Healthy Eating and Heart Tips

All of these steps are important to help you control your weight and lower your blood cholesterol. To begin, choose one step; move onto others when you are ready.

Reduce all added fats, especially saturated fat

• choose more often: canola oil, olive oil, and flax oil, nuts and seeds, nut butters and soft margarine with non-hydrogenated fats
  
• choose less often: butter, hard margarine, lard, shortening, creamy dressings and sauces and coconut milk
  
• when cooking foods; broil, bake, grill, steam or microwave; avoid frying and deep frying
  
• keep total amount of fat that you add to food and in cooking to 6 teaspoons per day

Eat a variety of vegetables and fruit every day

• try fresh, frozen or pre-packaged fresh vegetable and fruit mixtures
  
• add vegetables to salads, soups, stews, and stir-fries. Season with lemon juice, vinegar, low-fat salad dressings and dips
  
• better choices include: dark green and orange vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, romaine lettuce, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes
  
• choose to eat fruit and limit intake of all fruit juices
  
• add fruit to cereals, plain yogurt or enjoy on its own as a tasty snack or dessert

Eat more whole grain products

• better choices include: whole grain breads and cereals, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and barley
  
• choose less often: white bread, white rice, granola, croissants, donuts, pastries, scones, biscuits and commercial muffins

Choose lower fat dairy products

• better choices include: skim and 1% milk and yogurt, low fat cheese (less than 20% milk fat) and low fat sour cream
  
• choose less often: regular cheese, whipping cream and sour cream

Select smaller, leaner portions of meat, poultry, fish and alternatives

• eat 2-3 servings of lean choices each day (1 serving = deck of playing cards). Trim fat from meats and remove poultry skin
  
• choose fish at least twice a week (fresh, frozen or canned in water)
  
• instead of meat choose legumes such as chick peas, kidney beans, split peas, lentils, baked beans and/or soy products like tofu at least once a week
  
• choose less often: bacon, bologna, salami, sausages, fatty cuts of meat, egg yolk and organ meats
  
• limit egg yolks to 3 a week

Limit high fat snacks and desserts

• better snack choices include: vegetables, fruit, whole grain crackers, and low fat dairy products
  
• choose desserts low in fat such as fruit, low fat pudding, angel food cake, frozen yogurt and homemade baked goods (make with vegetable oil or non-hydrogenated margarine)
  
• choose less often: chips, cheezies, chocolates, cookies, regular microwave popcorn, ice cream and commercial baked goods

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Have a great day and God bless!