Heart Healthy Tips

• Balance calorie intake and physical activity to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight
• Consume a diet rich in vegetables and fruits
• Choose whole-grain, high-fiber foods
• Consume fish, especially oily fish, at least twice a week
• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol
• Minimize your intake of beverages and foods with added sugars
• Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt
• If you consume alcohol, do so in moderation

National Nutrition Month/Overall Healthy Eating Tips

      1.    Focus on fruits - Eat a variety of fruits-fresh, frozen, canned or dried. For a 2,000 calorie diet, you need 2 cups of fruit  each day.   

      2.    Vary your veggies - Eat more orange and dark green vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli and dark leafy greens. Include beans and peas such as  pinto beans, kidney beans, split peas and lentils more often.

     3.     Get your calcium-rich foods - Have 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk-or an equivalent amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese every day (11⁄2 ounces of  cheese equals 1 cup of milk). If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium-fortified foods and beverages.

      4.    Make half your grains whole-Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or pasta every day. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats,  or corn are referred to as "whole" in the list of ingredients.

     5.     Go lean with protein-  Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it or grill it. And vary your protein choices with more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

     6.     Know the limits on fats, salt and sugars - Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little sodium and/or added sugars.