Treat yourself to some heart-healthy snack tips
Your diet is one of the most important components of maintaining a healthy heart. Foods that are high in fat, sugar, and salt can seriously affect your likelihood of developing heart disease. Fortunately, monitoring your diet is completely under your control.
We asked some of our heart experts to share their tips on eating healthy for your heart. You might be surprised to learn that many offer similar advice, and they all make sure to enjoy heart-healthy treats from time to time!
Brian Zweig, cardiologist
How do you keep your heart healthy while eating?
This is always a tricky question because guidelines and recommendations often change regarding what counts as healthy nutrition, especially from a heart perspective. Most cardiologists recommend the Mediterranean diet as a heart-healthy diet. This is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, legumes, olive oil and whole grains. I also like to avoid fast food completely. Be careful about excess carbs and try to mix in some meat-free days during the week."
What is your favorite heart healthy snack?
“I try to eat protein-rich snacks like nuts, hummus, vegetables and snacks with peanut butter and Greek yogurt. I always have a bowl full of nuts in my house, like pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts or cashews.”
What heart healthy treatment do you enjoy?
“I usually choose something with dark chocolate, such as dark chocolate covered with almonds or thinner bark. Dark chocolate has less sugar and is known to be a powerful antioxidant. Some studies suggest that it can be beneficial for heart disease.”
Pedro Blablanca Spinito, Cardiologist
What heart healthy treatment do you enjoy?
"A glass of wine every night."
What recommendations do you have for heart-healthy snacks on the go?
“Bring small portions of salads or fruits that you can eat at the office and avoid being tempted by unhealthy sources of carbohydrates. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water during the day!”
Darlene Zimmerman, MS, RD, Dietitian, Heart and Vascular Institute
How do you keep your heart healthy while eating?
“For me, portion size is key. Being overweight or obese is definitely a risk factor for heart disease. Maintaining a healthy body weight is one indicator that your portions are on track.”
What heart healthy treatment do you enjoy?
“When I hear the word treat, I immediately think ice cream. Ice cream is one of my favorite foods. There are many reduced-fat (often labeled slow-churned) ice cream options available today. A personal guideline I like to follow is choosing flavors that have no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving.”
What recommendations do you have for heart-healthy snacks on the go?
“Fruit tops the list. Think bananas, oranges, apples, grapes are easy grab-and-go options. Nuts, all kinds, are great too. You just have to watch the portion size if you’re concerned with your calorie intake. A small handful of nuts usually has about 200 calories.”
Arfaat Khan, M.D., Cardiologist
How you do you stay heart healthy with your eating?
“Eat plenty of fresh fruits, veggies and lean meats like chicken and fish.”
What is a heart-healthy treat you enjoy?
“Cucumbers!”
Ryan Gindi, M.D., Cardiologist
How you do you stay heart healthy with your eating?
“I maintain a heart healthy diet in large part by meal planning and keeping a refrigerator stocked with fresh produce. I focus my diet on whole food plant-based nutrition, incorporating a variety of vegetables as well as black beans, lentils or chickpeas in every meal. For fats, I am liberal with extra-virgin olive oil and eat avocado near daily. I also love fish.”
What is your go-to heart healthy snack?
“My go-to heart healthy snack consists of whole fruits and/or nuts such as pistachios or almonds. Although nuts are known to be calorie dense, they contain an abundance of nutrients and studies suggest they may aid in weight loss, lower cholesterol, and lower blood sugar levels in diabetics.”
What is a heart-healthy treat you enjoy?
"I'm more of a sweeter type of guys, so the cure for my healthy heart is often popcorn on the stove. Stay away from cinema or microwave popcorn, which has many unhealthy toppings. Stovetop popcorn is a low-calorie, whole-grain and high-fiber food. And it contains polyphenols, which have been linked to reducing heart disease.”
What recommendations do you have for heart-healthy snacks on the go?
“My recommendation is to stick to foods that go bad. Prepare sliced vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, almonds, pistachios, apples, pears, etc. Make these snacks readily available until you feel hungry.”