Please note: This information was as current as we could make it on the date given above. But medical information is always changing, and some information given here may be out of date. For regularly updated information on a variety of health topics, please visit familydoctor.org, the AAFP patient education Web site.
Information from Your Family Doctor
Keeping Your Heart Healthy Through Good Nutrition and Exercise
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 | Foods to avoid | |
Breads with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving (examples: whole grain bread, English muffins, bagels, buns, corn and flour tortillas) |
Breads with fat, butter, or eggs listed as one of the first ingredients (examples: croissants, tortillas made with added fats) | |
Oat, wheat, corn, and multigrain cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving |
Granola made with partially hydrogenated oil | |
Whole wheat pasta |
White pasta | |
Brown rice |
White rice | |
Low-fat animal crackers, graham crackers, soda crackers, bread sticks, melba toast, and other crackers that have all of the following: |
High-fat crackers and those made with partially hydrogenated oil | |
Commercially baked pastries, biscuits | ||
Less than 2 grams of fat per serving | ||
At least 1 gram of fiber per serving |
||
No hydrogenated oil |
||
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) |
||
| Dairy products and dairy substitutes: three servings (each 1 cup) per day | |
|---|---|
| Foods to eat | Foods to avoid |
Skim milk, thick skim milk, 1 percent milk, buttermilk |
Whole milk, 2 percent milk |
Soy or rice drinks |
Yogurt and yogurt drinks made with whole milk |
Low-fat cheese with less than 3 grams of fat per serving, including natural cheese, processed cheese, and nondairy cheese such as soy cheese |
Regular cheeses (examples: American, blue, Brie, cheddar, Colby, Edam, Monterey Jack, part-skim mozzarella, Parmesan, Neufchâtel cheeses) |
Low-fat, nonfat, and dry-curd cottage cheese with less than 2 percent fat |
Regular cottage cheese |
Low-fat or nonfat coffee creamer and sour cream (read the label, and avoid if sugar is one of the first three ingredients) |
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 | Foods to avoid |
Egg whites (two whites can substituted for one whole egg in recipes), cholesterol-free egg substitute |
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 | Foods to avoid |
Unsaturated oils: olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, soybean oil |
Saturated oils: coconut oil, palm kernel oil, palm 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) | |
Hydrogenated oils | |
Trans-fatty acids (partially hydrogenated oils) | |
Butter, lard, shortening, bacon fat, stick margarine, margarine with partially hydrogenated oil | |
Salad dressings made with unsaturated oil, or low- fat or nonfat varieties |
|
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 | Foods to avoid |
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 | Foods to avoid |
Lean cuts of well-trimmed beef, pork, lamb (examples: loin or round. Choose select grade, not prime or choice) |
Fatty cuts of beef, pork, and lamb; regular ground beef; spare ribs; organ meats Fish or shellfish with butter or high-fat sauces |
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 |
|
| Nuts and seeds, including olives and avocados: 1/2 cup per day most days | |
|---|---|
| Foods to eat | Foods to avoid |
Seeds and nuts, including avocados, olives, natural peanut butter (no more than 2 tablespoons per day) |
Coconut, peanut butter made with partially hydrogenated oil |
| Soups and other mixed dishes: Servings per day depend on ingredients | |
|---|---|
| Foods to eat | Foods to avoid |
Reduced-fat or low-fat soups |
Soups made with whole milk, cream, meat fat, poultry fat, or poultry skin |
Soups with less than 600 mg sodium per serving (examples: chicken or beef noodle, minestrone, tomato, vegetable, potato soups) |
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 | Foods to avoid |
Syrup, turbinado sugar, honey, jam, preserves, fruit-flavored gelatin, sucralose (brand name: Splenda), aspartame (brand names: NutraSweet, Equal) |
Candy made with milk chocolate, chocolate, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, or palm oil |
Dark chocolate |
Milk chocolate |
Low-fat and nonfat frozen yogurt, low-fat and nonfat ice cream, sherbet, sorbet, fruit ice, frozen ice pops (one brand: Popsicle) |
Regular ice cream and frozen treats made with regular ice cream |
Commercially baked pies, cakes, doughnuts, high-fat cookies, cream pies | |
Cookies, cake, pie, and pudding made with egg whites or egg substitute, skim milk or 1 percent milk, and unsaturated oil |
Baked goods made with partially hydrogenated 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 |
|
| Vegetables: at least three to five servings per day | |
|---|---|
| Foods to eat | Foods to avoid |
Fresh or frozen vegetables without added fat or salt |
Vegetables fried or cooked with butter, cheese, or cream sauce |
Vegetables stir fried with small amounts of unsaturated oil |
|
| Exercise | |
|---|---|
| Recommended activities | Activities to avoid |
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 |
Excessive inactivity |
Cycling, hiking, racquetball, running, swimming, walking, weight training |
|
This handout is provided to you by your family doctor and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Other health-related information is available from the AAFP online at http://familydoctor.org.
This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.
Copyright © 2006 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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