In the United States, someone dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The good news is, research suggests that many of these deaths could be prevented with lifestyle changes, including a better diet. Genetics does play a role, as well. Eating for heart health is as much about what you do eat as it is about limiting certain foods and ingredients. Read on for a guide to what heart-healthy foods to buy including fruits and vegetables, meat, seafood, grains, desserts, frozen foods and drinks, plus what foods to limit to support your heart.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a heart-healthy diet. They provide nutrients that are linked to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, including fiber, potassium, magnesium and phytonutrients. "Don't worry about which ones are 'best' and choose the ones you will actually eat," encourages Lindsey Pine, M.S., RDN, CLT, owner of Tasty Balance Nutrition. Megan Byrd, RD, at The Oregon Dietitian, adds, "To get the most out of the produce aisle, choose a variety of colors."
Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh. Just watch out for any added sugars or salt. Canned fruits and vegetables can be part of a heart-healthy diet, but limit ones with added sugar or lots of sodium. A 2023 BioMed Central study concluded that diets high in sugar are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and too much sodium can increase risk of high blood pressure.
Best options:
- Any fresh fruits and vegetables
- Avocados, which offer heart-healthy monounsaturated fats
- Fresh herbs, like basil and cilantro
- Plain frozen fruits and vegetables
- Canned fruit in fruit juice
- No-salt-added canned vegetables or reduced-sodium options
Limit or avoid:
- Canned vegetables with added salt
- Canned fruit in heavy syrup or light syrup
Meat, Poultry, Fish and Plant-Based Proteins
When choosing heart-healthy proteins, plant-based proteins and fish are best. They are abundant in the Mediterranean diet, a dietary pattern that has been shown to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.
Byrd recommends avoiding high-fat and processed meats such as bacon, sausage and heavily marbled cuts of beef and pork. Processed meats, especially those with more saturated fat are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. But you may even want to give some of the leaner cuts of red meat a second look. A 2019 European Heart Journal study suggests that eating any kind of red meat increases a circulating chemical called TMAO, which may also increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. That's not to say you can never enjoy a steak or a hamburger, just choose those less often.
Best protein options:
These have been shown to help prevent cardiovascular disease as part of a balanced diet.
- Beans (dried or canned with no added salt)
- Lentils
- Tofu and tempeh
- Nuts and seeds
- Fish, especially salmon, mackerel and sardines, which are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fats
Good protein options:
These likely do not increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, but have not been shown to decrease your risk either. Research on dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk is mixed, but the consensus from the American Heart Association is to focus on balanced dietary patterns rather than eliminating foods with relatively high amounts of dietary cholesterol like eggs and shellfish.
- Shellfish
- Eggs
- Lean poultry
Limit or avoid these proteins:
These foods are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Red meat
- Processed meats including sausage, bacon, salami, hot dogs, etc.
Grains
When choosing grain-based products, "it's all about whole grains," says Laura Yetz, RD, at Being Nutritious. Whole grains contain fiber and phytonutrients linked to reduced risk of heart disease. "Watch out for labels like 'made with whole grains,' which can be misleading marketing claims," adds Yetz. While whole grains may be in those products, they don't necessarily make up a big chunk of them. There may not be as much beneficial fiber as you might think. Instead, look for the 100% Whole Grain Stamp, which indicates that all of the grains in the product are whole. Or, look for products that list a whole grain, like whole-wheat flour, as the first ingredient.
That said, "Bread products can be a sneaky source of sodium," notes Pine. And Jennifer O'Donnell-Giles, M.S., RD, CSSD, adds to also watch out for hydrogenated oils and added sugars, which can show up in breads, cereals and crackers.
"One easy way to identify heart-healthy packaged grains is to look for the American Heart Association heart check, which signifies it meets specific guidelines outlined by the AHA," says Tejal Pathak, M.S., RD, LD. However, not all heart-healthy foods will have this check mark. For example, bulk whole grains or whole-grain breads from local bakeries are unlikely to have gone through the approval process for the stamp.
Your best bets are going to be whole-grain products like oatmeal and whole-wheat pasta. If you're buying any packaged or processed grains—like crackers or bread—keep an eye on sodium and added sugars, and choose whole-grain options most often.
Best grain options:
- Oats and oatmeal
- Farro
- Wheat berries
- Amaranth
- Barley
- Rye and rye berries
- Quinoa
- Buckwheat
- Kamut
- Brown rice
- Whole-grain bread, pasta and crackers
- Whole-grain cereals with < 5 grams added sugar
Grains to limit:
- White bread, pasta and rice
- Cereals made with refined grains and those with > 5 grams of added sugar
- Crackers and breads made from refined grains
- Grain-based cereal bars
- Grain-based desserts
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
Research on dairy and cardiovascular disease is evolving. A 2021 PLOS Medicine review article suggests that full-fat dairy products might not increase your risk for heart disease as much as we once thought. However, when dairy is replaced with whole grains or plant-based oils, cardiovascular disease risk goes down. The American Heart Association still recommends limiting saturated fat, so choose low-fat or fat-free dairy options most often.
What's the Difference Between Saturated Fat and Unsaturated Fat?
"Use full-fat dairy products like butter and whole milk where it really counts for flavor, but cook with plant-based oils like avocado and olive oil most often," recommends Pine. Another thing to watch out for in dairy products is sugar, which shows up in many flavored products and plant-based dairy alternatives.
Best dairy options:
- Plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt
- Plain low-fat or fat-free milk
- Unsweetened plant-based milks and yogurts
- Flavorful cheese where a little goes a long way such as Parmesan, sharp Cheddar and blue cheese.
- Low-sodium cottage cheese
Limit these options:
- Sweetened yogurts
- Sweetened plant-based dairy alternatives
- Heavy cream
- Butter
Sauces, Condiments and Spices
This can be a tricky part of the grocery store for those looking to eat for heart health. But, "A heart-healthy diet doesn't have to be bland," says O'Donnell-Giles. Limit products that contain a lot of saturated fat, salt and added sugar. Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, suggests looking for dressings and condiments made from olive or canola oil, both of which are linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as part of a balanced eating plan.
You'll also want to consider the rest of your diet. It's recommended you keep sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day (under 1,500 mg if you are at high risk for heart disease), and sugar consumption to less than 24 grams (about 6 teaspoons) per day for women and 36 grams (about 9 teaspoons) per day for men. This can add up quickly with condiments. Often the best option is to make your own, but read labels and look for low-sodium (< 140 mg per serving) and low-sugar (< 3 g per serving) options.
Best sauce, condiment and spice options:
- Plant-based oils, including olive, canola, avocado and nut/seed oils
- Vinegar
- Spices and dried herbs
- Mayonnaise made from canola, olive or avocado oil
- All-natural nut and seed butters made without added sugar or hydrogenated oils
Sauces, condiments and spices that need a second look:
- Spice blends that contain salt
- Soy sauce and other sauces high in sodium
- Tomato sauce
- Bottled salad dressings
- Some hot sauces
- Sauces made with heavy cream
- Barbecue sauce, ketchup and other sweet sauces
- Jam and jelly (low-sugar varieties are OK)
- Coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat
Snack Aisle
The snack aisle has evolved in recent years and if you know what to look for, you can find heart-healthy options. But sneaky marketing claims can steer you wrong, so read ingredient lists and Nutrition Facts labels. Yetz recommends keeping sodium below 140 mg per serving, added sugar under 3 g per serving and saturated fat less than 2 g per serving. Fresh fruits and vegetables make great snacks but here are some options to choose when you're in the snack aisle. Be sure to read labels.
Best snack options:
- Nuts and seeds (choose low-sodium and no-salt-added options)
- Bars made from dried fruit and nuts or seeds, like Larabars
- Low-fat popcorn
- Whole-grain crackers
- Dehydrated fruit and vegetables
- Roasted chickpeas and other dried bean snacks
Snacks to limit:
- Crackers, cookies, and bars made with refined grains and added sugar
- Chips, pretzels and other salty snacks
- Fruit snacks and other high-sugar options
Freezer Aisle
Frozen foods have also progressed, with more emphasis on healthy options. However, many are still high in sodium, sugar and saturated fat, all of which should be limited on a heart-healthy diet, notes Byrd.
Best frozen options:
- Plain frozen fruits and vegetables
- Frozen whole grains, like brown rice
- Whole-wheat breads and pizza dough
- Bean- and vegetable-based vegetarian burgers (watch the sodium)
- Plain frozen fish
Frozen foods to limit:
- Most frozen dinners
- Frozen desserts
- Breaded and fried options
Desserts
If you're looking for a sweet treat, dark chocolate, which contains flavonoids, (phytonutrients that may contribute to less heart disease) is a great option. Fresh fruit is another good bet. Most other desserts contain a lot of added sugar. So, desserts should be something to enjoy on occasion or make yourself. Our heart-healthy dessert recipes all have limited saturated fat and sodium and are often made with less sugar.
Beverages
You already know that water is one of the best options for overall health, but what about other drinks? Sugary drinks are among the top contributors of added sugar in Americans' diets, and should be limited. Diet sodas, made with sugar substitutes, aren't considered any better for heart health. While too much caffeine, found in soft drinks and foods, can raise blood pressure in some people, coffee and tea contain antioxidants that may be good for your heart.
What about alcohol? Research suggests that people who drink red wine in moderation may be at lower risk for cardiovascular disease, but there isn't evidence to suggest that you should start drinking red wine if you don't already drink alcohol.
Best beverage options:
- Water
- Unsweetened seltzers
- Unsweetened tea or coffee
- Moderate intake of red wine
Beverages to limit or avoid:
- Sugary beverages
- Coffee drinks made with cream and sugar or syrups
- Excessive alcohol
