It’s probably not at the forefront of your thoughts when cooking for the holidays, but whether you or a loved one has heart disease yourself, or it isn’t an issue in your family, it’s important to protect ourselves from the risks of unhealthy foods! Eating those decadent holiday foods, that are deceptively high in fat and cholesterol, can build up plaques in our arteries and increase our risk for stroke and heart attack. The good news is that foods high in antioxidants and fiber can help to prevent those plaques from forming and can actually protect your heart. And, a lot of those heart healthy foods are actually really yummy and easy to add on to any menu! What are the best heart healthy foods? Read on.
1. When thinking about a main protein for your meal
Salmon is full of Omega 3 fatty acids, which help to lower your cholesterol levels, and makes it high up on the heart health list. Tuna has Omega 3’s, along with folate and niacin which can help with cardiac function. And if you don’t eat meat, tofu is a great source of niacin, calcium, magnesium, and potassium which all help the cells of the heart to work optimally, and it is virtually fat and cholesterol free!
