Heart-healthy eating is about choosing foods that give you lots of nutrients and help keep your heart and blood vessels healthy.
When eating a heart-healthy diet, try to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.
It can be helpful to think about including fruits or vegetables with every meal.
One way to do this is by aiming to fill half of your plate with them.
Choose whole-grain foods.
These include oats, whole-wheat pastas, whole-grain breads, and brown rice.
They give you lots of fiber and other nutrients.
For heart-healthy proteins, try to eat more plant-based proteins like beans, nuts, and soy products such as tofu.
Fish and seafood are other healthy protein sources.
If you eat meat, choose lean cuts and avoid processed meats like bacon and sausage.
When it comes to dairy, choose nonfat or low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt.
Choose liquid fats such as olive oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil.
And try to avoid solid fats like butter, lard, and coconut oil.
Try to choose foods that are low in sodium, or salt.
Some ways you can do this are to look for lower-sodium versions of canned and packaged foods.
You can also try making more of your meals at home and adding herbs and spices to your food instead of salt.
Also, try to choose foods and beverages without added sugar.
For example, try drinking sparkling water instead of soda.
Or add fruit to unsweetened yogurt instead of eating sugar-sweetened yogurt.
And don't forget to be patient with yourself.
Changing how you eat takes time and practice, but you can do it.
And after a while, these changes will start to feel like just a regular part of how you eat.
