Eat lots of starchy foods like bread,
pasta, rice potatoes, and chapattis and choose wholegrain varieties.
Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day and
choose a variety of types and colors..
Cook smart. Use fat free cooking methods such as steaming,
grilling, boiling, and baking whenever possible and trim off skin and any
visible fat from meat before cooking.
The best oils to use are olive oil and rapeseed oil (often sold as
vegetable oil.) Replace butter and margarine with rapeseed oil (for every
4oz. use 5 tbsp. oil). Never re-use cooking oil.
Try alternatives to meat such as Quorn, soya mince, tofu or beans,
and pulses. They are very versatile.
Spread thinly. Butter and margarine are both high in fat. Beware of
even the low fat varieties, especially as they also contain salt.
Go stead with dairy. Skimmed milk contains all the goodness of milk
(like protein and calcium) but without the fat. Low fat fromage frais and
cre`me fraiche are excellent low fat alternatives to cream and remember that
"low fat" hard cheese and spread are still relatively high in fat.
Fishy on a Dishy. Eat fish twice a week, with at least one portion
of oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, fresh tuna, sardines, herring,
kippers, pilchards, and trout.
Drink lots of water to keep hydrated and fight off hunger pangs.
Bads:
Stop adding salt when cooking and at the table. Experiment and add
flavor with herbs and spices. Your taste buds swill soon adjust to the real
flavors of the food and you won't add to the risk of heart disease.
No salty stock. Stock cubes and gravy mixes are high in salt so
look for low salt varieties, better still make you own.
A heartier breakfast. Sprinkle combinations of flaxseed, pumpkin
seeds, or small amounts of almonds or walnuts on your cereal in the morning,
or make your own muesli.
A note on alcohol. While consumption of red wine and beer may have
a protective effect on heart health, it is best to drink in moderation, with
no more than two units a day for men and one unit a day for women. If you
have serious hearts problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high
triglycerides, alcohol should be avoided.
Healthier snacks. Replace high fat and sugar snacks such as crisps,
biscuits, cakes, and sweets with fruit (fresh or dried), carrot sticks,
home-made popcorn, or unsalted nuts.
Digest the small print. Check the fat (total and type of fat),
salt, sodium, and sugar content on food labels. many processed foods contain
hidden amounts, which can be spotted from the ingredients list. Trans fats
are found in foods containing hydrogenated vegetable oil, vegetable
shortening and suet. Sugar can be sucrose, lactose, glucose, syrup or
dextrins.