5 heart-healthy habits to learn

Heart Health

1. Get your 5-a-day

Make sure you have at least five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Use the heart matters portion checker to see what that looks like.

2. Cut the saturated fat

Swap saturated fats like butter, lard and ghee for unsaturated fats like rapeseed, olive and sunflower oils and spreads. Remove visible fat and skin from meat and poultry, and use low-fat milk and dairy products.

3. Slash the salt

Avoid adding salt to your food, but make sure you check food labels too. Three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in our food and there can be quite a variation even in basic items like bread and cereals.

4. Follow a Mediterranean-style diet

Research shows that eating a Mediterranean-style diet can reduce your risk of another heart attack. A Mediterranean diet typically means one that is rich in fruit and vegetables, oily fish, such as sardines, and wholegrain cereals, with modest amounts of meat and low-fat dairy. One of the better-known aspects is the use of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil instead of saturated fats such as butter.

5. Watch your portions

Eating healthy, balanced diet should help keep your weight under control, but it’s important to keep an eye on your portion sizes too. Use a smaller plate or adjust the proportions so that half of your plate is fruit or veg.

 

Content adapted from the British Heart Foundation (https://www.bhf.org.uk/).

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