Citizens Memorial Hospital | Vitality | Summer 2020

COMMUNITY NUTRITION Don’t be fooled by the word multigrain . Make sure a whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. heart-healthy foods Stock your kitchen with What is one of your best weapons against heart disease? It’s a kitchen stocked with heart-smart foods. That’s because healthy eating is right up there with exercising, watching your weight and not smoking when it comes to lowering your risk for heart problems. And eating foods that are good for your heart is a lot easier when you regularly have them on hand. Take a peek inside your pantry, freezer and fridge. Is it heart-smart? For starters, it should include some of these types of foods: Use these for cooking meals or making salads. Compared to solid fats—like butter, shortening and hard margarine—these vegetable oils are lower in artery-clogging saturated fat. If you eat meat, choose leaner, healthier cuts. Every kitchen should have veggie proteins too, so you can go meatless at least some of the time. For instance, when shopping for proteins, consider choosing: ●   ● Chicken, especially skinless chicken breasts. ●   ● Beans, peas, lentils or tofu. ●   ● Peanut butter. ●   ● Salmon—with its omega-3 oils, it may help protect your heart. ●   ● Lean cuts of red meats, like round, loin or sirloin. S ure, fresh produce tastes best. But frozen or canned versions are easy to use, usually cheaper and longer-lasting (that’s less waste!). Best of all, they can be just as nutritious as fresh. Just be sure to buy canned veggies or beans with the least amounts of sodium or salt, canned fruits packed in water or 100% juice, and frozen veggies without sauces. These versions of milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream also have less cholesterol and fewer calo- ries than whole milk and other full-fat dairy products. Source: American Heart Association What’s in your kitchen? Nontropical vegetable oils (like olive, corn or canola). Lean proteins, including fish Fat-free or low-fat dairy products Whole-grain versions Frozen or canned Fruits and vegetables 12 VITALITY Summer 2020