Fast facts about heart disease.

• Nearly half of all Americans (47%) fall into at least one of the three key heart disease risk factor categories: high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking.¹
• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.²
• Nearly 1 in 4 deaths are attributed to heart disease. ²

Eating for heart health.

Your overall eating pattern matters for your heart health. A diet emphasizing the intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, fish, and lean protein, and minimizing the intake of trans fats, red meat and processed meats, refined carbohydrates, and sweetened beverages is recommended to maintain heart health—including blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Check out these tips to get you on the right track.³

1. Load up on produce.

How much? Fruits and vegetables are great ways to get fiber. Federal guidelines recommend at least 2.5 cups per day of fruit⁴ and 2.5 cups per day of vegetables.⁵ Learn more about the amount that is right for you.

Looking for inventive ways to get more fruits and veggies? Add mushrooms to your favorite meatloaf recipe. Mushrooms provide fiber and a meaty texture. Try our Publix Aprons^® Savory Turkey Meatloaf.

Go spiral. Revamp your favorite pasta dishes with spaghetti squash or spiralized vegetables. Make it colorful with spiralized zucchini and butternut squash.

Enjoy our twist on a classic with Lentil Bolognese over Zoodles.

Blend right in. Serve fruits and vegetables in an array of soups, such as our Apple-Sweet Potato Soup with Apple Yogurt Topper and Grilled Peach Gazpacho. Check out our refreshing Peach-Mango Protein Smoothies, or dream up your own concoction.

Riced is nice. Riced cauliflower makes a subtle, savory addition to many meals, such as salads and meal bowls. Try it in our tasty Pork Chili Rancho recipe.

2. Gather whole grains.

The 2020–2025 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends making half your grains whole grains.⁶

Quick tips for adding whole grains.

Whether you’re craving something sweet or savory, there are many delicious meals that include oats. Oats are a source of whole grains, and they also contain soluble fiber, which may help lower blood cholesterol levels.⁷

Our Savory Turkey Meatloaf with Berry Salad and Oat-Almond Crumble is the perfect heart-smart meal for your family.

Sweeten your breakfast with our Blueberry-Oat Waffles. Check out more ideas for getting whole grains.

3. Legumes for days.

How much? The 2020–2025 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 1–3 cups per week of beans, peas, and lentils.⁸ Legumes are another great way to get soluble fiber. ⁷

Here are some great ideas for adding more legumes, or pulses, into your diet.

4. Select smart proteins.

Take these ideas to heart to enjoy proteins with less saturated fat.

• Select cuts of beef and pork with round or loin in the name, such as sirloin, tenderloin, or top round steak.⁹
• Choose skinless poultry or remove the skin before eating. Our Coconut-Turmeric Chicken Skillet with Rice features boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
• Cooking methods matter. Grill, broil, roast, or bake meats and poultry rather than frying them.⁹ Choose skinless poultry or remove the skin before eating. Try our One Pan Lemon-Olive Chicken with Couscous for a Mediterranean-inspired meal. Chicken is sautéed with couscous, spices, and lemon.

5. Get nutty.

Consuming more nuts may help lower the risk of heart disease.¹⁰ In fact, eating a handful of nuts a day (about 1/4 cup) is a great habit for heart health.¹¹

6. Fish for fatty acids.

Fatty fish, including salmon, trout, oysters, crab, mussels, catfish, clams, and flounder, offer long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids called EPA and DHA.¹²

How much? The American Heart Association recommends eating 2 servings of fish (particularly fatty fish) per week.¹¹ A serving is 3.5 ounces cooked, or about 3/4 cup of flaked fish.¹³

Catch the benefits of seafood and read more about omega-3s in seafood.

7. Cut back on added sugars.

• Sweets may satisfy your taste buds, but it turns out they may not be good for the heart. In a study, researchers found an association between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease. Over the course of the 15-year study, people who ate 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8% of their calories as added sugar.¹⁴
• How much? The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommends less than 10% of your calories from added sugars.⁸
• Find out more about the types of sugar and how to reduce sugar in beverages.

For the love of you.

Choosing how you eat is uniquely personal. It’s about your needs, your preferences, and your goals. As your wellness ally, we’re in your corner with fresh ideas, recipes, and wellness icons that make it easier to shift toward wiser food choices. It’s all about you, at your very best.

Sources

¹ U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Know Your Risk for Heart Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. August 10, 2015.

² U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). Heart Disease Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). September 27, 2021.

³ Arnett, Donna K., Roger S. Blumenthal, et al. 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation 140, no. 11 (September 2019): e563–e595.

⁴ U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Fruits. MyPlate.gov. Accessed November 15, 2021.

⁵ U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Vegetables. MyPlate.gov. Accessed November 15, 2021.

⁶ U.S. Department of Agriculture. Grains. MyPlate.gov. Accessed November 15, 2021.

⁷ Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet. Mayo Clinic. September 22, 2015.

⁸ U.S. Department of Agriculture & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025, 9th ed. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.

⁹ Meat, Poultry, and Fish: Picking Healthy Proteins. American Heart Association. March 26, 2017.

¹⁰ Guasch-Ferré, Marta, PhD, Xioaran Liu, PhD, Vasanti S. Malik, PhD, Qi Sun, PhD, ScD, et al. Nut Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 70, no. 20 (November 14, 2017): 2519–32. November 13, 2018.

¹¹ 4 Ways to Get Good Fats Infographic. American Heart Association. Accessed November 15, 2021.

¹² Which Fish Is the Richest in Omega-3s? Seafood Nutrition Partnership. Accessed November 15, 2021.

¹³ Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids. American Heart Association. November 1, 2021.

¹⁴ Yang, Quanhe, Zefeng Zang, Edward W. Gregg, W. Dana Flanders, Robert Merritt, and Frank B. Hu. Added Sugar Intake and Cardiovascular Diseases Mortality Among US Adults. JAMA Internal Medicine 174, no. 4 (April 2014): 516–24.