American Heart Association Tips

Eat less fat (especially butter, coconut and palm oil; saturated or hydrogenated vegetable fats; animal fats in meats, and fats in dairy products).

» Use non-stick vegetable-oil cooking sprays instead of oils.

» Buy lean cuts of meat, and eat fish, skinless chicken and turkey.

» Try low-fat snacks that have been baked instead of fried, such as pretzels.

» Choose low-fat dairy products, such as skim milk, and low-fat cheese, yogurt and margarine.

» Try to limit how many sweets you eat.

» Eat no more than four egg yolks a week (use egg whites or egg substitutes).

» Bake, broil, steam or grill foods instead of frying them.

» Eat fewer "fast foods" (burgers, fried foods), which are high in fat. Instead, eat more fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates (rice, pasta, breads, grains).

» Drink low-calorie beverages, such as unsweetened tea or diet soda pop.

When choosing foods for a heart-healthy diet, opt for:

» FRUITS AND FRUIT JUICES: Fresh, canned or frozen.

» VEGETABLES: Fresh, frozen or canned (unsalted or rinsed). Avoid sauce or flavor pouches, which add salt and fat.

» MEATS: Poultry and fish, fresh or frozen, not breaded; canned tuna and salmon, unsalted or rinsed; chicken or turkey, both with the skin removed; lean cuts of beef, veal, pork or lamb. Trim away all fat.

» MEAT SUBSTITUTES: Dried beans, peas; lentils (not canned); tofu (soybean curd); nuts or seeds (unsalted, dry-roasted), such as sunflower seeds, peanuts, almonds and walnuts (eat nuts in small amounts because they're high in fat and calories); unsalted peanut butter.

» BEVERAGES: Canned low-sodium or no-salt-added tomato and vegetable juice; breakfast drink, powder or liquid (limit to 1 cup a day); lemonade, frozen concentrate or fresh; tea and coffee in moderation; soy protein powder, soy milk, liquid or dry milk (1 percent, 1/2 percent, fat-free or non-fat).

» CHEESES: Cottage cheese (dry curd, low sodium); low-fat or part-skim cheeses, such as ricotta and mozzarella; and Neufchatel.

» FATS: Unsaturated vegetable oils including canola, olive, corn, cottonseed, peanut, safflower, soybean and sunflower; low-sodium, low-fat salad dressing and mayonnaise; and unsalted margarine with liquid vegetable oil as first ingredient.

» GRAINS: Pasta; rice (enriched white or brown); homemade breads (with regular flour, not self-rising); melba toast, matzo crackers, pita bread and corn tortillas; cooked cereals such as corn grits, farina, oatmeal, oat bran, cream of rice, cream of wheat (not instant); puffed rice or wheat, shredded wheat, or any cereal with 100 mg to 150 mg of sodium; wheat germ; and unsalted, no-fat popcorn.

» SNACKS: Fruits, frozen juice bars, fruit ice, sorbet, sherbet, graham and animal crackers, fig bars, ginger snaps.

Source: American Heart Association