Food for Thought – American Heart Month 2025

American Heart Month

Check out these Heart Healthy HackS!

American Heart Month 2025 Food for Thought

February is American Heart month, a time to raise awareness about heart disease prevention and health.

In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups. Nutrition is a huge component of keeping your heart healthy. A few healthy, small choices a day could significantly decrease your risk of developing a heart condition.

Understanding Heart Disease:

Heart disease can occur due to several reasons, plaque buildup in the arteries, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blood clots, and inherited conditions are of the most prominent attributions. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease as about 1 in 20 adults age 20 or older have CAD. Certain conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at higher risk for heart disease. Diabetes, obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use are all risk factors for heart disease.

Nutrition and Heart Health:

The food we eat plays an imperative role in our overall health and especially our heart health. But what does it mean to have a healthy diet and where do you start? Lets look at some easy ways to quickly improve your diet:

Eat less saturated fat

Cut back on fatty meats and high fat dairy products. Limiting foods like pizza, burgers, creamy sauces or gravy is a great way to improve your heart health!

American Heart Month 2025 Food for Thought

Cut down on salt

Choosing the “low sodium” or “no salt added” options when grocery shopping or out to eat is a small decision with a huge impact on your heart.

Eat Less Salt

Eat more fiber

Vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains are all great sources of fiber! Some foods that might surprise you with their fiber content are foods like avocados, dark chocolate, and raspberries!

American Heart Month 2025 Food for Thought

A Heart Healthy Shopping List

Looking for a more in-depth break down of how to improve your diet for heart health? Look no further! It is easy to give examples of the right food to eat but it is even better to have the knowledge to make the right choices.

Vegetables and Fruits

Eating a variety of fruits and veggies is so important. However, sometimes fresh isn’t an option. That’s okay because you can improve your diet with fresh, frozen, canned or dried options!

o   Fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cabbage, okra, edamame, and carrots.
o   Leafy greens like romaine lettuce, spinach, bok choy, and kale.
o   Any canned veggies as long as they are low sodium.
o   Fresh fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, mangoes, guava, and papaya.
o   Canned fruits are also a great choice if they don’t have added sugars.

American Heart Month 2025 Food for Thought

Dairy

The key to making the healthiest choices with your dairy products is choosing the low fat or fat-free option!

o   Fat-free or 1% milk are wonderful options to reduce fat intake.
o   Soy beverages or soy yogurt are great for heart health.
o   Choosing low fat cheeses is an easy way to cut down on fats.

American Heart Month 2025 Food for Thought

Whole Grains

When considering incorporating whole grains into your diet, be sure to look for products that are 100% whole grain. If the product is more than one ingredient, be sure that whole wheat or whole grain is listed first on the ingredient list.

o   Whole grain bread, bagels, English muffins and tortillas are easy ways to incorporate whole grains into your diet.
o   Whole grain breakfast cereal or oatmeal can get your day started right!
o   Whole grain pasta, brown or while rice, quinoa, or couscous make great sides to any meal.

American Heart Month 2025 Food for Thought

Proteins

It is important to stay away from red meat when taking heart health into consideration. Red meat is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, making it not the best choice for a healthy diet. Let’s explore some high protein alternatives:

o   Seafood, like fish and shellfish have high nutritional value and make a great addition to any diet.
o   Lean meats like pork shoulder, beef sirloin or lean ground beef (at least 93%) are also healthier options for heart health.
o   Eggs, beans, peas, lentils, and nuts are all non-meat options with a high protein content.

American Heart Month 2025 Food for Thought

Nutrition is crucial to heart health as a proper diet can significantly reduce risk of heart disease and manage factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight. Even small steps in the right direction can make a substantial difference in optimizing your heart health.

Resources

  • Heart.org: Link
  • Heart Disease Facts CDC: Link
  • OASH Nutrition facts: Link

-Ansley King, GatorCare Intern


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fruits and vegetables in shape of heart