Heart Health

Eating for heart health should focus on making small changes that continue long term. There should not be a focus on “good” and “bad” foods or restrictive diets. It should be a combination of foods chosen regularly.

Eat a Variety of Vegetables, fruit and Wholegrains

Include Healthy Protein Rich Foods

Swap Out Processed Meats with Healthier Alternatives

Choose Healthy Dairy Food Options

Balancing Healthy Fats

Reduce Salt Intake

Eat a Variety of Vegetables, fruit and Wholegrains

Foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants have been shown to reduce heart disease risk. Wholegrain foods are high in fibre and can help lower cholesterol.

Tips:

1.     Eat the rainbow;  add colour and variety to meals

2.     Add Salad to Wholegrain sandwiches

3.     Add fruit to Breakfast

4. Eat seasonal fruit and vegetable

Include Healthy Protein Rich Foods

Legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and seafood are the most beneficial sources of protein. Red meat should be limited to less than 350g (1-3 meals) a week.

Tips:

1.     Add legumes to soups and salads, eat roasted chickpeas as a snack on the go, serve hummus with vegetables as a snack, substitute mince with lentils or chickpeas in homemade burger patties

2.     Add nuts and seeds into stir fries (cashews, peanuts and sesame seeds) or pasta dishes (pine nuts and walnuts), toss lightly toasted almonds, walnuts or sunflower seeds into salads, sprinkle chopped nuts or seeds on porridge, cereal, or yoghurt

3.     Add unflavoured tinned tuna or salmon to top a healthy salad, add seafood marinara mixes to stir fries and pasta dishes, try baked or steamed fish parcels

4.     Include eggs with vegetables, try hard boiled eggs as a snack or eggs on toast with avocado; note a maximum 7 eggs a week is recommended for those with high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes or heart disease

5.     When cooking poultry, remove the skin and choose lean cuts like chicken or turkey breast.

Swap Out Processed Meats with Healthier Alternatives

When making sandwiches and salads, use roast chicken, unflavoured tinned tuna, or eggs, instead of ham, salami or other processed meats. Enjoy falafels or homemade veggie or meat patties as an alternative to sausages in wraps and burgers.

Choose Healthy Dairy Food Options

Eat unflavoured yoghurt as a snack or for breakfast with fruit or nuts and seeds for extra flavour. Swap butter for healthier alternatives like avocado, olive oil or oil spreads. Another snack can be cottage cheese or ricotta on wholegrain crackers.

Balancing Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Foods that are rich in healthy fats include: nuts, seeds, olives and avocados and their oils/spreads/butters. Oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines. Unhealthy fats are saturated and trans fats. Foods that contain these are animal fats including butter, ghee, lard, hydrogenated plant oils like copha, vegetable shortening, coconut oil, palm oil and processed fried foods.

Swapping Unhealthy Fats for Healthy Fats Tips:

1.     muffins, chips or biscuits for fruit, nuts or veggie sticks

2.     Deep fried foods for steamed, boiled or pan-fried foods

3.     Butter or coconut oil in cooking for olive, canola, peanut or sunflower oils

4.     Butter as a spread for avocado, nut butters, tahini or margarine made from healthy oils

Reduce Salt Intake

Recommended maximum salt daily intake is 5grams. To reduce salt intake, choose fresh fruit and vegetables and flavour meals with herbs and spice instead of excessive salt. Select reduced salt versions of packaged food for example, low sodium stock, vegemite, tomato paste/sauces.

Health, N. (2021, March 24). The guidelines | Eat For Health. Eatforhealth.gov.au. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/guidelines