It can be daunting to decipher what is healthy as you steer through grocery store aisles filled with a myriad of products, labels and claims, says Cathy Fitzgerald, registered dietitian with MFit, the University of Michigan Health System’s health promotion division.
“Heart-healthy eating is about making good choices,” says Fitzgerald.
“A basic way to do that is to use the government approved food guide pyramid that emphasizes the food groups we need to include in a heart-healthy diet. More specifically, what you want to do is to include more whole grains, more fruits and vegetables, low-fat and no-fat dairy products, as well as lean protein sources.”
That’s fairly easy to do when choosing fresh produce, but what about canned and packaged foods?
The answer is to read the labels, and to do that, you need to educate yourself on what food label language means.
Five Things to Look For
Fitzgerald offers these tips on what to look for on food labels for heart-healthy eating:
- The claim, “May reduce the risk of heart disease.”
You can be assured that you are buying a beneficial product when you see this on a label, she says. “This claim means there is scientific evidence that the Food and Drug Administration has decided is strong enough to support it”.
- Nutrient content claims.
There are government regulations that a company must follow to use terms such as “high,” “low” or “reduced.” A food must have three grams of fat or less to be considered low fat, and a product high in a certain nutrient must provide 20 percent or more of the daily value suggested by the FDA. Since these are regulated claims, you can feel confident that you are making educated choices.
- Fiber.
Fiber is important for the health of the digestive system and for lowering cholesterol. Look for claims that say “high in fiber” or “excellent source of fiber.” These products have at least five grams of fiber per serving. A food that is listed as being a “good source” of fiber has two and a half grams of fiber or more.
- Omega-3 fats.
Research has shown that Omega-3 fats can benefit the heart. Fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and trout are good sources of omega fats and are low in saturated fat.
- Sterols and stanols.
Plant sterols and stanols are cholesterol-lowering substances that are added to products like margarine and salad dressings. It can be difficult to find these products because they are not always labeled clearly. Read labels to make sure that the product you are buying offers the cholesterol-lowering benefits of plant sterols and stanols.
Three Things to Avoid
- Sodium.
For a heart-healthy diet it is really important to look for ‘low sodium’ or ‘reduced sodium’, especially in processed and canned foods. If a food is labeled as “reduced” in sodium, it has 25 percent less sodium than the original product.
- Trans fats.
Trans fats have a negative effect on heart health, raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol. They are found in fried foods and processed foods with a long shelf life. The term “partially hydrogenated oil” is a key indicator that the food contains trans fats.
- Saturated fat.
This is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol, Fitzgerald notes. Butter, red meat such as hamburger and pork sausage, and cheese made from whole milk have the highest amount of saturated fat. Compare the saturated fat and trans fat listed on food nutrition labels and select the product with the lowest sum. Eating low or non-fat dairy products and lean meats such as loin or round cuts can control your saturated fat intake.
More Information on Reading Labels
American Heart Association: How to read food labels
See also: Choose a Heart-healthy Lifestyle
Avoid Trans Fats for Better Health
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