T.J. Samson | Destination Health | December 2020

Stock up on heart-healthy foods Want to make your heart happy? Load your refrigerator and pantry with heart-healthy foods. Here are some excellent items to consider. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and high in fiber. Choose multiple colors of fresh produce to make sure you’re getting a variety of nutrients. Especially good choices include:    ● Leafy greens, broccoli and carrots.    ● Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, grapes and prunes. For frozen vegetables, choose plain instead of those with salty sauces. Buy canned vegetables with little or no salt added. Look for unsweetened canned fruits packed in their own juice or water. Choose 100% fruit juices to avoid added sugars. DAIRY Choose low-fat and fat-free versions of milk, yogurt and cheese. Select yogurts with low amounts of added sugars. PROTEIN FOODS Red meat can be high in saturated fat, so choose lean cuts. Look for cuts with “loin” or “round” in the name to minimize saturated fat. Buy skinless poultry—or remove the skin before cooking. Choose fatty fish that are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These include salmon, mackerel, tuna, trout and sardines. And don’t forget vegetarian sources of protein, such as tofu, tem- peh, nuts and nut butters, seeds, and beans. OILS AND SPREADS Oils contain less saturated fat than solid fats like butter and lard. So select liquid vegetable oils such as olive, canola, corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean or sunflower. For margarines, buy soft tub, liquid or spray margarines for less saturated fat than stick margarines. Read the nutrition label to see if a margarine contains trans fat (look for words like “partially hydroge- nated”), and opt for one that doesn’t have this type of fat. PANTRY PRODUCTS Stock up on whole grains. Oats, for example, contain iron, B vitamins and soluble fiber, which may help lower blood cholesterol. Brown rice is high in fiber, protein and B vitamins. You can use other whole grains—like quinoa, millet and amaranth—in most recipes that call for rice. Choose whole grain pasta over enriched varieties for more fiber and protein. Beans and lentils contain fiber, protein and B vitamins. Keep a vari- ety on hand, such as black, pinto, kidney and white beans, and brown, green and red lentils. Canned tomatoes are high in vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene. Choose stocks and broths that are unsalted or are low in sodium. Sources: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 4 DESTINATION HEALTH Heart care