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| Remember to focus on what you CAN eat, not on what you CAN'T |
1. Eat a colorful assortment of FRUITS and VEGETABLES daily, especially deep colored ones. Color usually indicates the presence of good nutrients, so get flamboyant with your food! For example, substitute sweet potatoes for white. Try to minimize the starchy vegetables in your diet and eat those mashed potatoes only at special holiday meals.
2. Eat WHOLE GRAINS rather than refined grain products as often as possible. Buy whole grain breads, pastas and rice for added fiber and nutrients.
3. Eat FAT-FREE OR LOW-FAT DAIRY products daily. Look for low-fat cheeses, milk and yogurt to reduce calories and cholesterol. The taste may seem wimpy at first, but after awhile it becomes the new normal for your taste buds.
4. Eat FISH twice a week whenever possible. Avoid preparations that add additional fat, especially deep frying. Salmon is a particularly great source of healthy Omega-3 oils, especially if it is wild caught with no color added.
5. Eat lean POULTRY and MEATS. Discard all visible fat, buy lean cuts of red meat, and don’t eat the skin on poultry.
6. Eat LEGUMES, NUTS, and SEEDS. They are a good high fiber source of meatless protein. Legumes include peas, peanuts, BEANS and lentils. Nuts and natural old-fashioned peanut butter are a great source of protein, but be careful about the portion size. A handful of nuts is a healthy snack portion. Try including more soybean protein in your diet. Soy has some mild side benefits in lowering cholesterol.
7. Use liquid vegetable OILS and soft margarines. Olive and canola oils are better choices, providing heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Avoid using excessive oil or butter in frying foods by using non-stick pans and PAM or non-fat margarine sprays. Packaged cookies, cakes, muffins and crackers are often made with partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats and other saturated fats. Those are the "bad fats" all heart patients should avoid.
8. Cut back on SALT (sodium). Avoid adding extra salt while cooking. Many spice mixes include sodium, so read labels carefully. Canned vegetables and soup stocks often include hidden sodium. Purchase low-sodium or salt-free versions. Condiments like soy sauce and ketchup are also high in sodium. Be aware of the hidden salt in packaged and processed foods, especially lunch meats, processed meats, cottage cheese and hard cheeses. Learn to read the labels on packaged foods and become a salt sleuth if your hungry cardiologist has named this as a particular health issue for YOU.
9. Cut back on SUGAR. We all know about this one, but it's a particular issue for diabetics. Learn to avoid products where sugar is listed as one of the first 4 ingredients on the label.
10. Cut back on foods high in dietary CHOLESTEROL, including whole milk, egg yolks and shellfish.
Adapted from the American Heart Association’s cookbook, “Healthy Family Meals”
