Diet plays a significant role in the risk of heart attack and stroke. Many of your favorite dishes may be cooked as healthier versions with subtle changes to ingredients. It takes a little time to figure out the best substitutions, but they make all the difference.

The Mayo Clinic shares tips to update your diet to accommodate healthier habits that will reduce your chances of a heart attack or stroke.

1. Control portion sizes – How much you eat is just as important as what you eat.
2. Eat more vegetables and fruits – Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, which are all important components of a healthy diet. Be careful of fruits with added sugars and vegetables with added fats.
3. Choose whole grains – Whole grains are great for controlling blood pressure and overall heart health. Consume whole grains over those with white refined flour or high levels of sugar with limited nutrients like muffins and cakes.
4. Limit unhealthy fats: limit saturated fats and stay away from trans fats – Check your nutrition labels! Saturated fats and trans fats are listed on packaging. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of total daily calories. Examples of fats to choose include avocados, olive oil, and nuts and seeds in the appropriate portion sizes.
5. Choose low fat protein sources – Lean meats like fish and poultry as well as low fat Greek yogurt and legumes are great low fat protein sources!
6. Limit and reduce sodium and salt – The American Heart Association recommends that adults have no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. That’s about a teaspoon of salt. Ideally have no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day.
7. Plan ahead: create daily menus – While meal prep adds a little time to your weekly cooking, it allows you to control the variety of food you eat and ensures you get all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs.
8. Have a treat occasionally – You don’t need to completely deprive yourself to be successful in having a heart healthy diet. Everything is okay in moderation. Just don’t let treats turn into an excuse for giving up on your healthy-eating plan.¹

The American Heart Association shares some great recipes for a heart healthy diet to help you take the guesswork out of proportions and healthy swaps so you may still enjoy your preferred foods. There are four pages of holiday recipes on their website including many holiday favorites like mashed potatoes, cornbread, pork tenderloin and pineapple upside down cake!

Maintaining a healthy diet doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. It takes consistency and a little extra work, but the benefits far outweigh the consequences.

1 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-healthy-diet/art-20047702, Accessed 11/19/2024.