Heart Healthy Diet Guidelines

There’s no single way of eating that is considered a “heart healthy diet”, but it is an eating style designed to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure while supporting healthy heart function. The main elements of heart smart diets focus on consuming an assortment of whole, nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. The amount of sodium, saturated and trans fats, and added sugars eaten are limited.

Here are some key features of a heart healthy diet:

• Whole, unprocessed foods – Enjoy whole foods that are unprocessed or minimally processed, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These foods are typically low in sodium and unhealthy fats but high in fiber and key vitamins and minerals.
• Lean proteins – Getting enough protein in your diet keeps you feeling full and energized. Foods like fish, skinless poultry, legumes, eggs, and lean beef are good choices.
• Healthy fats – All fat is not created equal. Unsaturated fats, such as those from olive oil, avocados, nuts, and cold water fish, help support heart health. Conversely, the amount of saturated fat you eat, which comes from animal products, should be kept in check. Trans fats, found primarily in processed snack foods, are best avoided.
• Sodium and added sugars – Limiting sodium and added sugar, which are often found in highly processed foods and restaurant meals, helps maintain healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

At Health eCooks, our recipes focus on creating delicious food you want to eat while helping you meet these recommended dietary guidelines from the American Heart Association®:

• Consume less than 2,300mg of sodium daily, and preferably less than 1,500mg per day, especially if you have high blood pressure or heart disease (check out our low-sodium diet guidelines for more information).
• Limit saturated fat to no more than 5% to 6% of daily calories (our low-fat diet guidelines provide more information about healthy vs. unhealthy fats and how to minimize the consumption of unhealthy fats).
• Avoid foods containing trans fat. Most foods no longer contain trans fats, but look for ingredients such as partially hydrogenated oils in processed foods to find where it’s lurking.

Our team of registered dietitians works in conjunction with our recipe developers and professional chefs to create heart healthy recipes that maximize taste while fitting into a heart healthy lifestyle. Many factors go into determining if a recipe is heart healthy and these nutrition guidelines from the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check program are taken into consideration during the process:

Entrees

• Calories: 350 or less
• Saturated fat: 3g or less for beef, pork, or poultry; 4g or less for fish or seafood; 5g or less for fish high in omega-3 fatty acids
• Trans fat: 0.5g or less and no partially hydrogenated oils
• Sodium: 360mg or less
• Added sugar: 2 tsp or less

One Dish Meals

• Calories: 500 or less
• Saturated fat: 3.5g or less
• Trans fat: 0.5g or less and no partially hydrogenated oils
• Sodium: 600mg or less
• Added sugar: 2 tsp or less

Appetizers and Side Dishes

• Calories: 250 or less
• Saturated fat: 2g or less if non-meat/fish/seafood; 3g or less if contains meat/fish/seafood
• Trans fat: 0.5g or less and no partially hydrogenated oils
• Sodium: 240mg or less
• Added sugar: 2 tsp or less

Desserts

• Calories: 200 or less
• Saturated fat: 2g or less
• Trans fat: 0.5g or less and no partially hydrogenated oils
• Sodium: 240mg or less
• Added sugar: 2 tsp or less

Here are a few suggestions to help you meet recommended eating guidelines for a healthier heart:

• Include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet. They not only contain important nutrients but also heart healthy fiber, which helps lower cholesterol.
• Choose whole grains, such as quinoa, wild rice, and oats, over refined grains, such as white bread, rice, and pasta.
• Eat healthy sources of protein, including fish and seafood, skinless poultry, lean meat, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds, and low-fat or non-fat dairy.
• Enjoy healthy unsaturated fats, such as those from olive oil, avocado, nuts, and fatty fish, while reducing the use of saturated fats, such as those from butter or lard.
• Limit high-fat and highly processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and salami.
• Avoid foods containing trans fats, which can raise bad cholesterol and increase heart disease risk. These are most often found in processed snacks, margarine, and fried foods, although many food manufacturers have removed this fat from their products.
• Season foods with herbs, spices, garlic, and citrus instead of salt.
• Eat fewer processed, packaged, and prepared foods, which are often high in sodium, fat, added sugar, and/or artificial ingredients. Also keep in mind that restaurant meals are often high in sodium, fat, and calories.
• Keep added sugar intake to a minimum to reduce inflammation and lower diabetes risk, which can lead to heart disease. Instead, satisfy a sweet tooth with naturally sweet foods like fruit.
• Limit or avoid alcohol.

Making heart healthy choices doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are some simple ways to slowly adapt your eating style to improve your heart health:

• Plan your meals – Prepping meals in advance helps you make healthier choices and makes it more likely you’ll have a healthy meal available to eat when you’re hungry.
• Read nutrition labels – Check for added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats. You’ll also get valuable information about calories, protein, and fiber (pay attention to the serving size).
• Cook more – Making your own meals allows you to control ingredients and portion sizes. You’ll find plenty of delicious low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-sodium recipes on Health eCooks. Our Mediterranean diet recipes are also very heart friendly.
• Make half your plate veggies – This keeps meals lower in calories and higher in fiber, which is good for your waistline and your heart.
• Limit processed foods – Fresh, whole foods are always the best choice because they’re less likely to contain hidden heart health busters like sodium and sugar.
• Snack smart – Squash hunger between meals with nutrient-rich choices such as fruit, nuts, lean protein, or unflavored Greek yogurt instead of processed snacks.
• Stay hydrated – Water or plain seltzer are the best ways to keep your body hydrated. Avoid sugary drinks and limit alcohol and caffeine.

Making the right food choices is key to a heart healthy lifestyle. These heart healthy foods are packed with essential nutrients to keep your heart strong, but they are just a sampling of the delicious and nutritious whole foods you can eat on a heart healthy diet:

• Legumes & nuts – Lentils, beans, chickpeas, almonds, walnuts, and peanuts are rich in fiber and protein. If you use canned beans, it’s best to rinse and drain them to reduce the sodium content. Choose unsalted nuts.
• Lean animal proteins – Fish and seafood, skinless poultry, eggs, and unprocessed lean meats are high in protein, which keeps you feeling full and helps you maintain a healthier weight.
• Fatty fish – Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, known for promoting heart and brain health.
• Whole grains – Oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, farro, barley, and sprouted whole-grain bread are high in fiber, which helps lower cholesterol.
• Vegetables – Leafy greens, bell peppers, tomatoes, and cruciferous veggies are high in antioxidants. All vegetables are good choices in a heart healthy diet, however.
• Fruits – Berries, apples, and citrus fruits provide vitamins, fiber and antioxidants that protect the heart. Although you shouldn’t eat unlimited quantities of fruit, all fruits contain nutrients that fuel your health.
• Healthy fats – Olive oil, avocado, and flaxseeds contain unsaturated fats that support heart function.

Looking for delicious recipes to cook that support your heart health? Check out these dietitian-approved recipes:

• Heart healthy recipes
• Low sodium recipes
• Low fat recipes
• Low cholesterol recipes
• High protein recipes
• Mediterranean diet recipes

Following a heart healthy diet has many benefits beyond just reducing your risk of heart disease. A balanced diet that follows heart healthy guidelines helps:

• Reduce high blood pressure
• Lower bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and increase good (HDL) cholesterol (here’s more information on healthy eating guidelines to lower cholesterol)
• Improve blood sugar control, lowering the risk of diabetes (which in turn can lower the risk of heart disease)
• Support a healthy weight
• Reduce inflammation in the body
• Boost energy levels

By choosing whole, nutrient-dense foods and making simple swaps in how you cook and plan meals, you can improve your heart health and overall well-being.