Let’s dive into six heart-healthy foods you can add to your daily routine to help lower your risk of heart disease.
Heart-Healthy Food: Fruit
It is crucial to incorporate fruits into your day. Fruit is a great source of vitamins and minerals that support our overall heart health. Those who include a regular dose of fruit into their diet generally have a reduced risk of chronic diseases. Fruits to mix into your diet could include:
- Blueberries: This fruit has one of the highest doses of antioxidant capacities amongst any other fruits. By including just one cup of raw blueberries into your daily routine, you will consume 24% of your daily vitamin C intake. If you are ready to incorporate this superfood into your meal routine, check out 14 inspiring blueberry recipe options
- Avocados: This unique fruit packs a healthful punch which includes heart-healthy fats, called omega-3 fatty acids, and over twenty different vitamins and minerals. Avocados, like most fruits, do not contain any cholesterol or sodium. For a hearty, healthy avocado snack, try out Fareway’s avocado salsa recipe
- Oranges: On average, an orange contains about 70 milligrams of vitamin C, which holds antioxidant properties known to boost immunity.
Heart-Healthy Food: Vegetables
Many of us grew up being told to finish our vegetables during dinner. And guess what: our parents were right! Vegetables are low in calories and are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber. Fiber plays an important role lowering cholesterol and helping you stay full throughout the day. By incorporating vegetables into your daily routine, you could help control your blood pressure and manage your weight. Heart-healthy vegetables to include in your recipe routine should include:
- Spinach: When you think of healthy vegetables one of the first to pop into your head should be spinach. This vegetable is a vitamin super hero, full of vitamins A,C,E and K.
- Onions: Though you may cry while peeling these vegetables, your insides are rejoicing. The phytochemicals in onions are known to improve how vitamin C works in the body, giving you improved immunity. Additionally, onions contain chromium, which assists in regulating blood sugar.
- Green Peas: These vegetables are a powerhouse of vitamin K and dietary fiber. They are low in fat, but you can count on them being high in all other healthful aspects.
- Kale: This superfood is low calorie, high in fiber and has no fat. When you have a diet that incorporates kale you can protect yourself from various cancers in addition to supporting bone and heart health.
Heart-Healthy Food: Salmon
One of the best foods to include in your heart-healthy diet is salmon. This popular fish is a good source of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids. And it doesn’t stop there for health benefits; salmon also includes a substantial dose of vitamins A, B and D. Looking for healthful salmon recipes? Look no further! Try out a few of Fareways favorite salmon recipes:
Heart-Healthy Food: Nuts
Nuts are most commonly associated with being packed with protein. However, most are also loaded with other heart-healthy benefits as well. Eating nuts can lower your chances of heart disease, heart attacks and developing blood clots. The best nuts to include in your diet are almonds, cashews, and pistachios. Though these nuts are the lowest in calorie and pack healthy benefits, it is important to watch how many you eat. Stick to one serving per day and opt for a raw or dry roasted rather than those roasted in oil.
Heart-Healthy Food: Oatmeal
Oatmeal is more than just a healthful breakfast food; this heart-healthy meal packs a big punch when it comes to nutritional value. Oatmeal is a whole grain, offering additional fiber which can help lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. The fiber in oatmeal also supports weight loss by helping to keep you fuller longer.
Heart-Healthy Food: Dark Chocolate
This heart-healthy option needs to be used sparingly, but it is loaded with amazing health benefits. Produced from the seed of a cocoa tree, dark chocolate is a great source of antioxidants and has been found to reduce our chance of heart disease. When looking to indulge in dark chocolate, ensure you are buying the most heart healthy option by finding those highest in cocoa content.
Improve Your Heart Health With the Help of Fareway!
A healthy diet is just as good for your heart as it is for the rest of your body. Take a stab at making a more conscious effort this year to remain heart healthy with the help of Fareway. For healthy recipes and the latest deals on heart-healthy foods, check out Fareway’s CentsAble Health today!
