Tips to Create A Heart-Healthy Kitchen

Keeping heart-healthy foods on hand is one good way to encourage smarter eating. When shopping at your grocery store, keep your main focus around the perimeter of the store. That’s where you’ll find nutrition-dense fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and low-fat dairy foods.

Processed foods, such as canned vegetables and boxed mixes—often high in fat and sodium but low in nutritional value—are found in the center aisles. Consider the following tips when trying to stock kitchen shelves and cook heart-healthy meals: 

• Use oil in moderation, and choose olive and canola oil because both are high in monounsaturated fat. Canola oil is best for baking and sauteing mild-flavored dishes. Olive oil adds an additional dimension of flavor to savory dishes.
• Use seasonings such as herbs and spices to boost flavor in foods without increasing sodium. Experiment with different salt-free spice blends such as rubs in your favorite casseroles and soups.
• Choose reduced-fat or fat-free dairy products instead of the full-fat variety. Reduced-fat dairy products perform better than fat-free if heated, but you can use fat-free ingredients in cold dips, spreads or toppings.
• Look for lean meats, such as those that include the words “loin” and “round” in the name. Pork tenderloin and ground round are great choices.
• Fresh fruit or veggie sticks make the best snacks. But if you’re craving something salty, look for baked chips and unsalted pretzels in the snack aisle, try popping your own popcorn with an air popper, or compare labels on granola bars and choose one with 3 g or more of fiber per serving.