Nutrition Tips & Items to Add to your Grocery List for Heart Health!
Heart health is at the core of overall well-being, and what you eat plays a pivotal role in keeping your heart strong and resilient. With heart disease being a leading cause of health concerns worldwide, making mindful nutrition choices can significantly reduce your risk. Let’s explore simple yet powerful nutrition tips and items to add to your grocery list that can help you protect your heart, improve circulation, and boost overall cardiovascular health. From incorporating heart-healthy fats to choosing antioxidant-rich foods, these tips will guide you toward a healthier heart and a vibrant life.
When it comes to your heart, what you eat matters.
Follow these tips for heart-healthy eating:
Eat less saturated fat. Cut back on fatty meats and high-fat dairy products. Limit foods like pizza, burgers, and creamy sauces or gravy.
Choose food items that are great sources of Omega-3 fats: Omega-3 fats are heart healthy fats. Sources include salmon, avocado, tuna, canola oil, walnuts, and flaxseeds.
Cut down on sodium (salt). Read the Nutrition Facts label and choose foods that are lower in sodium. Look for foods labeled “low sodium” or “no salt added” — like some canned soups, canned vegetables, packaged meals, and snack foods.
Get more fiber. Eat vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains to add fiber to your diet
· Exercise and Physical activity: It is recommended by the American Heart Association to get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity (or a combination of both), preferably spread throughout the week.
Heart-Healthy Foods to Include in Your Diet
Take this list with you the next time you go grocery shopping!
Vegetables and Fruits
Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits — including options that are fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. Try:
Fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cabbage, okra, edamame, and carrots
Leafy greens like Romaine lettuce, spinach, bok choy, and kale
Canned vegetables that say “low sodium” or “no added salt”
Frozen vegetables without added butter or sauces, like broccoli or cauliflower
Fresh fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, mangoes, guava, and papaya
Frozen or dried fruit without added sugars
Dairy
Look for fat-free or low-fat options like:
Fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
Fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt
Fat-free or low-fat cheese or cottage cheese
Almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk
Whole Grains
For products with more than 1 ingredient, make sure whole wheat or another whole grain is listed first in the ingredient list. Look for products that say 100% whole grain. You might try:
Whole-grain bread, bagels, English muffins, and tortillas
Whole-grain hot or cold breakfast cereals with no added sugar, like oatmeal or shredded wheat
Whole grains like brown or wild rice, quinoa, or oats
Whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta
Proteins
Choose a variety of foods with lean protein. Options include:
Seafood — fish and shellfish
Poultry — chicken or turkey breast without skin or lean ground chicken or turkey (at least 93% lean)
Lean meats — like pork shoulder, beef sirloin, or lean ground beef (at least 93% lean)
Beans, peas, and lentils — like black beans and garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
Egg whites
Unsalted nuts, seeds, and nut butters — like almond or peanut butter
Tofu
Healthy Fats and Oils
Replace saturated fat with foods that have healthier unsaturated fats — like seafood, nuts, seeds, avocados, and oils. Try these healthy swaps:
Choose olive oil or avocado oil instead of butter for cooking
Low-fat or light mayonnaise instead of full-fat mayo
Oil-based salad dressings like balsamic vinaigrette or Italian instead of creamy dressings like ranch
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