Am Fam Physician. 2006;73(2):265-268
See related article on nutritional assessment for cardiovascular disease.
You can do a lot to reduce your risk of heart disease by eating right and exercising. Here are some tips on what to eat and what to stay away from. At the end, you will find some advice on exercise. This should start you on your way to a healthier heart.
| Breads, cereals, rice, and pasta: six or more servings per day | ||
| Foods to eat | ||
| Breads with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving (examples: whole grain bread, English muffins, bagels, buns, corn and flour tortillas) | ||
| Oat, wheat, corn, and multigrain cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving | ||
| Whole wheat pasta | ||
| Brown rice | ||
Low-fat animal crackers, graham crackers, soda crackers, bread sticks, melba toast, and other crackers that have all of the following:
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| Homemade baked goods made with unsaturated oil, skim or 1 percent milk, and egg substitute (examples: quick breads, biscuits, cornbread, muffins, bran muffins, pancakes, waffles) | ||
| Foods to avoid | ||
| Breads with fat, butter, or eggs listed as one of the first ingredients (examples: croissants, tortillas made with added fats) | ||
| Granola made with partially hydrogenated oil | ||
| White pasta | ||
| White rice | ||
| High-fat crackers and those made with partially hydrogenated oil | ||
| Commercially baked pastries, biscuits | ||
| Dairy products and dairy substitutes: three servings (each 1 cup) per day | ||
| Foods to eat | ||
| Skim milk, thick skim milk, 1 percent milk, buttermilk | ||
| Soy or rice drinks | ||
| Low-fat cheese with less than 3 grams of fat per serving, including natural cheese, processed cheese, and nondairy cheese such as soy cheese | ||
| Low-fat, nonfat, and dry-curd cottage cheese with less than 2 percent fat | ||
| Low-fat or nonfat coffee creamer and sour cream (read the label, and avoid if sugar is one of the first three ingredients) | ||
| Foods to avoid | ||
| Whole milk, 2 percent milk | ||
| Yogurt and yogurt drinks made with whole milk | ||
| Regular cheeses (examples: American, blue, Brie, cheddar, Colby, Edam, Monterey Jack, part-skim mozzarella, Parmesan, Neufchâtel cheeses) | ||
| Regular cottage cheese | ||
| Cream, half and half, whipping cream, regular nondairy creamer or flavored creamer, whipped topping, sour cream | ||
| Eggs and egg substitutes: no more than two egg yolks per week (four if eggs have added omega-3 fats) | ||
| Foods to eat | ||
| Egg whites (two whites can substituted for one whole egg in recipes), cholesterol-free egg substitute | ||
| Foods to avoid | ||
| Egg yolks (more than two per week; this includes eggs used in cooking and baking) | ||
| Fats and oils: no more than 6 teaspoons per day | ||
| Foods to eat | ||
| Unsaturated oils: olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, soybean oil | ||
| Spreads with little or no trans-fatty acids (some brand names: Smart Balance Omega Plus and original, Canola Harvest non-hydrogenated spread, others such as Benecol and Take Control) | ||
| Salad dressings made with unsaturated oil, or low- fat or nonfat varieties | ||
| Foods to avoid | ||
| Saturated oils: coconut oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil | ||
| Hydrogenated oils | ||
| Trans-fatty acids (partially hydrogenated oils) | ||
| Butter, lard, shortening, bacon fat, stick margarine, margarine with partially hydrogenated oil | ||
| Foods made with olestra (brand name: Olean) should be limited; may cause gastrointestinal symptoms and keep fat-soluble vitamins out of circulation | ||
| Fruits: 2 cups per day (about two regular-sized pieces of fruit) | ||
| Foods to eat | ||
| A variety of fruits; all fruits are allowed. Limit dried fruit to 1/2 cup. | ||
| Meat and meat substitutes: no more than 6 oz per day | ||
| Foods to eat | ||
| Lean cuts of well-trimmed beef, pork, lamb (examples: loin or round. Choose select grade, not prime or choice) | ||
| Fish or shellfish without butter | ||
| Processed meat prepared from lean meats (examples: lean ham, lean hot dogs, lean meat with soy protein added) | ||
| Poultry without skin | ||
| Tofu, tempeh, vegetable patties | ||
| Cooked dried or canned beans (legumes) and peas | ||
| Foods to avoid | ||
| Fatty cuts of beef, pork, and lamb; regular ground beef; spare ribs; organ meats | ||
| Fish or shellfish with butter or high-fat sauces | ||
| Nuts and seeds, including olives and avocados: 1/2 cup per day most days | ||
| Foods to eat | ||
| Seeds and nuts, including avocados, olives, natural peanut butter (no more than 2 tablespoons per day) | ||
| Foods to avoid | ||
| Coconut, peanut butter made with partially hydrogenated oil | ||
| Soups and other mixed dishes: Servings per day depend on ingredients | ||
| Foods to eat | ||
| Reduced-fat or low-fat soups | ||
| Soups with less than 600 mg sodium per serving (examples: chicken or beef noodle, minestrone, tomato, vegetable, potato soups) | ||
| Foods to avoid | ||
| Soups made with whole milk, cream, meat fat, poultry fat, or poultry skin | ||
| Soups with 600 mg or more sodium per serving | ||
| Sweets and desserts: If your triglyceride levels are above normal, avoid foods in this section. Otherwise, eat only small amounts. | ||
| Foods to eat | ||
| Syrup, turbinado sugar, honey, jam, preserves, fruit-flavored gelatin, sucralose (brand name: Splenda), aspartame (brand names: NutraSweet, Equal) | ||
| Dark chocolate | ||
| Low-fat and nonfat frozen yogurt, low-fat and nonfat ice cream, sherbet, sorbet, fruit ice, frozen ice pops (one brand: Popsicle) | ||
| Cookies, cake, pie, and pudding made with egg whites or egg substitute, skim milk or 1 percent milk, and unsaturated oil | ||
| Gingersnaps, fig and other fruit bar cookies, fat-free cookies, angel food cake, desserts with no more than 3 grams of fat per serving | ||
| Foods to avoid | ||
| Candy made with milk chocolate, chocolate, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, or palm oil | ||
| Milk chocolate | ||
| Regular ice cream and frozen treats made with regular ice cream | ||
| Commercially baked pies, cakes, doughnuts, high-fat cookies, cream pies | ||
| Baked goods made with partially hydrogenated oil. | ||
| Vegetables: at least three to five servings per day | ||
| Foods to eat | ||
| Fresh or frozen vegetables without added fat or salt | ||
| Vegetables stir fried with small amounts of unsaturated oil | ||
| Foods to avoid | ||
| Vegetables fried or cooked with butter, cheese, or cream sauce | ||
| Exercise | ||
| Recommended activities | ||
| Gardening, cleaning the house, walking, climbing stairs, playing with children, activities with friends and family, raking leaves, walking to the store, parking far away, dancing, shoveling snow, yoga | ||
| Cycling, hiking, racquetball, running, swimming, walking, weight training | ||
| Activities to avoid | ||
| Excessive inactivity |