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Tips for “Eating for a Healthy Heart”

General guidelines for preventing heart disease and high blood pressure:

We can reduce our risk for developing heart disease and high blood pressure by changing some lifestyle habits:

• Eat less fat, especially saturated fat.
• Eat less salt or sodium.
• Follow a healthy eating plan that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.
• Be physically active (talk with your doctor about activities that are right for you).
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Don’t smoke or use other tobacco products.
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, drink in moderation.

Tips for eating less fat:

A heart-healthy diet is lower in fat, especially saturated fat. Try these ideas to reduce the total amount of fat and saturated fat you eat:

• Trim fats from meat.
• Rinse in hot water and drain cooked ground meat.
• Eat a smaller portion of meat, such as one pork chop or one hamburger.
• Drink skim or 1 % milk.
• Eat margarine instead of butter (tub margarines have less saturated fat than stick margarines).
• Use low- or reduced-fat cheeses, sour cream, and ice cream.

Tips for eating less salt:

Eating less salt or sodium is one way that many people can reduce their risk for developing high blood pressure. To eat less salt, try the tips below:

• Reduce the amount of salt added during cooking or at the table.
• Limit or avoid packaged, canned, or frozen foods that are high in sodium. Examples of these foods include canned meats and vegetables, frozen entrees, pickled foods, cured foods, canned and frozen soups, and snack crackers and chips.
• Limit or avoid higher-sodium sauces and seasonings. Examples include soy sauce, MSG (monosodium glutamate, used in some flavor enhancers), bouillon, fish sauce, poultry seasoning, lemon pepper, sweet and sour sauce, and barbecue sauce.
• Eat in restaurants less often, or ask that no salt to be added to your food.
• Look for snack foods that have less salt. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks more often.
• Eat fresh meats more often than cured meats and other meats that have been made with salt.
• Try herbs and spices for a variety of flavors without added salt.

Tips for eating out:

• Look for words on restaurant menus that describe how a food is prepared:
  • The words “breaded”, “fried,”, and “creamed’ often describe higher-fat foods.
  • The words “steamed”, “poached” and “grilled’ often describe foods prepared with less fat.
• Limit higher-fat toppings and sauces such as salad dressings, mayonnaise, butter, sour cream, tartar sauce, cheese, and bacon.
• Ask for foods to be prepared with less fat and salt.
• Avoid using the salt shaker at the table. Try pepper instead, and ask for a few lemon wedges to add flavor to foods like fish and vegetables.
• Limit the amount of salt and sodium you eat at other meals during the day. This can make up for the extra sodium you might have in a restaurant meal.