These are all low in saturated fats and empty calories. As a rule of thumb, make sure your plate is half full and contains a variety of vegetables at every meal.
Canned and frozen veggies and fruits may be used in place of fresh varieties as long as they don’t contain salt and sugar.
Fish is one of the best foods for your heart, but you need to pick the right types. Oily fish is considered best because it’s loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce cholesterol and promote vascular health.
Aim to have at least 2 servings of fish per week. Examples include:
salmon
sardines
trout
herring
mackerel
DRINKS
When it comes to drinks, your best bet is water.
If you don’t care for the taste of plain water, experiment by slicing a lemon, cucumber, or berry and adding it to your water for some all-natural flavor.
Diet types
If you’re interested in following a more structured eating plan, there are a few different heart-healthy diets to consider.
Remember to keep your doctor in the loop. Tell them if you’re planning to try a new diet or ask for a referral to a nutritionist who can help you choose an existing diet plan or customize one for you.
The Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet has garnered a lot of attention in recent years, and it’s for good reason.
A recent review of long-term studies points to the cardiovascular benefits of this diet plan, which may help decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke.
This diet focuses on healthy fats, legumes, fish, beans, and grains, along with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. Dairy and meat can be enjoyed on an occasional basis only.
The Mediterranean diet also focuses on using plant-based oils, like olive oil, in place of butter.
If you choose to incorporate dairy products into your diet, make sure they have 1 percent fat or less. This reduces your overall saturated fat consumption.
Look for skim milk and fat-free yogurt instead of whole-fat options.
DASH
Dietary approaches to stopping hypertension (DASH) is another eating plan used to promote heart health by lowering your blood pressure.
Like the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet focuses on plant-based foods along with lean meats.
The biggest difference is that DASH focuses on reducing sodium in your diet, with a goal of 1,500 to 2,300 mgTrusted Source per day.
While the Mediterranean diet doesn’t directly address sodium limits, eating more plant foods may mean less sodium intake naturally.
With DASH, you can also eat 2 to 3 servingsTrusted Source of low-fat dairy per day. Overall, DASH promotes your blood pressure and heart health by naturally reducing your sodium and cholesterol intake.
Plant-based eating
Also known as “plant-forward” eating, a plant-based diet consists of eating little to no meat.
As the name suggests, plant-based eating focuses on fruits and vegetables, along with grains, legumes, and other non-animal food sources.
