A Healthy Diet for heart Patients

A healthy diet is an essential step towards a better life. The American Heart Association recommends you eat a variety of nutritious foods every day. If you suffer from high blood pressure, heart failure or are recovering from a heart attack or heart surgery, eating a heart healthy diet is especially important for you to follow.

To have a heart healthy diet, it is important to:

• Aim for 4 – 5 servings each of fruits and vegetables every day.
• Eat plenty of whole grains such as whole wheat bread, whole grain cereal, and whole grain pasta.
• Use liquid vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil, corn oil, and safflower oil as your main cooking oil instead of butter and stick margarine.
• Choose more skinless poultry, fish, and beans that are generally lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than beef, pork, and lamb.
• Aim to eat no more than 2,000 mg per day of sodium or as recommended by your doctor.
• Use a small plate to prevent you from overeating.
• Limit your consumption of:
  • Saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol such as butter, margarine, fatty meats
  • Salt and other forms of sodium such as canned foods, processed meats, condiments
  • Added sugars such as candies, soda, cookies

The DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) eating plan has all the recommended components of a heart healthy diet. It is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. It also includes whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts. Compared to the typical American diet, it is reduced in red meat, sweets, added sugar, and sugar-containing beverages.

DASH eating plan for adults consuming 2,000 calories daily

Food Group	Daily Servings	Serving Sizes
Grains	6 – 8	-    1 slice of bread -    1 oz. dry cereal -    ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal
Vegetables	4 – 5	-      1 cup raw leafy vegetables -      ½ cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables -      ½ cup vegetable juice
Fruits	4 – 5	-      1 medium fruit -      ¼ cup dried fruit -      ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit -      ½ cup fruit juice
Fat-free / low-fat dairy products	2 – 3	-      1 cup milk or yogurt -      1 ½ oz. cheese
Lean meats, poultry, fish	6 or less	-      1 oz. cooked meats, poultry, or fish -      1 egg (limit to 4 egg yolks per week)
Nuts, seeds, and legumes	4 – 5 per week	-      1/3 cup or 1 ½ oz. nuts -      2 Tbsp. peanut butter -      2 Tbsp or ½ oz. seeds -      ½ cup cooked legumes
Fats and oils	2 – 3	-      1 tsp. soft margarine -      1 tsp. vegetable oil -      1 Tbsp. mayonnaise -      2 Tbsp. salad dressing
Sweets and added sugars	5 or less per week	-      1 Tbsp. sugar -      1 Tbsp. jelly or jam -      ½ cup sorbet or gelatin -      1 cup lemonade

The number of servings you need may vary, depending on your caloric need.