Heart-healthy eating is having a moment and for good reason. The foods you choose today play a big role in how well your heart works for years to come.(1) The good news? Supporting your heart doesn’t require a complicated or restrictive diet. In fact, many of the most heart-friendly foods are simple, colorful staples like fruits and vegetables.
Despite what flashy headlines suggest, heart health isn’t about a single “superfood.” It’s about consistent eating patterns that put more plants at the center of your plate. When you build that habit, the benefits show up not only in the long term in better cardiovascular health, but also in the short term with improved nutritional intake. (1,2)
Ready to add more heart-healthy plants to your plate? Read on to see what you should prioritize and how to get started today.
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Why plants are excellent for your cardiovascular health
Fruits and vegetables that support heart health are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. (3) Think fruits like berries, grapes, and watermelon, vegetables like leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, and even protein-packed legumes like beans and lentils. Together, these foods can help improve symptoms that accompany poor heart health. For example, eating more fruit and vegetables can help:
- Lower blood pressure (2)
- Manage blood cholesterol levels (2)
- Reduce inflammation (2)
- Improve blood sugar control (2)
Benefits of eating a variety of different colors of fruits and vegetables
Aiming for a variety of colors is an easy way to cover your nutrient bases and keep your heart happy too. Every color of produce on the market contains different phytonutrients, such as antioxidants.(4) These are the good guys that keep your body healthy and kick the free radicals (or the foreign invaders that can do damage to your heart over time) to the curb.(4)
Do you need inspiration? Use this little cheat sheet to reap the colorful benefits of different product choices.
- Blue and Purple:(5)
- Fruits: Blueberries, currants, grapes, plums, raisins
- Vegetables: Olives, Cabbage, Eggplant, Potatoes
- Green:(5)
- Fruits: Avocado, honeydew, kiwi, limes, green peas
- Vegetables: Artichokes, Broccoli, Celery, Leafy greens, Okra
- Yellow and orange:(5)
- Fruits: Apricots, Cantaloupe, Mango, Peach, Persimmons
- Vegetables: Butternut squash, carrots, pumpkin, sweet corn
- Red:(5)
- Fruits: Apples, cherries, strawberries, watermelon
- Vegetables: Red pepper, Radishes, Onions, Rhubarb, Tomatoes
- White, Brown and Brown:(5)
- Fruits: Bananas, dates, peaches
- Vegetables: Cauliflower, garlic, mushrooms, potatoes
3 easy ways to eat more plants in a heart-healthy diet
And these don’t require you to spend hours preparing in the kitchen!
1. Stock up on canned, dried and frozen fruits and vegetables
Canned, dried and frozen fruits and vegetables are super convenient to add more volume to your meals with our product friends. Keep these tips in mind when shopping these times:
- Choose dried fruit without added sugar.
- Choose canned fruit in water or their own juice (no syrups added). Rinse under cool running water to lower the sugar content before eating.
- Choose canned vegetables that are low in sodium, such as canned beans, corn, peas, and lentils. Rinse them under cool running water when you open the top to lower the sodium further. (6)
- Buy frozen fruits and vegetables without sauces or spices.
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2. Prepare meals after you shop
You have just unpacked your shopping package and the beautiful products are calling your name. Step one, done. But instead of letting it sit and spoil (because let’s be honest, life gets busy), prepare it right away. Portion baby carrots into snack bags for work, chop lettuce for ready-to-eat salads, or prepare other fruits and vegetables for easy access throughout the week.
When your produce is washed, chopped and ready to eat, you’re far more likely to actually use it, even on your busiest days.
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3. Plan meals around produce – then add protein
Plants should take up most of the space on your plate (or bowl), which means planning meals around them is one of the easiest ways to eat more of them consistently. Craving a burrito bowl? Perfect. Let lettuce and beans form your base, then add toppings and protein for the finishing touches. Think of plants as the foundation and everything else as extras.
To make it even easier, lean on tools to support your goals, such as the MyFitnessPal app. You can keep track of your vegetable intake while also tracking the macro and micronutrients you get from these plant foods.
Bottom line
There’s a reason health professionals encourage you to “eat the rainbow” when it comes to the variety of fruits and vegetables on the market. That rainbow is loaded with a variety of nutrients that support heart health by lowering blood pressure, improving cholesterol levels, and lowering inflammation.(1,2)
But, it doesn’t have to be a full time thinking about how to eat more plants. MyFitnessPal dietitian Katherine Basbaum shares, “Adding one more fruit or vegetable to your plate at each meal is one of the simplest ways to support heart health in the long run.”
Start today by pairing a handful of berries with your morning bagel sandwich. You don’t have to become a green smoothie lover if that’s not your jam. Progress, not perfection, is what matters most in the long run. Use the MyFitnessPal Meal Planner to help find opportunities to add more fruits and vegetables to your routine.
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The post Why Your Heart Needs You to Eat More Plants (and How to Start) appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.