Eating Right

Eating Right for a Healthy Heart

Eating fewer high fat, high cholesterol foods and watching calories are important steps to a healthier diet and a healthier heart.

GUIDELINES FOR A HEALTHY HEART
With your doctor, determine the number of calories needed each day to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight.

  • Eat fewer high-fat foods
  • Keep fat intake to 30% of your total daily calories
  • Replace some saturated fat with unsaturated fat
  • (Limit saturated fat to 8% to 10% of total calories)
  • Lower cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day
  • Choose foods high in starch and fiber
  • If you drink alcohol, do so  in moderation.

READ LABELS ON THE FOODS YOU BUY

LABEL for one can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup 10.75 oz (305g) 

To calculate the percentage of fat per serving:
Take the number of Fat calories and divide by Total calories
In the following example: 60/100 = 60% calories from fat

Nutrition Facts

Amount/Serving

% DV*

Amount/Serving

% DV*

Serv size ½ cup (120ml) condensed soup
Servings: 2.5
Calories: 100
Fat calories: 60

TOTAL FAT 7g SAT FAT 2g
CHOL <5mg
SODIUM 870mg

11%
10%
2 %
36 %

TOTAL CARB9 g
FIBER 1g
SUGARS 1g
PROTEIN 1g

3%
4%
*Percent (%) Daily Values (DV) based on a 2,000 calorie per day

To choose low-fat products, ask yourself:

  1. Is fat a major ingredient? Read food labels. To avoid too much fat or cholesterol, go easy on products that list any ingredient high in saturated fat or cholesterol first (oils, lard, cheese).
  2. Is there more than one type of fat in the product?   When you see several high-fat ingredients on the label, the product could have too much fat.
  3. Is the serving size appropriate? When you are figuring out the fat content in a good, make sure you use a serving size that is close to what you would really - eat which could be more than the label says (e.g.. ½ cup vs. 1 whole can of soup)

Choose your low-cholesterol, healthy heart diet
To get the nutrients you need, eat a variety of foods from different food groups.

 

CHOOSE

GO EASY

AVOID

Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish (6 oz/day)

Lean cuts of meat, chicken or turkey without skin, fish

Shellfish

“Prime” grade fatty cuts of meat, duck, liver, sausage, bacon, hot dogs.

Dairy products
(2 servings/day)

Skim milk, 1% milk, low-fat buttermilk, low-fat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, cheese with no more than 3 grams fat/oz.

2% milk, yogurt, “lite” cream cheese ”lite” sour cream

Whole milk, cream, half and half, whipped cream, cream cheese, whole milk ricotta, hard cheese

Eggs

Egg whites, chol free egg substitutes

Egg yolks
(3-4/week)

 

Fats and Oils
(5-8 t/day)

Corn, olive, canola, safflower, sesame, soybean and sunflower oils; margarine that has liquid vegetable oil as first ingredient

Nuts, seeds, Avocados, olives, peanut oil

Saturated fats, butter, lard, bacon fat, palm oils

Breads, cereals, pasta, rice, dried peas and beans and other legumes

Most breads, rice cakes, water bagels, English muffins, spaghetti, macaroni, plain baked potato, low fat crackers (matzo, rye crisps, saltines)

Store bought pancakes, muffins, waffles, biscuits

Croissants, danish, sweet rolls, donuts, pasta or rice with cream or butter

Fruits/vegeta bles
(5 or more servings)

Fresh, Frozen or dried fruits and vegetables, canned if in water vs. syrup

Canned fruit in heavy syrup

Coconuts, vegetables served in butter or cream

Snacks
(in limited amounts)

Sherbet, sorbet, Italian ice, low-fat frozen yogurt, angel food cake, V-8 juice

Ice milk, cobblers, home made cakes and cookies with unsaturate d oils

Frozen tofu, ice cream, candy, chocolate, eggnog, potato chips, pop corn with butter butt

EATING OUT
Be just as careful when you eat at restaurants as you are when cooking for yourself.

The advantage to preparing foods at home is that you know the ingredients.

Fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry and meat have no additives and are easy to prepare ingredients for your meals. Good, fresh, quality foods do not need a lot of sauces and preservatives. They are good all by themselves. They are also much less expensive. Check it out!

As a guideline when eating in a restaurant:

  • Use vegetable oil and vinegar dressings
  • Avoid cheese or mayonnaise toppings
  • Avoid butter or sour cream toppings
  • Use margarine instead of butter
  • Eat broiled or grilled poultry (remove the skin)
  • Eat beef with the excess fat trimmed (ask the chef)
  • Eat fish broiled or poached
  • Have marinara, clam, or tomato sauce without meat
  • Use skim milk or nondairy, nonfat creamer
  • For desert - sherbet or fresh fruit are good choices 

We hope this information is helpful.   Good luck and stay happy and healthy!

The information enclosed is general in nature. Your best resource for your individual needs is your physician, one of whom you are comfortable to consult regarding your own special circumstances. Of course, you are always entitled to a second opinion from another physician in your area.

Office Address: 4490 Fanuel Street, San Diego, CA 92109
Phone (858) 274-9116

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