This year, I will feed my heart well
As you say hello to the new year, welcome the opportunity to start eating better for your heart and your health. Here’s a list of 12 foods that we should try to eat more often.
- Salmon. It’s one of the best sources of the heart healthy, omega-3 fats and tastes wonderful baked, broiled or grilled. If you’re concerned about PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in farmed (Atlantic) salmon, then avoid eating the skin and fat (the grayish-brown part) of the fish where most of the PCBs are found. Alternatively, you could go for wild (Pacific) salmon, which contains fewer PCBs, and is available fresh, frozen or canned. Mackerel, herring, and trout are other types of fatty fish that provide the praised omega-3 fats. The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that we eat fish meals at least twice a week.
- Omega-3 enriched foods. Plant-based omega-3 fats are found in a variety of different foods. Look for omega-3 enriched eggs, bread and soy beverages. Flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil, soybean oil and non-hydrogenated margarines made from these oils are other great sources of omega-3 fats.
- Butternut squash. Actually, try eating any red, orange or yellow coloured vegetables more often! Carrots, beets, bell peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, red cabbage and pumpkin are filled with special phytonutrients (plant nutrients) called lycopene and beta-carotene. These foods are Mother Nature’s way of keeping us healthy. Make them regular items on your grocery list.
- Broccoli. Don’t stop at the red coloured veggies! Dark green ones like asparagus, spinach, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, green beans, romaine lettuce, Swiss chard, watercress and snow peas are incredibly nutritious too. Broccoflower and broccolini are twists on broccoli – look for them in your grocery store.
- Kohlrabi or okra or jicama. Are these new to you? Perfect! The idea here is to try vegetables that you’ve never ever eaten before. With so many interesting ethnic vegetables available, you can try a different one each week. Search for recipes online or in magazines. The less you know about the vegetable, the greater the eating and tasting adventure!
- Blueberries and fruits from all colours of the rainbow. Together, eating at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruit every day can lower your chances of heart disease by 20% to 40%.* Get into the habit of eating fruit for snacks and dessert. During the fall and winter months, buy apples, oranges, pears, grapes, grapefruit and frozen berries. In the summer, dig into juicy mangoes, papayas, pineapple, apricots, fresh berries, cherries, plums and peaches. For extra fibre, eat the skins whenever you can.
- Oatmeal. Although your parents may not have known about soluble fibre, they probably did know that there was a lot of goodness in their bowls of hot oatmeal. Packed with cholesterol-lowering soluble fibre, oatmeal is also considered a whole grain. In other words, it contains the whole package of nutrients found in all three parts of the grain. Dietitians recommend eating more whole grains because of their positive effect on heart health. So, in addition to oatmeal, try eating all kinds of whole grains such as barley, brown rice, buckwheat noodles, whole wheat spaghetti, spelt, whole rye bread and bulgur.
- Nuts. All nuts get two thumbs up for their high proportions of the good, heart healthy, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. But peanuts, walnuts and almonds deserve special mention for their folate, omega-3 fat and vitamin E content respectively. Remember that a serving is one ounce, or about a small handful of nuts.
- Beans. Low in fat, high in fibre, and wonderfully versatile, beans should make it to our dinner plates more often. Lentil and rice pilaf, chana masala, black bean salad, vegetarian chili and minestrone soup are just some of the interesting and tasty ways to enjoy these humble yet nutritious foods.
- Ginger, garlic, cinnamon and other spices. Season your food with fresh herbs and spices. This helps to cut down on salt and fat without compromising on flavour.
- Tea. Both black and green tea contain a class of antioxidants called flavonoids. These flavonoids appear to lower the risk for heart attack, stroke and heart disease. More research is needed to fully understand just how this works; but for now, sit back, relax and enjoy a cup or two of tea.
- Non-hydrogenated margarine. Because it’s low in saturated fat, trans fat free and a source of omega-3 fats, soft, non-hydrogenated margarine is a heart healthy alternative to butter. So, whether you’re cooking, baking or just want a little something on toast, choose a soft tub margarine, like Becel.
*Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in British Columbia, by Estelle Dufresne and Ryna Levy Milne, British Columbia Ministry of Health, March 2001.
http://www.healthplanning.gov.bc.ca/prevent/pdf/fruit-veg-consump.pdf