A heart-healthy diet is one of the best weapons to help fight heart disease. The diet promotes selecting foods from a variety of food groups, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein, nuts, legumes and vegetable-based oils. Foods to limit include those that are high in calories but low in nutrients, like cakes, doughnuts and sugary beverages. Foods with saturated fat, trans fat and a large amount of sodium should also be eaten sparingly.
According to the American Heart Association, saturated fats should be limited and replaced with better fats, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are found in foods like olive oil and avocados, while polyunsaturated are found in sunflower seeds and most vegetable oils. If you need to lower your blood cholesterol, then saturated fat should account for no more than 5 to 6 percent of total calories. If you are eating 2,000 calories per day, that’s 13 grams of saturated fat. Saturated fat is most abundantly found in fatty cuts of meat and in the skin on poultry. Using leaner varieties of these foods and eating less by limiting your servings to approximately 6 ounces daily will help limit the amount of saturated fat you consume.
Trans fats are found in foods made with hydrogenated oils. They show up in commercially baked goods, processed snack foods, stick margarine, shortening and many fried foods. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have called for food companies to cut trans fat out of food products in the next few years. Meanwhile, read food labels carefully and avoid foods that contain hydrogenated fat or partially hydrogenated oil.
Sodium is another nutrient that should be limited. According to the American Heart Association, to lower blood pressure, you should be taking in no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day. If you want to lower blood pressure even more, cut back to 1,500 milligrams. Most added salt is consumed when dining out or from processed food. This means eating out less often and choosing processed foods with less sodium (like low-sodium soy sauce).
The American Heart Association also recommends cutting back on added sugar and alcohol. They recommend women eat no more than 100 calories per day, or 6 teaspoons, of added sugar. Men should limit added sugar to no more than 150 calories per day, or 9 teaspoons. Too much alcohol can also contribute to heart disease. It’s recommended than men consume no more than two drinks per day and that women consume no more than one drink per day. One drink is defined as 5 fluid ounces of wine, 12 fluid ounces of beer, or 1.5 fluid ounces of 80-proof liquor like rum or vodka.
