Foods Good for Heart Health

Foods good for heart health are those without unhealthy saturated and trans fats and cholesterol, which can clog arteries and lead to a buildup of plaques, putting you at higher risk of suffering a heart attack or a stroke. The best way to limit this risk is to limit foods with solid fats, such as butter and shortening, and reduce your intake of other food with a high fat content, such as fatty meats and cheeses. Focus, instead, on foods proved to be good for the health of your heart.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals, low in calories, and have lots of fiber. The Mayo Clinic says a diet high in soluble fiber can help lower cholesterol and reduce your chances of suffering heart disease. In addition, fruits and vegetables can prevent cardiovascular disease and at the same time fill you up so you are less inclined to eat high-calorie foods and snacks. In addition, certain fruits, like berries, have flavonoids, which strengthen blood vessels and are strong antioxidants. So at dinner time, serve up plenty of broccoli and fresh salad and if there's still room for dessert, push aside the creme brulee for a bowl of fresh blueberries.

Low-Fat Protein Sources

Everyone needs protein, but fatty red meat is hardly the best route to go. Choose lean meats, poultry and fish instead. And when you do your cooking, choose the grill rather than the frying pan--a chunk of grilled red meat won't do nearly as much damage to your heart as a greasy gob of fried chicken, even if the chicken meat itself is healthier. Fish is an especially good option, because not only does fish have a lower fat content than most red or even white meats, but certain types of fish--mostly cold-water species such as salmon, mackerel and herring--are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which lower blood fats known as triglycerides, and thus reduce your risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

Legumes

Beans, peas and lentils, collectively known as legumes, also contain high amounts of protein and are a good substitute for meat. You can eat them raw, cooked, from cans or in patty form, such as veggie or soy burgers. There's a lot less fat than in meat, and no cholesterol at all.

Whole Grains

Whole grains, including oatmeal, have lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are much better for your heart than refined grains such as white flour, which has been rid of much of their nutritional value. In fact, a Harvard University study that began in 1984 found women who ate two to three servings a day of whole-grain products were 30 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack or die of heart disease over a 10-year period than women who ate just one serving a week of whole-grain products. Moreover, according to the Harvard School of Public Health website, a recent analysis of seven major studies "showed that cardiovascular disease was 21 percent less likely in people who ate 2.5 or more servings of whole-grain foods a day compared with those who ate less than 2 servings a week."

Substitutions

For heart health, consider the following substitutions:

Margarine with zero trans fat for butter
Olive oil for lard
Skim milk for whole milk
Reduced-fat cheese for regular cheese
Corn on the cob for creamed corn
Turkey bacon, microwaved to a crispy brown, for breakfast sausage
Egg whites for egg yolks