meal include a calcium-rich dairy food (low-fat milk, yogurt or cheese)
Choose whole-grain bread
Include beans (legumes) or nuts in several meals each week
Limit meat to no more than six ounces a day—three to four ounces is about the size of a deck of cards
Add fruit or 100 percent juice as a snack
Drink water!


Snack Ideas:
Unsalted pretzels with peanut butter
Nuts mixed with raisins
Graham crackers and cream cheese
Low-fat or nonfat yogurt with granola
Frozen yogurt with berries
Popcorn—plain
Raw vegetables with dip of choice