Food advice can feel complicated when every headline promotes a different ingredient or eating rule. For heart health, it is more helpful to look at the foods you choose regularly and the routine that makes those choices possible.
You can begin with a familiar meal. Think about what you enjoy, who you cook for and whether one small adjustment would be easy to repeat.
Build meals around a range of foods
The Heart Foundation’s eating pattern includes vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, a variety of healthy protein foods and healthier fat choices. Beans, lentils, nuts and fish can all have a place. Herbs and spices can add flavour while helping you use less salt. The emphasis is on an ongoing pattern rather than a restrictive short-term diet. Read the Heart Foundation’s guidance on keeping your heart healthy.
Pay attention to the type of fat
Unsaturated fats are found in foods such as olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. Replacing some sources of saturated fat with these foods can support a heart-healthy eating pattern. For example, you could discuss using olive oil in cooking or trying avocado on toast in place of butter. The Heart Foundation explains fats and oils.
A change is easier to consider when it fits the way you already shop and cook. There is no need to buy every suggested ingredient at once.
Make vegetables easier to include
Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables can all contribute to a varied diet. Keeping options you will actually use can be more practical than buying produce that goes to waste. Try including vegetables in a meal you already make, such as a soup, sandwich or rice dish. See the Heart Foundation’s information on fruit and vegetables.
Bring your own circumstances into the plan
If you have a health condition, food allergy, dietary restriction or questions about a test result, ask for advice that takes those details into account. At a dietitian appointment, useful discussion points include:
- The meals you eat most often.
- Your cultural food preferences and budget.
- Foods you find difficult to prepare or tolerate.
- Which change you would like help making.
Read about our dietitian service or contact the clinic to ask about availability. Nutrition advice can sit alongside your GP’s plan for managing heart-health risks.
