Heart Healthy Eating Tips

Maintaining a healthy diet and a healthy weight are important parts of heart disease prevention. At BayCare, we strive to provide members of the Tampa Bay community with the resources they need to make positive changes in their diet and lifestyle to ensure the health of their hearts. Eating well doesn’t necessarily mean doing away with the foods you love. Making small adjustments in the foods you buy and the way you prepare meals can go a long way in improving your cardiovascular health. A heart-healthy diet is one that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and proteins that are low in fat. It is best to avoid foods that are weighed down with sodium and saturated fat.

Adjust Your Food Preparation Methods

• Trim all fat from meat before cooking
• Opt for leaner light meat when cooking chicken
• Use fat-free versions of dairy products in recipes
• Avoid using butter or oil for cooking; opt for fat-free cooking spray instead

Make Smart Substitutions When Cooking

• Use one tablespoon of soft margarine that is low in saturated fat for every tablespoon of butter
• Swap out sour cream for low-fat, unsalted cottage cheese mixed with fat-free, plain yogurt
• Use rolled oats, crushed bran cereal, or whole grain bread crumbs in lieu of white bread crumbs
• Substitute applesauce for half of the butter in baking recipes

Learn More About Improving The Health of Your Heart

Click here for more information about heart disease. Residents of Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Dunedin, Lutz, New Port Richey, Riverview, Winter Haven and the surrounding areas can also register today for one of our informational classes or a heart health screening events.