Heart-healthy eating
Canada's Food Guide
Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide was created to help Canadians make healthy choices about the foods they eat. It includes information on serving sizes and recommendations on the number of servings you need to eat each day. The four basic food groups and their recommended daily servings for adults are:
- grain products - 6-8 servings per day
- fruits and vegetables - 7-10 servings per day
- milk products - 2-3 servings per day
- meat and meat alternatives - 2-3 servings per day
Children and teenagers have different needs, so the recommended daily servings are a little different for them.
The number of servings per day for each food group depends on a number of factors, including:
- age
- gender
- pregnancy
- breast-feeding
- amount of activity
- body size
Using the guide
You can download or order a copy of Canada's Food Guide on the Health Canada website, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php. Keep a copy of Canada's Food Guide with you, whether you're at home, grocery shopping, eating at a friend's home, or in a restaurant. Get other people around you using the guide too. It's never too early or too late to eat well!
Heart-healthy recipes
Healthy food does not equal boring food. Eating heart-healthy foods gives you an opportunity to try foods that you enjoy and discover new ways of jazzing up your diet. Combining the foods from the four food groups in delicious recipes can add new spice to your life as well as your diet. For a list of heart-healthy recipes, look at the Heart and Stroke Foundation's website at www.heartandstroke.ca.
DASH eating plan
What is the DASH eating plan?
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan has been scientifically proven to help guide people with high blood pressure to lower blood pressure levels. Another plan, called the DASH-Sodium plan, combines the DASH plan with a decrease in sodium intake. It also helps lower blood pressure levels.
Overall, the DASH and DASH-Sodium plans are:
- low in saturated fat
- low in cholesterol
- low in total fat
- low in sugar treats and drinks
- high in fruits and vegetables
- high in fibre
- high in protein
What can DASH do for me?
Benefits of a heart-healthy diet with the DASH plan include lower blood pressure in a short period of time (approximately two weeks) and a lower risk of heart attack and stroke. Due to the high intake of vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients, this diet may also help prevent osteoporosis, cancer, and heart disease.
Getting ready to DASH
Start slowly. Try not to make too many changes too quickly. You and your body need time to adjust to a new eating plan. Try increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables you eat during the day by bringing snacks to work or eating a salad along with your lunch. Start reducing sugar in your diet and increasing dairy products, but choose low-fat products wherever possible. To make your choices easier, look for the nutritional information on packaged foods to determine whether or not that food is a good choice for you and your heart.
Reduce the fat. Reducing fat in your diet is a good place to start when managing hypertension. It's recommended that you eat only 45 to 75 grams of fat a day for women and 60 to 105 grams of fat a day for men. Try baking, broiling, barbecuing, or roasting as alternatives to frying foods. For a flavour boost, add herbs and spices to your recipes and leave out fat wherever possible.
Limit your meat intake. This is an easy way to reduce fat and cholesterol. Increase the amount of vegetables in your dishes. For dishes that have both meat and vegetables, increase the vegetable portion and cut back on the amount of meat added. Look for ways to get the recommended protein in your diet by eating tofu, beans, and fish.
Snack better. Replace high-fat, high-sugar snacks with healthier alternatives. Unsalted pretzels, dried fruit, salt-free roasted nuts, and fresh fruits and vegetables are delicious and heart-smart choices. Add low-fat yogurt or herbal dips to the mix for added flavour.
Dining out and eating smart
Dining out presents a number of pitfalls for people trying to stick to a heart-healthy diet.
Watch for:
- large portion sizes
- high-salt foods and beverages (e.g., tomato juice)
- dishes that are deep-fried or prepared with butter
- salad dressing
- bread
- creamy soups or pastas with cream sauce
- desserts
Here's how to stick to your heart-healthy eating plan while eating out:
- Split your food with a friend or, for main dishes, eat half of the meal and take the rest home for leftovers.
- Ask that your meal be prepared without salt.
- Ask for low-fat salad dressing on the side for salads.
- Do not use condiments (e.g., ketchup, mustard). If you do use them, do so in moderation.
- If you consume drinks containing alcohol, do so in moderation.
- Look for foods on the menu that are steamed, baked, grilled, stir-fried, or broiled
- basically anything that is not fried in fats.
- Dessert is not mandatory. If you are full after eating, then do not order dessert. If you feel like treating yourself, look for fruity desserts that are as low in sugar and fat as possible (e.g., sorbet, plain cakes).
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