Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease
1. Control your portion size
3. Select whole grains
6. Reduce the salt (sodium) in your food
8. Allow yourself an occasional treat
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1. Control portion sizes
2. Eat more vegetables and fruits
3. Choose whole grains
4. Limit unhealthy fats
5. Choose low-fat protein sources
6. Limit and reduce sodium and salt
7. Plan ahead: Create daily menus
8. Have a treat once in a while
8. Have a treat once in a while
It's OK to treat yourself every now and then. A candy bar or handful of potato chips won't derail your heart-healthy diet. But don't let treats turn into an excuse for giving up on your healthy-eating plan. If you overeat treats once in a while rather than often, you'll balance things out over the long term. What's important is that you eat healthy foods most of the time.
In general, limit added sugar to less than 10% of your daily calories. For example, if you take in about 2,000 calories a day, 10% of that amount is 200 calories. And 200 calories of added sugar equals 50 grams of the sugar added to the foods you eat Do not give food and drinks with added sugar to children younger than 2 years old.
If you follow these eight tips, you'll likely find that heart-healthy eating is something you can do and enjoy. With planning and a few simple food swaps, you can eat with your heart in mind.
