What is a cardiac diet? “Cardiac diet” is an unofficial term for a heart-healthy diet. It’s an eating plan that emphasizes foods that promote heart health, such as vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean poultry and oily fish like salmon and tuna that are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Why would you be on a cardiac diet?
The cardiac diet is an eating plan that can help you minimize the impact of your diet on your heart health. The overall goal is to reduce sodium and fat intake. Too much sodium can increase your blood pressure, leading to hypertension. Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart attacks and other heart problems.
What foods should be avoided on a cardiac diet?
- Full-fat milk and other dairy products.
- Organ meats, such as liver.
- Fatty and marbled meats.
- Spareribs.
- Hot dogs and sausages.
- Bacon.
- Fried or breaded meats.
What foods should I order on a cardiac diet?
Proteins
- Seafood — fish and shellfish.
- Poultry — chicken or turkey breast without skin, or lean ground chicken or turkey (at least 93% lean)
- Lean meats — like pork shoulder, beef sirloin, or lean ground beef (at least 93% lean)
- Beans, peas, and lentils — like black beans and garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- Eggs.
What is considered a cardiac diet? – Related Questions
Are eggs OK on a cardiac diet?
For most people, an egg a day does not increase your risk of a heart attack, a stroke, or any other type of cardiovascular disease.
Are eggs good for cardiac diet?
A study shows that eating eggs can boost the number of heart-healthy metabolites in the blood, which may partially explain the protective effect of moderate egg consumption on cardiovascular disease.
What kind of snacks can you eat on a cardiac diet?
Guaranteed to fill you right up:
- Whole-grain toast with peanut or almond butter.
- Cherry tomatoes with hummus.
- Low-fat or fat-free cheese.
- Plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt (An awesome pairing with fruit!)
- Fruit and veggie smoothie.
- Whole-grain crackers with canned tuna or salmon.
What should a person with heart disease eat for breakfast?
Quick-Fix Ideas for a Heart-Healthy Breakfast
- Low-fat Greek yogurt with raspberries and almonds.
- Oatmeal made with 1 percent milk, blueberries and walnuts.
- Whole-grain cereal with 1 percent milk and strawberries.
- Whole grain waffle or English muffin with peanut butter and a banana.
Can you eat bread on a cardiac diet?
Limiting refined grains and instead choosing whole grains helps lower a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Whole grains contain more beneficial fiber than refined grains. Examples include: whole grain bread.
Is cheese allowed on a cardiac diet?
Fresh, unripened cheeses like feta and goat cheese contain less fat than their ripened counterparts, which make them an acceptable choice when consuming a heart-healthy diet.
Can you eat pizza on a cardiac diet?
While pizza can be a poor choice for those with high cholesterol, careful ordering – or making it at home – can elevate pizza into a terrific heart-healthy meal. Going light on the cheese, avoiding red meat and heaping fresh vegetables on pizza make it an option everyone can enjoy.
Can I have a baked potato on a cardiac diet?
As long as you don’t deep fry them or load them with unhealthy toppings, a couple of servings of potatoes a week is great for your heart health. Potatoes are high in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure. They are also loaded with fiber, which has been shown to help lower the risk of heart disease.
Can you eat chocolate on a cardiac diet?
Studies show that dark chocolate — when it is not loaded with sugar and saturated fat — is indeed a heart-healthy chocolate treat and more. Dark chocolate is rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. Studies show it can help reduce blood pressure and lower your risk of heart disease.
Can you have tomatoes on a cardiac diet?
Researchers found that eating at least two servings of vegetables each and every day was associated with an up to 34% lower risk of dying from heart disease, with green vegetables and tomatoes yielding the most positive effects.
What kind of cheese can a heart patient eat?
Using lower-fat cheeses – such as mozzarella, feta, cottage cheese or reduced-fat cheeses – will provide less saturated fat.
Can a heart patient have pasta?
Rice, bread, pasta, and snacks made from white flour are missing their healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Refined grains quickly convert to sugar, which your body stores as fat. A diet high in refined grains can cause belly fat, which studies link to heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
What kind of butter is heart-healthy?
Nutritionally, grass-fed butter contains less saturated fats, more PUFAs, and more of the heart-healthy omega-3 and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) fatty acids than regular butter.
Is peanut butter heart-healthy?
Some of them, like walnuts, are also a good source of omega-3 fats, which are great for your heart. So nut butters, including peanut butter, contain lots of nutrients and no cholesterol, making for a pretty heart-healthy snack.
What are the healthiest nuts for your heart?
Almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and pecans also appear to be quite heart healthy. So are peanuts — though they are technically not a nut, but a legume, like beans. It’s best to choose unsalted or unsweetened nuts. Adding salt or sugar to nuts may cancel out their heart-healthy benefits.
Can you eat popcorn on a heart healthy diet?
When it’s air-popped and lightly seasoned, popcorn is an efficiently healthy snack. That’s because it is a whole grain, and high-fiber whole grains have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and other health problems.
