Following a healthy heart-eating plan can help you keep your cholesterol lower and decrease your risks of developing heart disease. You need to eat just enough calories to achieve or maintain a healthy weight and reduce your cholesterol levels. It can also provide a lifetime of effective weight management and control.
Learn to read food labels; this will help you in choosing more healthy heart eating choices while you are shopping.
Fresh, frozen or canned fruits are great. Frozen, fresh (but avoid flavor sauces and pouches, these add salt and fat). Canned vegetables are all right if they are unsalted or rinsed. Fresh or frozen fish as long as it is not breaded is fine for you. Canned tuna and salmon (unsalted or rinsed), turkey or chicken, both with the skin removed, lean cuts of beef, veal, pork and lamb with all fat trimmed away. These all are healthy for you.
You can also use these meat substitutes to help your healthy heart eating dried beans, lentils, peas (not canned), tofu, unsalted, dry-roasted seeds or nuts like sunflower seeds, peanuts, walnuts and almonds. You want to eat nuts in small amounts, because they are high in calories and fat. You can also use unsalted peanut butter for another treat.
For healthy heart eating drinks, fresh, frozen or canned fruit juices are great. Canned, low-sodium or no-salt added tomato and vegetable juices are fine. For a quick breakfast, try a breakfast drink either powdered or liquid. Limit your intake of the breakfast drinks to 1 cup a day. Fresh or frozen concentrate lemonade is a healthy and refreshing treat for you too. Coffee and tea should be used only moderately. For a milk substitution, you can use soymilk or soy protein powder, both tastes very good.
Fats and oils to include in a healthy heart-eating plan include unsaturated vegetable oils like canola, olive, peanut, corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean and sunflower. Low-fat and low-sodium salad dressings and mayonnaise. Margarine that is unsalted with liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient. Use any of these in small amounts.
Breads, cereals, starches and grains for a healthy heart eating program are rice (enriched brown or white), pasta, starchy vegetables like corn, green peas, potatoes, etc. (do not use canned unless they are unsalted). Loaf bread, yeast rolls, homemade breads(with regular flour, not self-rising), melba toast, matzo crackers, oatmeal, oat bran, pita bread, cream of wheat, (avoid instant cereals), corn grits, corn tortilla taco shells, puffed rice or wheat shredded cereals and no fat no salted popcorn to enjoy with your Favorite movies.
Healthy heart eating seasonings and cooking ingredients include tapioca, corn starch, cornmeal, (not self-rising, it is high in salt content), dried or fresh herbs, salt-free herb seasonings, flour-regular white or whole wheat (not self-rising), fresh vegetables and fruit like lemons, onions, celery and limes, etc. Fresh ginger or garlic, Louisiana style hot sauce, (only 1 tsp. per day), garlic or onion powder (avoid garlic or onion salt), vinegar, water chestnuts, yeast, butter substitutes. (Limit to ½ tsp. per day), and unsalted tomatoes or tomato sauce.
If you have a sweet tooth, you can have these in your healthy heart-eating plan, cocoa powder carob powder, frozen juice bars, flavored gelatins, sorbet, sherbet, honey, molasses, sugar, syrup either cane or maple. Jam, preserves, apple butter, animal crackers and graham crackers, ginger snaps and fig bars.
You really do not have to adjust your eating plan that much to start on a healthy heart eating plan. Most everything you already use or include in your diet is on the plan. Some items you may have to make small changes like picking un-salted or low fat over the regular items. In the end, a healthy heart eating way of life will make you and your heart healthier and happier.