Preventing heart disease starts with a healthy diet
2/5/2024 by Denise Dupras, M.D., Ph.D.
Making healthy choices when shopping and at mealtime can go a long way towards keeping your heart healthy. The first step is to control your portion size. Take a smaller plate to ensure you eat a smaller portion of the things you like.
But what to eat?
In general, a good place to start is eating low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables and cutting down on high-salt, processed and fast foods.
| FRUITS | |
| Eat MORE | Eat LESS |
| Fresh and frozen | Frozen with sugar |
| Canned in fruit juice or water | Canned in heavy syrup |
| VEGETABLES | |
| Eat MORE | Eat LESS |
| Fresh and frozen | Fried, breaded or in cream sauce |
| Low-sodium canned | |
| GRAINS | |
| Eat MORE | Eat LESS |
| Whole wheat bread or pasta | White bread, muffins or biscuits |
| Whole grain bread, brown rice, barley, buckwheat | Donuts and waffles |
| High-fiber cereal | Cakes and pies |
| Oatmeal | |
| FATS | |
| Eat MORE | Eat LESS |
| Olive oil | Butter |
| Canola oil | Gravy |
| Vegetable and nut oil | Cream sauce |
| Margarine | Non-dairy creamers |
| Nuts and seeds | Coconut, palm and cottonseed oils |
| Avocados | Lard |
| Trans fat | |
| PROTEINS | |
| Eat MORE | Eat LESS |
| Low-fat dairy | Full-fat dairy |
| Eggs | Liver |
| Salmon | Hot dogs and sausage |
| Skinless poultry | Bacon |
| Legumes | Fried and breaded meats |
| Tofu | Fatty, marbled meats |
If you want more information, check out Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
Denise Dupras, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician in Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. She earned her medical and doctoral degrees at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and completed her residency in internal medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Her interests include medical education, evidence-based medicine, and care of LGBTQIA+ patients.