Ingredients for Heart Healthy Recipes

According to the American Heart Association, our hearts need nutrient-rich foods full of fiber, vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. These can come from a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products.

Necessities

The key to maintaining a healthy heart involves not only focusing on what not to put in to our bodies, but on what we should be eating. Limiting fat and cholesterol is a great start, but that alone does not keep our bodies healthy. There are certain foods that every diet should include that can help control weight, lower cholesterol, and protect and preserve a healthy heart.

The 2007 PBS series "The Mysterious Human Heart" helped to shed light on the key ingredients for healthy heart recipes. These ingredients include fiber, flavonoids, stanols and sterols, nuts and omega 3 fatty acids.

Fiber comes two ways--soluble and insoluble. Both are plant derivatives and maintain a healthy heart and body, but work in very different ways. Soluble fiber keeps the intestines from absorbing fat and cholesterol into the bloodstream. This type of fiber can be found in foods such as apples, bananas, berries, oatmeal and cereals, as well as many members of the legume family. Insoluble fiber is often referred to as roughage and keeps the colon in good working order. Insoluble fiber can be found in whole wheat, greens, fresh herbs, eggplants, tomatoes and many other vegetables.

Grapes, tea and soy are three good sources of flavonoids. These contain antioxidants that slow cell destruction, thus keeping our hearts healthier. According to PBS, foods high in flavonoids can minimize the risks of both stroke and heart disease.

Stanols and sterols are found in soy beans and pine tree oils. They help the digestive tract by blocking cholesterol absorption. Often times, these extracts are found in fortified orange juices and certain types of margarine.

Nuts often get a bad rap for being high in fat, but there is a difference between good fats and bad fats. Nuts are good because they are low in saturated fat and can help lower cholesterol. Walnuts in particular are extremely beneficial to a heart healthy diet because, unlike other nuts, they contain omega 3 fatty acids, which can potentially prevent and possibly treat coronary diseases. Omega 3 fatty acids are unsaturated fats can also be found in canola oil, soy beans and, most commonly, fish.

Shopping Made Easy

The American Heart Association has helped make heart-healthy grocery shopping a little bit easier. They have placed their heart-check mark symbol on the packaging of approximately 800 different foods, all of which have been certified by the AHA to meet the standards for healthy levels of cholesterol and saturated fat for fit individuals over the age of 2.

The most important thing to remember when shopping for heart-healthy ingredients is select a variety of wholesome foods to ensure your heart gets all the required nutrients it needs to operate at peak performance.