Making heart-healthy snack choices can add more nutrition to your diet and keep you energized and full between meals.
This includes fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
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What Makes a Snack Heart-Healthy?
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you could manage your heart health by paying attention to your diet.
Apples are not just good for your heart.
They are nutrient-dense because they provide many nutrients per serving.
One medium apple contains 104 calories and five grams of fiber.
It also contains vitamins C, K, E, B1, B6, copper, and potassium.
Enjoy an apple with some peanut or almond butter for a heart-healthy, high-fiber, and healthy-fat snack.
Or, add 1 cup of apples to a smoothie containing other heart-healthy fruits and vegetables.
Celery is water-filled and fiber-packed.
Legumes also containplant sterols, which can reduce cholesterol and contribute to better heart health.
Roasted chickpeas can be a heart-healthy snack to satisfy cravings for crunchy foods.
you might make roasted chickpeas at home or buy some from your favorite store.
When purchasing, you will want to avoid brands that contain lots of sodium or sugar.
It contains olive oil, making it a great source of heart-healthy fats.
Pair it with heart-healthy vegetables like carrots, celery, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and tomatoes.
Greek yogurt pairs well with blueberries, which are also linked to improved heart health.
Smoothies
Smoothies are a blank slate to supercharge your heart health.
They can offer a combination of fiber, vitamins, antioxidants,omega-3 fatty acids, and more.
Omega-3 fats help manage inflammation and other body processes.
Even so, choosing nuts instead of a less healthy snack option helps you stick to a heart-healthy diet.
Seeds to add to a heart-healthy snack include flaxseed, hemp, chia, or sesame.
you’re free to add seeds to Greek yogurt or a healthy smoothie.
Or you could snack on a handful of low-salt or sodium-free pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
They make a crunchy snack that is easy to take along.
For a heart-healthy snack, consider plain, unsalted rice cakes made from brown rice.
Brown rice is also rich in fiber.
Consider adding heart-healthy toppings to your rice cake snack.
Sardines are small fish loaded with omega-3 fatty acids.
The heart health benefits of omega-3 fats are well-researched and documented.
and improve cholesterol numbers while providing anti-inflammatory benefits.
Olive oil is also connected to improved heart health.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolateis full of heart-healthy compounds.
Consider a handful ofalmondswith dark chocolate pieces for an enhanced heart-healthy snack.
Like other nuts and seeds, almonds can improve lipid (fat) levels in the blood.
Prepackaged Snacks
Shopping at your local grocery store for healthy snacks can sometimes be challenging.
The American Heart Association recommends reading nutrition labels and serving sizes to determine the health content of prepackaged snacks.
Look for foods higher in protein and fiber and with unrefined carbs and healthy fats.
If you want something sweet, look for snacks made of healthy sugars, such as fruit and honey.
This diet was designed to prevent and treat high blood pressure, which makes it heart-friendly.
It limitsred meat, added sugar, refined grains, and sodium.
In addition to fish, the pescatarian diet also emphasizes plant foods.
People who follow a vegetarian diet may also consume cheese, eggs, and dairy.
Your heart can benefit from a vegetarian or vegan diet in many ways.
The diet can also help you keep a healthy weight by replacing animal products with lower-calorie and high-fiber foods.
Last, many foods in a plant-based diet can help reduce inflammation and protect against heart disease.
it’s possible for you to overcome the potential for such a deficiency by choosing suitable vegetarian protein sources.
As an additional benefit, a healthcare provider can recommend a multivitamin or supplement if needed.
You want to only include small amounts of good fat in your everyday meals and snacks.
It also avoids snacks that contain high amounts of saturated fats, sugars, and salts.
With prepackaged snacks, you should read nutritional labels and be mindful of serving sizes.
You will also want to include only small amounts of good fats with meals and snacks.
Ensure you get enough protein, iron, and other essential vitamins and minerals.
Your healthcare provider can recommend supplements if necessary.
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