Do you try to eat healthy and wonder about the right choices to make?
Try
these simple steps to help keep your heart healthy:
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| Photo by Free Digital Photos.net |
1) Fruits and vegetables - Buy and eat plenty of
fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Pick the fruits and vegetables that are
deeply colored throughout – such as spinach, carrots, peaches and berries –
tend to be higher in vitamins and minerals than others, such as potatoes and
corn.
When fresh foods aren't available, choose frozen
or canned vegetables and fruits in water without added sugars, saturated and
trans fat, or salt.
Buy more fruits and vegetables that are good
sources of fiber, including beans, peas, oranges, bananas, strawberries and
apples. Stock up on raw vegetables for snacks such as carrot and celery sticks,
broccoli, cherry tomatoes and cauliflower.
For desserts, buy fresh or canned fruits (in
water without added sugars), dried fruit (without added sugars), and gelatin
that contains fruit, instead of baked goods and sweets.
Stay away from buying/drinking lots of fruit
juice. It doesn’t provide the fiber whole fruit does and it’s not as good at
satisfying hunger.
Some cholesterol-lowering medications may interact with grapefruit, grapefruit
juice, pomegranate and pomegranate juice. Talk to your health care provider
about any potential risks.
2) Milk, cheese, butter
and eggs - Choose fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk. Choose
fat-free, low-fat or reduced-fat cheeses.
Avoid milk that contains added flavorings
such as vanilla, chocolate or strawberry. They usually have added sugars and
calories.
Use egg whites or egg substitutes instead of
egg yolks. (Substitute two egg whites for each egg yolk in recipes that call
for eggs.)
Choose soft margarines that contain “0 grams
trans fat” instead of buying butter. (These margarines usually come in tubs.)
Stay away from buying a lot of butter, cream
and ice cream. Save those for special occasions and, even then, limit how much
you eat. These foods have more saturated fat than whole milk.
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| Photo by dan |
3) Meat, poultry, fish
and nuts - Buy and prepare more fish. Try to eat one
serving of grilled or baked fish at least twice a week. (A serving is roughly
the size of a checkbook.) Good examples of fish to buy include salmon, trout
and herring. Choose lemon juice and spices to eat with fish. Skip the cream
sauces. And try to stay away from fried fish. It’s usually high in fat — often
trans fat.
Choose cuts of red meat and pork labeled
“loin” and “round”; they usually have the least fat. Buy “choice” or “select”
grades of beef rather than “prime,” and trim off the fat before cooking.
When buying or eating poultry, choose the leaner
light meat (breasts) rather than the fattier dark meat (legs and thighs). Try
the skinless version or you can remove the skin yourself.
Pick up nuts and seeds, which are good sources of
protein and polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fats – but remember, they tend to be high in calories, so eat
them in moderation.
4) Bread & Baked Goods - Choose whole-grain,
high-fiber breads, such as those containing whole wheat, oats, oatmeal, whole
rye, whole grain corn and buckwheat. Choose breads and other foods that list
whole grains as the first item in the ingredient list.
Try to limit the amount of bakery products you
purchase, including doughnuts, pies, cakes and cookies. Look instead for
fat-free or low-fat and low-sodium varieties of crackers, snack chips, cookies
and cakes.
Remember that most
store-baked goods are made with egg yolks, saturated fats and/or trans fats. Check
for store-baked goods that are made with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated
oils, skim or reduced-fat milk, and egg whites — or make your own.
5) Oils, Dressings & Shortenings - Buy and use
fats and oils in limited amounts. When you must use oils for cooking, baking or
in dressings or spreads, choose the ones lowest in saturated fats, trans fats
and cholesterol — including canola oil, corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil,
sesame oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil.
Also, buy a nonstick pan or use nonstick vegetable spray when cooking.
Try to not use palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut
oil and cocoa butter. Even though they are vegetable oils and have no cholesterol,
they’re high in saturated fats.
Choose reduced-fat, low-fat, light or fat-free
salad dressings (if you need to limit your calories) to use with salads, for
dips or as marinades.
Here's to a Happy Heart!
Source: 14 February
2012. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HeartSmartShopping/Grocery-Shopping_UCM_001884_Article.jsp#.TzqxyYHf_Xp.
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