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Heart disease. It's the No. 1 cause of death in this
country.
You can lower your
chances of getting heart
disease. One way is to
choose foods carefully.
For a healthy heart, eat:
- less fat
- less sodium
- fewer calories
- more fiber.
Eat less fat
Some fats are more likely
to cause heart disease.
These fats are usually
found in foods from animals,
such as meat, milk,
cheese, and butter. They
also are found in foods
with palm and coconut
oils.
Eat less of these foods.
Eat less sodium
Eating less sodium can help lower some people's
blood pressure. This can
help reduce the risk of
heart disease.
Sodium is something we
need in our diets, but most
of us eat too much of it.
Much of the sodium we eat
comes from salt we add to
our food at the table or that
food companies add to
their foods. So, avoid
adding salt to foods at the
table.
Eat fewer
calories
When we eat more calories
than we need, we gain
weight. Being overweight
can cause heart disease.
When we eat fewer
calories than we need, we lose weight.
Eat more
fiber
Eating fiber from fruits, vegetables and grains may
help lower your chances of
getting heart disease.
Diet Tips for a
Healthy Heart
- Eat a diet low in fat,
especially animal fats and
palm and coconut oils.
(These foods contain
saturated fat and
cholesterol.
Saturated fat and
cholesterol can cause
heart disease.)
- Choose a diet
moderate in salt and
sodium.
- Maintain or
improve your weight.
- Eat plenty of grain
products, fruits and
vegetables.
Eating this way does not
mean you have to spend
more money on food. You
can still eat many foods
that cost the same or less
than what you're eating now.
Eat a variety of foods.
Instead of whole or 2 percent milk and cream,
Use 1 percent or skim milk.
Instead of fried foods,
Eat baked, steamed, boiled broiled, or microwaved foods.
Instead of cooking with lard, butter, palm and coconut oils,
and shortenings made with these oils,
Cook with these oils only:
corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed, olive,
canola, peanut, sesame, or shortenings made from these oils.
Instead of . . . smoked, cured, salted and
canned meat, poultry and fish
Eat unsalted fresh or frozen
meat, poultry and fish.
Instead of . . . fatty cuts of meat, such as
prime rib
Eat lean cuts of meat or cut
off the fatty parts of meat.
Instead of . . . one whole egg in recipes
Use two egg whites.
Instead of . . . sour cream and mayonnaise
Use plain low-fat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, or low-fat
or "light" sour cream and
mayonnaise.
Instead of . . . regular hard and processed
cheeses
Eat low-fat, low-sodium cheeses.
Instead of . . . sauces, butter and salt
Season vegetables, including potatoes, with herbs and spices.
Instead of . . . crackers with salted tops
Eat unsalted or
low-sodium whole-wheat
crackers.
Instead of . . . regular canned soups, broths
and bouillons and dry soup
mixes
Eat sodium-reduced canned
broths, bouillons and soups,
especially those with
vegetables.
Instead of . . .
white bread, white rice, and
cereals made with white flour
Eat whole-wheat bread,
long-grain rice, and whole-grain
cereals.
Instead of . . . salted potato chips and other
snacks
Choose low-fat, unsalted
tortilla and potato chips and
unsalted pretzels and popcorn.
Tips for Losing Weight
- Eat smaller portions.
- Avoid second helpings.
- Eat less fat by staying
away from fried foods, rich
desserts, and chocolate
candy. Foods with a lot of
fat have a lot of calories.
- Eat more fruits and
vegetables.
- Eat "low-calorie" foods, such as low-calorie salad
dressings.
Read the Food Label
The food label can help
you eat less fat and sodium,
fewer calories and
more fiber.
Look for certain words on food labels.
The words can help you
spot foods that may help
reduce your chances of
getting heart disease.
FDA has set rules on how
these words can be used.
So, if the label says "low-fat,"
the food must be low
in fat.
Words to Look For:
- Fat-free Saturated fat-free
- Low-fat
- Low saturated fat
- Reduced or less fat
- Reduced or less
- saturated fat
- Cholesterol-free
- Low-cholesterol
- Reduced or less
- cholesterol
- Lean
- Extra lean
- Healthy
- Sodium-free
- Low-sodium
- Light in sodium
- Lightly salted
- Reduced or less
- sodium
- Salt-free
- Unsalted
- Light
- Calorie-free
- Low-calorie
- Reduced or fewer
- calories
- High-fiber
- More or added fiber
Read the Food Label
Look at the side
or back of the
package.
Here, you will find
"Nutrition Facts." Look for these words:
- Total fat
- Saturated fat
- Cholesterol
- Sodium
Look at the %Daily Value
listed next to each term. If
it is 5% or less for fat,
saturated fat, cholesterol,
and sodium, the food is
low in these nutrients.
That's good. It means the
food fits in with a diet that
may help reduce your
chances of getting heart
disease.
Eating for a Healthy Heart
You can lower your
chances of getting heart
disease. One way is
through your diet.
Remember:
- Eat less fat.
- Eat less sodium.
- Reduce your calories
if you're overweight.
- Eat more fiber.
Recipe
Here's a recipe that fits right in with the heart healthy way of
eating. A serving is low in fat, low in sodium, and high in fiber.
Red Beans and Rice
1 lb dry red beans
2 quarts water
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
4 bay leaves
3 tbsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup chopped sweet green pepper
Pick through beans to remove bad beans. Rinse beans thoroughly.
In a 5-quart pot, mix beans, water, onion, celery, and bay leaves.
Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook over low heat for
about 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir and mash beans
against side of pan.
Add garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, black pepper, and green pepper.
Cook uncovered, over low heat, until creamy, about 30 minutes.
Remove bay leaves. Serve over hot cooked rice.
Makes 8 servings. Each serving provides:
170 calories and these %Daily Values for these nutrients:
- total fat 1%
- saturated fat 1%
- cholesterol 0%
- sodium 12%
- dietary fiber 29%
Source: Down Home Healthy: Family Recipes of Black American Chefs Leah Chase and Johnny Rivers, National Institutes of Health.
For More
Information
FDA has a booklet to help
you learn more about the
food label. To get a copy,
write to:
FDA
HFE-88
Rockville, MD 20857
Ask for: How the New
Food Label Can Help You
Plan a Healthy Diet
(FDA) 94-2273.
Also, if you have questions,
you can call your
nearest FDA
office. Look for
the number in
the blue pages
of the
telephone
book.
For help with your diet,
see your doctor, or a
registered dietitian or
nutritionist.
Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane, (HFI-40)
Rockville, MD 20857 |
