Contents:
- Medical Video: How to eat a heart-healthy diet
- Choose the right fat, and adjust it!
- Include Omega-3s
- Choose a healthy cooking method
- Homemade fresh cuisine is the best choice!
- Improve healthy taste without fat and salt
- Cut fat if possible
- Healthy substitutes in your favorite recipes
Medical Video: How to eat a heart-healthy diet
You can protect your heart and blood vessels in several ways, such as:
- Eat foods that contain little "bad" or unhealthy fat (trans fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol) and choose foods that contain lots of unsaturated fats to help lower your cholesterol levels.
- Maintain a healthy weight by maintaining food portions and making healthy food choices.
- Reduce your sodium intake, which can help control blood pressure.
The ingredients and methods you use for cooking can make a big difference. Here are some practical tips you can follow to remember what heart foods are healthy and how to cook them.
Choose the right fat, and adjust it!
This means you have to limit foods high in trans fats, saturated fats and cholesterol, such as processed snacks and sweets, baked foods, fried foods, high-fat dairy products, solid fat, and high-fat meats.
Instead, choose lean protein foods and low-fat dairy products. Limit the amount of processed and baked snacks. Choose fresh, more nutritious foods to include in snacks, such as fresh vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fruit. When cooking, don't use butter or margarine, but try enough healthy vegetable oil.
Include Omega-3s
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of healthy fat that helps prevent clogged arteries. We recommend that you enter the fish (not fried) in your meal plan, at least 2 times a week, especially those containing high omega-3 fatty acids. This "fat" is found in several fish including salmon, tuna, herring, trout, mackerel, and sardines.
Other foods that provide Omega-3 fatty acids are soy products, walnuts, flaxseed, and canola oil. It's great if you can include some of these sources in your diet. Try a mixture of walnuts with oatmeal in the morning or add tofu for your stir.
Choose a healthy cooking method
You can reduce calories in your food by baking, using microwaves, burning, or steaming. Avoid frying food with lots of oil, lard, or butter.
When cooking, you are allowed to use some fat. Make sure you use oils that contain high unsaturated fats, but not too much (remember that all fats are solid in calories, so they will increase quickly).
Some other ideas are to consume olives, peanuts, corn, vegetables, safflower, sunflower seeds, or linseed oil. Nonstick pans and cooking sprays also work well if you try to reduce calories every time you cook.
Homemade fresh cuisine is the best choice!
The food served in restaurants tends to have high calories, sodium, and "bad" fats, all things you have to reduce if you want your heart to be healthy. Try to cook at home as much as possible with fresh and healthy ingredients. You will find that you have more control over what is presented in your food.
Improve healthy taste without fat and salt
Look for food recipes that use flavorings and spices that do not involve salt, butter, lard, or other unhealthy fats. Try this trick for your food recipe:
- Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on steamed vegetables, grilled fish, rice, salad or pasta.
- Try lemon-free lemon pepper as a spice in chicken.
- Try salt and spice-free herbal products. Fresh spices are also a suitable choice.
- Use shallots and garlic to taste meat and vegetables.
- Try grilling chicken or meat with barbecue sauce or with homemade spices.
Cut fat if possible
Cut the fat seen in meat and chicken, or other poultry. Bake food on the grill rack to let the fat drip. Make soup for the next few days, so you can relax and then remove the fat that has accumulated.
Healthy substitutes in your favorite recipes
- Of the using ordinary beef ...
Try 90% lean or better beef, try non-fat turkey.
Why? Contains fewer calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
- Of the use oil when cooking vegetables or protein foods ...
Try Trans fat-free margarine and oil such as olive oil or vegetable oil.
Why? There is no trans fat, saturated fat, and is healthier, because there is only unsaturated fat.
- Of the use cream, milk, or milk 2% ...
Try 1% milk or skim milk.
Why? Less calories and saturated fats.
- Compared use ordinary cheese ...
Try low-fat cheese or use less.
Why? Fewer calories, less saturated fat, and less cholesterol.
- Of theeat snacks with hydrogenated oil, palm oil, or coconut oil (crackers, chips, candy or baked goods) ...
Try fruit with yogurt plain, fresh vegetables and hummus, a slice of whole wheat bread and natural peanut butter, nuts and dried fruit.
Why? The content of sodium, saturated fat, and zero trans fat is less.
- Of the use ordinary mayonnaise ...
Try mild mayonnaise or mustard on a sandwich. Try plain nonfat yogurt or a combination of plain nonfat yogurt plus mayonnaise.
Why? Fewer calories.
