Vegetables and fruit
One way to start improving your heart health immediately is to increase your intake of vegetables and fruit. Eating 5 to 10 servings every day may help reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Along with their great taste and versatility, vegetables and fruit offer a host of heart-healthy nutrients. And with such a wide variety, you can easily include one or more at every mealtime and snack time.
It is easy to fit in five to 10 servings a day because the portions are manageable. For example, one serving equals either a cup of dark green leafy lettuce, or a medium stalk of broccoli, or a half cup of frozen peas, or a medium-size apple or banana, or a half cup of canned peaches, or a half cup of low-sodium tomato juice.
Heart-disease prevention
Many vegetables and fruit are particularly rich in vitamin C and in beta-carotene, which is a form of vitamin A. These work as antioxidants in your body, helping to slow down or prevent atherosclerosis by reducing the buildup of plaque from cholesterol and other substances in the arteries. Some of the vitamin C dynamos are broccoli, red peppers, strawberries, oranges, kiwi and cantaloupe. Since beta-carotene gives food a distinctive dark-orange, red or dark-green colour, you can easily spot the best sources, such as carrots, tomatoes, squash, pink grapefruit, sweet potatoes and Swiss chard.
Here's a bonus: almost all vegetables and fruit are low in calories, fat and sodium. In fact, research shows that high consumption of vegetables and fruit is associated with maintaining a healthy weight.
Good source of fibre
Eating fresh vegetables and fruit provides a good source of fibre. Whenever possible, eat the peels, too – it will make a big difference to your total daily fibre intake. For example, a raw unpeeled apple has almost 10 times more fibre than a cup of apple juice.
Cooking fresh and frozen
When cooking vegetables, it is best to use fresh produce. The best methods of cooking is to steam, roast or grill to preserve as many nutrients as possible.
Don't always have access to fresh produce? Frozen and canned are excellent alternatives, since they have about the same nutritional value as fresh. When buying frozen or canned fruit, look for the products with no added sugar or syrup. If you're using canned vegetables, rinse them under water to remove much of the added salt.
Last reviewed April 2007.
Disclaimer
Your use of the information on this site is subject to the Heart and Stroke Foundation Terms and Conditions of Use. By using this Web Site, you agree to be bound by the implied terms and condition in each of these statements.
TM – All trademarks, service marks and logos are owned by and are the exclusive property of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada ("HSFC") and authorized use is only granted under licence. Such trademarks, service marks and logos may not be reproduced, copied, imitated or used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of HSFC.
© – Reproduced with permission of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, 2007