The Center's Blog

Heart-Healthy Cooking Tips

By: Loyola Staff

November 3, 2020, 9:00 am - Categories: Fitness

Reduce the risk of heart disease by making small changes in how you cook.

Heart-Healthy Shopping
Packaged (store bought) foods (snacks, sweets, baked goods, fried foods, red meat and processed meats) can be high in saturated fat. Saturated fat can raise cholesterol. Choose foods low in fat and high in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

These foods include:
-Fresh vegetables
-Whole grains
-Nuts
-Avocados
-Plant-based oils (like olive, peanut and safflower oils)
-High omega-3 foods: salmon, albacore tuna, herring, rainbow trout, mackerel and sardines.

Heart-Healthy Cooking
Try to prepare as many meals at home as possible. Homemade and fresh foods mean you have control over what you’re eating. Broiling, baking, roasting, steaming, or grilling foods help to cut down on calories and unhealthy fats. Consider the amount of oils and butter you use while cooking. Try using herbs and spices for flavor instead of salt, butter, lard. Cut away visible fat from meat and poultry. Choose cuts of meat that are lean and peel the skin off poultry before you eat it.

Reference: https://diabetes.org/nutrition/meal-planning/go-heart-healthy