Five Simple Tips for Heart-Healthy Eating Habits
2/22/2022
It’s not news that eating habits can have a significant impact on heart health. But making good diet decisions can be difficult for even the health conscious. So Lutheran Hospital’s transplant dietitian is sharing her top five easy-to–incorporate tips for making heart-healthy food choices every day.
Colleen Incremona, a registered dietitian for Lutheran Hospital’s Heart Transplant Center, recommends her patients start by focusing on a few simple changes to their daily meals for greater success.
“A meal plan has to be realistic and sustainable for long-term success.” Incremona said. “Maintaining a heart-healthy diet doesn’t mean you can never have a favorite treat but instead recognizes the importance of being consistent with regular healthy food choices.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 80 percent of premature heart attack and stroke deaths are preventable with lifestyle changes, medication and advances in medical care. Additional research on dietary patterns has found U.S. adults who focus on quality, heart-healthy eating habits in their daily life have up to a 28 percent lower chance of death from cardiovascular disease.
Incremona recommends these five tips for building heart-healthier habits into everyday meals:
- Choose healthy sources of protein. Fish, seafood, lean meats, poultry, low- or nonfat dairy, eggs, and beans or legumes are some examples of heart-healthy selections. Fatty or processed meats and full-fat dairy should be limited.
- Swap refined grains like white bread, rice and pasta for whole grain versions, like 100 percent whole wheat bread, brown rice and whole-grain pasta instead. Whole grains are a good source of fiber and other nutrients that help regulate blood pressure and maintain heart health.
- Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are naturally high in fiber, low in calories and contain vitamins and minerals that may prevent cardiovascular disease. Have a whole piece of fruit instead of juice for breakfast; snack on grapes or apple slices instead of cookies or chips; and fill the majority of your dinner plate with salad or vegetables before adding smaller portions of pasta, rice and lean proteins.
- Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt, which can increase blood pressure if there is too much in your diet. Using fewer canned, packaged and processed foods will help reduce your sodium intake. And adding fresh, dried or powdered herbs and spices without added salt will provide flavorful meals without the extra sodium.
- Keep foods and beverages with added sugar to a minimum. Packaged foods and beverages typically have a lot of added sugars. Your favorite candy bar, cookie or soda is OK for an occasional treat, as long as you are making healthy food choices most of the time.
“I also remind my patients of the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight for an overall heart-healthy lifestyle,” Incremona said. “Incorporating these food choices along with portion control and regular physical activity will help most achieve or maintain a body weight that keeps their heart healthier.”
Check out one of Incremona’s favorite heart-healthy recipes for slow-cooker chicken cacciatore below, and visit lutheranhealth.net/cardiac-care for more information on services, specialists and locations for all your heart care needs.
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Modified from skinnytaste.com; serves 8
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts or 8 thighs with skin removed
28 oz can no salt added crushed tomatoes
½ red bell pepper sliced into strips
½ green bell pepper sliced into strips
½ large onion sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
Fresh ground pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh herbs such as basil or parsley for topping
Directions:
- Season chicken with ground pepper and place in slow cooker
- Pour tomatoes over chicken; top with onions and peppers; add oregano, bay leaf and additional fresh ground pepper
- Stir, cover slow cooker and set to low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours
- After initial timer goes off, remove lid and set slow cooker on high for one hour to thicken
- Serve alone or atop whole grain pasta or brown rice with a fresh vegetable or side salad
Serving (not including pasta or rice): 1 chicken thigh with ½ cup sauce & vegetables
Calories: 126.2 kcal; Carbohydrates: 9.2g; Protein: 13.9g; Fat: 2.8g; Saturated Fat: 0.5g; Cholesterol: 57mg; Sugar: 4.1g
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