October 07th, 2020

​Food for a Healthy Heart

It's never too late to look after your heart, improve your health, and get the most out of life. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the best foods for your heart:
 
​Fruit and Vegetables 
Have fruits and/or vegetables at every meal and for most snacks. 
 
Grains and Starchy Vegetables

• Select whole grain breads or high-fibre breakfast cereals, in place of white bread and low fibre varieties. 
• Have a baked potatoes or kumara instead of deep-fried chips.
• Swap white flour for wholemeal.
• Just eat one grainy or starchy food at each meal

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Protein – meat, poultry, legumes, fish, seafood and eggs

• Include a protein in one or more meals each day.
• Cut fat off meat and chicken
• Drain the fat of tinned products
• Steam, grill or pan fry fish and seafood
• Add legumes to meat dishes they make the meat go further

 
Dairy Products

• Have low-fat milk, and milk products.
• Eat reduced fat cheeses
• Select a plain unsweetened yoghurt over sweet baking

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Oil, Nuts and Seeds

• Use margarine instead of butter as a spread
• Cook with oil rather than butter, ghee and coconut fats 
• Have nuts and seeds for snack instead of potato chips
• Use avocado in sandwiches and salads instead of mayonnaise
• Limit these to manage your weight

Drinks

• Drink plenty of fluids each day, particularly water
• Have unsweetened tea and coffee with low fat milk
• Have soda water instead of fizzy drinks and fruit juices.
• Keep your alcohol consumption down

 
General tips

• When cooking limit sugar or salt 
• Choose ready-prepared foods, snacks and drinks low in saturated fat, sugar and sodium. 
• Avoid butter, deep-fried and fatty foods 
• Have sweet bakery products or pastries and fruit juices only occasionally.

If you are struggling to change your diet Therapy Professionals friendly Dietitian can help just contact us.
                                                Phone: 03 377 5280                      Email: [email protected]