Heart Healthy Eating: 6 Tips to Help You Rethink How You Eat for Better Heart Health Heart Health Nutrition

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women, eating healthier is an issue that most of us need to pay attention to. Each year, about 805,000 Americans have a heart attack.

The good news is that there are things we can do to help reduce our heart disease risk, with what we eat playing an important role. Here are some tips for helping to re-think your eating for better heart health:

• Breakfast – Reach for whole-grain toast, whole-grain cereals and don’t forget a serving of vegetables and/or fruit. To get in even more servings, try a fruit and veggie smoothie, like this Green Dragon Smoothie.

• Lunch – Pack a quick and healthy lunch that includes items like salads, hummus and veggies, tuna salad with wholegrain crackers or bread, or homemade low-sodium soups that you can make ahead of time and take a couple of days in a row.

• Dinner – Opt for seafood, which has heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Other good options include beans, salads with dressing, quinoa, whole grains, veggie burgers, chickpeas, lentils and filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables.

• Snacks – Skip the chips and cakes and opt for food like unsalted nuts, fruits and veggies, seeds, rice cakes, bell pepper slices, vegetables and hummus, or whole-grain toast with all-natural peanut butter.

• Drinks – Leave the sugary drinks behind and opt for water, sparkling water, plain soymilk, unsweetened coffee and tea, or water steeped with fruit.

• Dining Out – When dining out, opt for dishes that are lower in sodium and fat content, such as those that are baked, grilled or broiled, rather than ones that are fried. Minimize sugar intake with unsweetened beverages and sticking to mostly fruits for sugar cravings.

To learn more, visit DoctorYum.com.

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