Heart Healthy Eating

You can help lower your risk for heart disease by following Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. This guide has these important points:

1. Enjoy a VARIETY of foods from all four food groups.
2. Eat more cereals, breads, other grain products, vegetables and fruit, which are high in fibre.
3. Choose lower-fat dairy products, leaner meats and food prepared with little or no fat.
4. Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by enjoying regular physical activity and healthy eating.
5. Limit salt, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine in your daily food program.

• You do not have to give up foods you love…just aim for variety and moderation.
• Canada's Food Guide was designed to help you choose the right foods from each of the four food groups.
• Aim for making low-fat food choices from the four food groups more often.
• To make low fat choices, you first need to know where fat is found in the foods you eat.

Most Canadians eat too much fat. Too much fat in the diet is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, being overweight, and diabetes. Be aware of how much fat you are eating. Keep in mind that although some foods may be low in fat, they still may be high in calories.

Where does the fat in your food come from?

The fat in your diet comes from three main places:

1. Naturally in the type of food you choose, such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products.
2. Added during processing, such as oils added to french fries when they are frozen and packaged.
3. Added during cooking or at the table. These are the "other" foods and include sauces, gravies, butter, and regular salad dressings.
   

Following Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating

Grain Products:

5-12 servings a day

Choose whole grain and enriched products more often. They are a good source of fibre and B vitamins.

Examples of 1 serving:

• 1 slice of bread
• ¾ cup (175mL) hot cereal
• ½ small bagel
• 1 sm roll or muffin
• ½ cup (125ml)cooked pasta, rice 

Choose:

• whole grain breads and hot and cold cereals with fibre
• low fat crackers, crisp bread, melba toast, and breadsticks with less than 3g fat per serving 
• whole grain pasta and rice
  unsalted soda crackers
• air popped popcorn, light microwave popcorn 
• plain bagels and English muffins
• barley and couscous
• graham wafers and arrowroot biscuits
• pancakes
• homemade low fat muffins and cookies 
• chip flavored rice cakes, such as Quaker Minis® 
• baked potato thins 

Not recommended:

• commercial garlic bread, egg and cheese bread
• butter rolls, croissants and commercial muffins
• regular granola type cereal
• potato, taco, and nacho chips
• waffles
• crackers with more than 3g fat per serving
• donuts, pies, cakes, danishes and streusels 

Vegetables and Fruits:

5-10 servings a day

Choose bright orange, red, yellow and deep green vegetables and fruits more often. They are a good source of fibre and vitamins A and C.

Examples of 1 serving: 

• ½ cup (125mL) vegetables
• 1 medium fruit
• 1 cup (250mL) salad
• ¼ cup dried fruit
•  ½ cup unsweetened vegetables juice
• ½ cup (125mL) canned fruit 

Choose:

• fresh or frozen vegetables and fruit
• canned fruit packed in pear juice or own juice
• unsweetened fruit juice
• salt reduced commercial soups
• dried fruit 

Not recommended:

• coconut
• fruit drinks or crystals
• fruit canned or frozen in syrup
• canned or pickled vegetables
• french fries and hashbrowns
• vegetables in sauces
• cream soups and commercial soups with high salt
   

Milk Products:

2-4 servings a day

Choose lower fat milk products more often. Milk products are a good source of calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus.

Examples of 1 serving:

• 1 cup (250mL) skim milk or 1% milk
• 2 slices skim processed cheese
• ¾ cup (175g) low fat yogurt
• 1 ½ oz (50g) low fat cheese (less than 15% MF) 

Choose:

• skim or 1% milk
• skim evaporated milk
• buttermilk, fat free or 1% fat
• soy beverages
• cheeses with less than 15% MF 
• cottage cheese, fat free or 1% fat 
• plain yogurt, fat free or 1% fat
• sweetened yogurt, fat free or 1% fat 
• sour cream with fat free or 1% fat
• low fat or nonfat frozen yogurt, ice cream, or soy frozen desserts 

Not recommended:

• 2%, whole or homo milk
• 2% or whole evaporated milk
• 2% buttermilk
• sweetened condensed milk
• cream
• non dairy whitener and creamers
• cheeses with more than 15% MF
• 2% or 4% cottage cheese
• light (7%) or regular (14%) sour cream
• regular ice cream 
   

Meat and Alternatives:

2-3 servings a day

Choose leaner meats, poultry and fish, as well as dried peas, beans and lentils more often. Meat and alternatives are a good source of protein, iron, and B vitamins.

Examples of 1 serving:

• 2 to 3 oz (50 to 100g) lean meat, fish or poultry (the size of a deck of cards)
• 1/3 cup (100g) tofu
• 1 cup (250mL) lentils
• 1 cup (250mL) cooked dried peas 

Choose:

• skinless chicken and turkey
• lean beef, pork, lamb and veal
• extra lean or lean ground beef
• fish — 2 servings of fish per week is recommended
  clams, oysters ,lobster, crab and mussels
  wild game
• low fat luncheon meats 
• meat alternatives (soy, tofu)
• egg whites or egg substitutes
• eggs including yolks, 2 or less times per week
• dried beans, peas and lentils
• baked beans 

Not recommended:

• bacon, sausage, bologna, smokies and wieners
• regular ground beef
• duck, goose and organ meats
• fish canned in oil, battered or breaded
• heavily marbled meats
• chicken wings
• regular luncheon meats
• egg yolks (no more than 2 servings per week*)
• fried food and breaded meats, such as chicken fingers
  shrimp and squid

* NOTE: one egg yolk has 190mg of cholesterol

Choosing other foods 
 
Fats

The amount of you fat need depends on your weight, activity level and calorie needs. Try limiting your total amount of added fats and oils to no more than 3 servings per day. To help you achieve this, try cooking with little or no fat.

Examples of 1 serving: 

• 1 tsp (5mL) margarine or oil
• 1 tsp (5mL) mayonnaise or salad dressing 

Choose:

• soft tub margarine labeled as "non-hydrogenated margarine"
• vegetable oils, such as canola, olive, peanut, safflower, sunflower, soya, flaxseed and corn
• fat free or fat reduced mayonnaise or Miracle Whip®
• fat free or fat reduced salad dressing
• unsalted nuts and seeds
• fat free or light cream cheese

Not recommended:

• butter and lard
• vegetable shortening
• hard or block margarine
• tropical oils, such as palm or coconut oil
• regular salad dressings
• gravies
• regular cream cheese 

Sugar, salt, alcohol and caffeine

• Eat less sugar and sweets like honey, molasses, brown and white sugar, syrups, candies, chocolates and sweet desserts.
• Take the salt shaker off the table. Use little or no salt in cooking and eat fewer salty processed foods.
• Discuss the use of alcohol with your doctor. Some medications and alcohol do not mix well together. If your triglyceride levels are high, avoid alcohol completely. If you choose to drink alcohol, limit yourself to 1 to 2 drinks per day. One drink equals one bottle of beer, one glass of wine (5 ounces of wine) or one glass of liquor (1½ ounces of liquor).
• Drink less than 4 cups of caffeine beverages like coffee, tea and colas per day.

Vitamin and mineral supplements

• Ask your dietitian if a vitamin or mineral supplement is needed. Let your health team know of any herbal or non- prescription medication you are taking.

Reference: Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating, Health Canada
American Heart Association
American Dietetic Association — MNT Protocols

© 2001 Capital Health
Regional Nutrition and Food Service

Disclaimer
Reviewed by Alberta clinical experts. Brought to you by HealthLink Alberta. Copyright.
This material is designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment. For more health advice call Capital Health Link at 780-408-LINK (5465) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In Alberta, call Toll-free: 1-866-408-LINK (5465)