Eating a Heart Healthy Diet
Following the food guide pyramid created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a good way to make sure you are eating a healthy diet that is also good for your heart.
Healthy Choices
Fat, Oils & Sweets - Limit fat to 2 tbsp per day & sugar to 2-6 tsp per day
Includes: olive, canola, flaxseed or soybean oil or liquid margarine
Milk, Yogurt & Cheese - 2-3 servings per day
Includes: skim or 1% milk, low-fat cheese, non-fat yogurt
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans & Nuts - 2-3 servings per day
Includes: white meat poultry without skin, fish & shellfish, lean beef & pork, tofu, dried beans and peas, peanut butter At least 2 servings of a fatty fish such at tuna or salmon recommend every week.
Vegetables - 3-5 servings per day
Includes: especially dark green, leafy and deep yellow vegetables
Fruits - 2-4 servings per day
Includes: whole fruits & fruit juices
Bread, Cereal, Rice & Pasta - 6-11 servings per day
Includes: whole grain bread, pasta & dried cereal, oatmeal, brown rice
Avoid or Limit
Saturated Fats: found in full fat dairy products, fatty meats and tropical oils
Trans-Fatty Acids: found in prepared foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils such as cookies, some margarine, and fried foods from most restaurants and fast food chains
Dietary Cholesterol: organ meats and egg yolks are high in cholesterol
Salt: high amounts of salt are found in canned vegetables, snack foods and processed meats. Reduce total salt to no more than 1 tsp (2400 mg) a day
Other Tips for Health Eating:
Read food labels for fat and salt content.
Remember, eating more calories than you burn leads to weight gain.
Avoid Saturated Fats - replace with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats.
Saturated Fats - meat, poultry, whole milk dairy products, coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa butter
Polyunsaturated Fats - sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, vegetable oil and soybean oil
Monounsaturated Fats - olive oil, canola (rapeseed) oil.
Avoid Hydrogenated Oils - more solid and saturated than regular vegetable oils
Limit egg yolks to 2-3 per week. Two egg whites can be used in baking.
Choose as many meats from the Lean Meat Column as possible. Remove skin and trim visible fat off meat. Bake, broil, roast or grill instead of frying and set meats on a rack when cooking to allow fat to drip off meat.
Limit liver to one 3 oz. serving per month as it is high in cholesterol but a good source of iron.
Choose skim milk and nonfat dairy products.
Total milligrams of cholesterol in a sample meal plan should be 185 mg with 30% of calories are from fat.
Limit salt intake for sodium restricted diets.
Set up an appointment with a physician at The Primary Care Center to understand how a healthy diet can improve your health. Click here to set up an appointment.