8 of the Best Heart-Healthy Foods to Add to Your Menu, According to Dietitians
For decades, heart disease has been the number one killer in America. And that remains true to this day, yes, even considering the fact that COVID-19 has claimed more than 936,000 lives, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some of our heart disease risk is impacted by genetics, but our lifestyle choices—including whether we regularly consume heart-healthy foods—play a big role in our overall risk profile.
"Baby steps over time that become second nature are always more effective than changing everything at once," suggests Laura Burak, RD, owner of Laura Burak Nutrition in Roslyn, New York. "Also, instead of just focusing on diet, look at your heart and overall health as many pieces that are equally as important. Hydration, quality sleep, stress management, and physical activity are just as important as diet because they're all interrelated."
Check out the "Life's Simple 7" from the American Heart Association (AHA) for all of the major heart disease risk factors we can control, and then read on as we dive into one of the seven tips: "eat better," with a focus on the best heart-healthy foods.
Jacob Fox
What is a Heart-Healthy Diet—and What are Heart-Healthy Foods?
One of the best ways to adjust your diet to make a big difference for your heart health is to cook at home, Burak says. You're pretty much guaranteed to consume less saturated fat and sodium than you would by opting for a fast-food order or sitting down at a restaurant.
Then think of eating a diverse variety of whole foods, adds Jenna A. Werner, RD, creator of Happy Strong Healthy in Middletown, New Jersey.
"Heart-healthy diet foods are rich in all three macronutrients [carbs, protein, and fat] and color. Aim for a good amount of fiber, lean protein, a variety of carbohydrates and lots of color. A heart-healthy diet also includes all the foods you love, because what we know is that restriction of these foods can add stress to your life which is not health-promoting," Werner explains. "Finding a way to enjoy all your favorite foods is heart-healthy!"
According to Michelle Hyman, RD, a registered dietitian at Simple Solutions Weight Loss in New York City, these are the three most common heart-healthy diet food plans:
"These meal plans have many similarities, including prioritization of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, legumes, and plant-based sources of fat," Hyman says. "They're lower in sodium than the standard American diet and have less emphasis on animal proteins, especially red and processed meats."
It's not the heart-healthy foods themselves that hold magical disease-preventing powers, exactly. The goal with any heart-healthy diet is to decrease or potentially eliminate some of the largest heart disease risk factors, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which include:
Reducing total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL (bad) cholesterol
Reducing blood pressure
Reducing blood sugar
Reducing body weight (if overweight)
Related: 10 Products That Help You Cut Out Sugar (Without Using Sugar Substitutes)
The American Heart Association (AHA) promotes the following elements as part of a heart-healthy diet:
Choose whole grains for the majority of grain intake
Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
Seek out lean proteins mostly from plant sources
Consume as few processed foods and added sugars as possible (which just so happen to be two of the major culprits of chronic inflammation, too)
Opt for liquid non-tropical vegetable oils and other unsaturated fats
Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all
Blaine Moats
8 of the Best Heart-Healthy Foods to Add to Your Menu Every Week
"The nutrients that have the biggest impact on our heart health are saturated fat, soluble fiber, and antioxidants," says Ashley Reaver, RD, an Oakland, California-based registered dietitian and the creator of the Lower Cholesterol Longer Life Method. "We want to keep saturated fat low and try to maximize our intake of soluble fiber and antioxidants. Saturated fat and soluble fiber will influence cholesterol levels."
Add your favorite heart-healthy vegetables, then add on the following items. This heart-healthy foods list checks the boxes Reaver just mentioned—and will help you build a colorful menu that your taste buds and your ticker will love.
Related: What Are Healthy Portion Sizes? Nutrition Experts Break it Down
Beans and Legumes
Swap an animal protein for a plant protein and you'll effortlessly eat less cholesterol. (Dietary cholesterol is only found in animal foods, such as meat and dairy.)
"Any type of beans other than green beans are high in fiber and contain protein with no saturated fat," Reaver says. "Edamame in particular contains an antioxidant called 'isoflavones,' which have been shown to have cardio-protective benefits." (We adore this Edamame Quinoa Salad as a light lunch or dinner side dish.)
Beans are some of the best heart-healthy foods in terms of soluble fiber, plus they're low in fat and offer plant-based protein.
"Beans are also inexpensive and versatile, and can be added to salads, stir-fry dishes, soups, and pasta," Hyman says.
Whole Grains
Another fiber all-star, whole grains such as oats, barley, quinoa, brown rice, bulgur, and spelt are rich in fiber and far more filling than their refined white counterparts.
"Oats are high in a particular type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan. This form of soluble fiber is the most effective at lowering bad cholesterol levels," Reaver says. "And beta-glucan-rich barley is not only for beef and barley soup. It makes a great option anywhere you would use rice."
In addition to being inexpensive and having a long expiration date, oats are also surprisingly flexible as part of your heart-healthy food-filled menu. For example, Hyman suggests trying oats in smoothie recipes (like our Cherry-Berry Oatmeal Smoothie), or try nearly any whole grain in the batter for muffins, breads, or pancakes.
Related: 10 Fast and Healthy Whole Grain Side Dishes to Serve with Dinner Tonight
Berries
Berries are ripe with a type of soluble fiber called pectin, Reaver explains. This is what makes them so effective and exceptionally delicious in fruit jam recipes. Plus, this heart-healthy food is high in antioxidants, is a nutritious fix for a sweets craving, and is an anti-inflammatory all-star.
No need to shell out for fresh, especially if they're not in season. Frozen berries are just as nutritious since they're put on ice at the peak of freshness, Hyman adds. (P.S. These berry hacks will make choosing, storing, washing, and freezing so much easier.)
Try fresh or frozen berries in smoothies or smoothie bowls, muffin or pancake batter, as part of a heart-healthy snack, or blended into "nice" cream.
Related: 23 Berry-Filled Dessert Recipes
Salmon
Eating at least two servings a week of fish, such as salmon, is proven to reduce risk for heart attacks. Scientists believe that the omega-3 fats contained in fish offer a wide range of benefits, including decreasing triglycerides, lowering blood pressure, reducing the chances of irregular heartbeats, and more.
Get your Rx in these tasty salmon recipes. Not a huge fan of salmon? Consider algae, seaweed, or one of these other healthiest fish you can eat.
Related: How to Get More Omega-3 Foods in Your Diet
Nuts and Seeds
Chock-full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats, nuts and seeds are among the easiest and most portable heart-healthy diet foods to snack on morning or night, Burak says.
"Nuts are rich in naturally-occurring monounsaturated fats, which makes them tasty and filling additions to meals or snacks. Regular intake of nuts may help lower bad LDL cholesterol and raise good HDL cholesterol," Hyman says.
Check out 10 of the healthiest nuts to add to your heart-healthy foods list, and shake a sprinkle of flax seeds, chia seeds, or hemp seeds into (you guessed it!) a smoothie, muffin, quick bread, or pancake batter, or sneak seeds into a homemade meatball recipe.
Avocado
Turns out, it's great to be a guac star.
While you might be aware that avocados are full of heart-healthy fats, they're also surprisingly high in fiber, Hyman says.
"Avocado is my favorite heart-healthy superfood because not only is it delicious, but it is an excellent source of fiber and heart healthy omega-3 fats, the combo of nutrients that epitomizes a heart-healthy food," Burak says.
Try mashed avocado in place of mayonnaise or butter on a sandwich, whip up one or all of these 25 recipes to save for that moment your avocados are perfectly ripe, or snack on a slice of the trendy yet timeless avocado toast.
The Bottom Line
Rather than thinking about the foods you can't have, try to approach the best heart-healthy foods with a mindset of abundance, Hyman says.
"Many of your favorite foods can be modified to fit within a heart-healthy meal plan, especially if you are willing and able to cook at home," she explains. "This is important, since if you enjoy what you're eating, you are more likely to stick with the plan on a long-term basis."
For example, if your go-to restaurant order is a burger and fries, grill a burger made with 90 percent ground lean beef, ground salmon, or ground turkey breast to serve on a whole-wheat bun, and make a batch of Air Fryer French Fries. Or instead of the basic boxed mix, try our Good and Healthy Macaroni and Cheese with reduced-fat cheese and a lentil-based or whole grain pasta.
"If you want to make dietary changes for heart health it's important to remember to start small with habits that are easy to keep. A small, gradual decrease in cholesterol levels is much better for your heart health than sporadic drops followed by elevated levels again," Reaver adds.
So, tiptoe into habits with heart-healthy foods that you enjoy sticking with, such as adding a serving of berries to breakfast or choosing beans instead of beef once per week.
"Being consistent with these will have a bigger impact than a crash diet that only lasts for three weeks," Reaver concludes.
