A sample diet plan for heart diseases is called a heart-healthy diet by the American Heart Association. It concentrates on heart-healthy foods that improve your cardiovascular functioning, aid in removing plaque from your arterial walls, reduce your risks of developing heart diseases and improve your circulation. Heart-healthy foods are high in fiber and healthy fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated varieties, rich in antioxidants, and low in saturated and trans fats.
Breakfast
Eat high-fiber cereal. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 1 1/2 cup serving of oatmeal supplies 6 g of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps remove harmful cholesterol from your arterial walls. Add a sliced banana and get another 3 to 4 g of fiber. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends you get 10 g of soluble fiber daily to reap the highest level of plaque-removing benefits. Drink hot tea as your beverage.
Mid-Morning Snack
Eat fresh fruits or vegetables. High in both fiber and antioxidants, according to the USDA, these foods provide you with nutrients that food from vending machines might lack. Take a bag of fresh produce such as baby carrots and snow peas to work with you.
Enjoy whole-grain crackers that are made without partially hydrogenated oils and slices of low-fat cheese. Spread some almond butter on celery sticks. Spread some hummus on whole-grain pita slices. Eat a fresh apple with either almond or peanut butter on it.
Lunch
Eat a 2-cup serving of homemade soup. Lentil or bean soup provide extra fiber and low-fat protein. Minestrone provides extra oxidants and fiber, plus it is low in calories. The USDA recommends serving whole-grain pita bread, crackers or cornbread that is made without shortening with your soup.
If soup is not to your liking, mix some albacore tuna with low-fat mayonnaise and Italian seasoning. Spread mustard on whole-grain bread that is enriched with omega-3 fatty acids or has added flax seeds in it. Spread the tuna on the bread.
Mid-Afternoon Snack
Avoid those 3 o'clock blues by enjoying the pick me up of a high-protein snack consisting of a handful of pistachios, walnuts or almonds along with a fresh pear or nectarine. Eat a fresh apple with either almond or peanut butter on it. You can also drink a fruit smoothie made with low-fat yogurt and fresh fruit. Sprinkle some ground flax seeds in it for fiber and protein.
Dinner
Have your main dish be high in omega-3 fatty acids. According to the Mayo Clinic, salmon is especially recommended because of its LDL cholesterol-lowering properties. Salmon is also high in antioxidants. Other fish that lower LDL include herring, mackerel, trout, sardines and albacore tuna. Sprinkle some basil, rosemary or garlic on the fish before cooking.
Or you can eat soy foods such as tofu marinated in mushroom sauce or tempeh cooked with basil. Soy foods contain plant sterols, which the American Dietetic Association recommends for heart disease diet plans.
Steamed vegetables make for a good side dish. Make a mixture of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and onions. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning before serving, if desired. Or you can have a medium-size potato, either baked or steamed. Serve with plain, non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream.
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