A heart-healthy diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, lean proteins, low-fat dairy products, and healthy oils. It also limits foods that are high in sodium, added sugar, saturated fat, and heavy processing. Over time, this type of eating pattern can help support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Following this guidance, however, is not always simple. In our national conversation about what it means to eat nutritiously and take care of our bodies, concepts like “eating a healthy, balanced diet” are often far more complex than simply avoiding the consumption of certain foods deemed “bad.” When conversations about nourishing ourselves are reduced to “just make healthier choices,” we overlook how factors like economic status and food access can make those choices more difficult for our friends and neighbors, or take away their choices entirely.
To better understand these complexities, we’ve tapped our in-house expert, Food Bank of the Rockies’ Nutrition Manager, Jonelle Addabbo, MCN, RDN, to talk about heart-healthy eating, food security, the health risks associated with limited food access, and the potential benefits that can arise from increasing the availability of nourishing foods for our community members.
Key Takeaways
- A heart-healthy eating pattern emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lean proteins, low-fat dairy products, and healthy oils.
- It generally limits sodium, added sugar, saturated fat, and heavily processed foods.
- Food insecurity can make it difficult for households to consistently access nutritious food or manage chronic health conditions.
- Affordable foods such as beans, lentils, oats, brown rice, eggs, canned fish, and frozen produce can all be part of a heart-healthy diet.
- Food Bank of the Rockies uses evidence-based nutrition guidelines to help source and distribute a balanced variety of nourishing foods.
Reviewd By Jonelle Addabbo, MCN, RDN
Jonelle Addabbo is the Nutrition Manager at Food Bank of the Rockies. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and holds a Master of Clinical Nutrition. She helps guide the organization’s nutrition standards, food-sourcing practices, and nutrition education initiatives.
What Is a Heart-Healthy Diet?
A heart-healthy diet is not a rigid list of foods that people must eat or avoid. It is an overall eating pattern that prioritizes nutrient-rich foods while making room for individual needs, preferences, cultures, budgets, and circumstances.
Heart-healthy foods can include:
- Vegetables and fruits, whether fresh, frozen, dried, or canned
- Whole grains such as oats, brown rice, barley, and whole-grain bread or pasta
- Plant-based proteins such as beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, and tofu
- Fish, skinless poultry, eggs, and lean cuts of meat
- Low-fat dairy products and fortified dairy alternatives
- Healthy oils and other sources of unsaturated fat
A heart-healthy eating pattern generally limits foods and beverages that contain large amounts of sodium, added sugar, saturated fat, or heavy processing. The goal is not perfection or labeling individual foods as “good” or “bad.” Instead, it is to build an eating pattern that supports heart health over time and is realistic for a person’s life.
Why Is a Heart-Healthy Diet Important?
The heart is responsible for pumping blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body. What we eat can affect factors connected to cardiovascular health, including blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Eating patterns rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, and other nutrient-rich foods can support cardiovascular health. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, eating plan is one well-established example. It uses familiar foods and does not require special products, making its general principles adaptable to different cultures, budgets, and dietary preferences.
Individual nutrition needs vary, particularly for people managing medical conditions. People with questions about their personal dietary needs should consult a qualified healthcare provider or registered dietitian nutritionist.
How Food Insecurity Affects a Nutrient-Rich Diet
Before digging into the health risks associated with limited food access, it’s best to familiarize ourselves with the concept of food insecurity, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as a “household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.”
Food insecurity is similar to hunger, but the two terms differ. Hunger is a physiological condition that can affect a person who lacks enough food. We have all been hungry at one point or another, but many of us have never experienced food insecurity.
A family who experiences reduced quality, variety, or access to nutrient-rich foods may be considered food insecure. The same is true of a family who has inconsistent access to nourishing foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, because affordable food stores are not readily accessible in the area where they live.
Food insecurity can also force people to make difficult tradeoffs among food, housing, utilities, transportation, medication, and other essential expenses. These financial pressures can make it harder to consistently follow an eating pattern that supports heart health.
Negative Health Impacts of Food Insecurity
“Households experiencing food insecurity are more likely to be impacted by chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease,” explained Addabbo. “The lower a household’s food security status, the more likely members are to be diagnosed with a range of chronic conditions.”
Citing USDA research, Addabbo explained that adults living in households with very low food security are more than twice as likely to develop diabetes and 66% more likely to develop high blood pressure than their food-secure neighbors. Adults experiencing food insecurity are also more likely to live with multiple chronic disease diagnoses, experience a lower quality of life, have a decreased life expectancy, and face increased healthcare costs over their lifespan.
These negative health risks can be compounded for community members who already live with chronic diseases.
“Food insecurity can contribute to poorer health outcomes if neighbors are unable to follow a nutritious eating pattern or afford their medication,” Addabbo shared. “For example, if a person living with diabetes cannot afford to fill their insulin prescription, they may compensate by decreasing how many carbohydrates they eat, including nutrient-rich fruits and grains. This might lead to long-term deficiencies and other health complications.”
Can a Heart-Healthy Diet Be Affordable?
A heart-healthy eating pattern does not require expensive specialty products. Many affordable, shelf-stable, frozen, and canned foods can provide important nutrients.
Budget-friendly options can include:
- Dried or low-sodium canned beans and lentils
- Oats, brown rice, barley, and whole-grain pasta
- Frozen vegetables without added sauces
- Frozen fruit without added sugar
- Canned vegetables with no salt added or reduced sodium
- Canned fruit packed in water or 100% juice
- Eggs and unsalted peanut butter
- Canned tuna, salmon, or chicken
- Seasonal fresh produce
- Low-fat milk, yogurt, or fortified dairy alternatives
Rinsing canned beans and vegetables can help remove some of the sodium when lower-sodium varieties are unavailable. Herbs, spices, garlic, vinegar, citrus, and salt-free seasoning blends can also add flavor to meals.
Buying only “heart-healthy” foods is not realistic for every person or household, and access differs considerably from one community to another. A sustainable eating pattern should account for the food someone can afford, store, prepare, and enjoy.
How to Read Food Labels for Heart-Healthy Choices
Nutrition Facts labels can help people compare similar packaged foods. When choosing between available options, consider looking at:
- Sodium
- Saturated fat
- Added sugar
- Dietary fiber
- Protein
- Serving size
Choosing products with less sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar can help support a heart-healthy eating pattern. However, labels are only one part of the decision. Cost, availability, cultural relevance, allergies, dietary restrictions, storage, and access to cooking equipment all matter.
How Food Banks Help People Access Nourishing Food
Hunger-relief organizations like Food Bank of the Rockies provide nourishing food to neighbors within their respective communities free of charge, making it easier and more convenient for people experiencing food insecurity to access a variety of nutrient-rich foods.
To help ensure that the food these organizations provide meets a high standard of nutritional content, nutrition experts like Addabbo use evidence-based national resources, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Healthy Eating Research Nutrition Guidelines for the Charitable Food System.
The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans inform Food Bank of the Rockies’ approach toward food sourcing, program planning, and the distribution of a balanced variety of foods from major food groups, including fruits, vegetables, protein foods, grains, and dairy.
The Healthy Eating Research guidelines are a standardized metric supported by Feeding America, the nationwide network of food banks of which Food Bank of the Rockies is a member. The guidelines sort many foods into three tiers based on their saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar content:
- Choose often
- Choose sometimes
- Choose rarely
This framework helps charitable food organizations consistently evaluate the nutritional quality of available foods.
“Because overconsumption of these nutrients over time is linked to increased chronic disease risk, including heart disease, we strive to distribute foods that contain less of them,” explained Addabbo. “We focus on sourcing foods that provide a variety of health-promoting nutrients, including protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.”
Food Bank of the Rockies prioritizes nutrient-rich items such as vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy and dairy alternatives, plant and animal proteins, and oils for our community members through programs like Mobile Pantries and Totes of Hope® for kids, as well as through our 800-plus Hunger Relief Partners.
In addition to these staples, Addabbo says the Food Bank also provides condiments, herbs, spices, and cooking staples to support neighbors in flavoring foods and creating meals that fit their preferences.
It’s all part of the organization’s mission to provide a variety of nutritious, culturally responsive foods.
“When nutritious foods taste good to us and are easy to incorporate into our lives, we are more likely to eat them!” Addabbo said. “This contributes to a heart-healthy eating pattern over time, with room for the flexibility that life demands.”
Listening to What Our Communities Need
Food Bank of the Rockies also consults with community members to help determine what types of food will be most conducive to people’s wants and needs. For example, people without access to a stove or refrigerator may be unable to preserve or prepare certain foods.
“Households with refrigeration access may want more fresh produce and eggs, while unhoused populations may prefer lower-sodium packaged foods that don’t require preparation,” Addabbo explained. “Tuning in to our communities’ needs and barriers to food access helps us identify what gaps we can help fill.”
Food choices are also influenced by culture, traditions, family preferences, allergies, medical needs, time, and access to transportation. Providing nourishing food therefore involves more than measuring individual nutrients. It requires listening to neighbors and offering food that people are able and excited to use.
All these steps are taken to ensure that as many of our neighbors as possible can experience the benefits of regular access to nourishing food.
“Eating more nutritious foods may help people meet their energy and nutrient needs,” Addabbo said. “Over time, a balanced eating pattern can support cardiovascular health, digestion, bone and muscle health, and overall well-being.”
Inspired to help ensure all of our community members have access to the nourishing foods they need to thrive? Make a donation today.
What is a heart-healthy diet?
A heart-healthy diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, lean proteins, low-fat dairy products, and healthy oils. It generally limits sodium, added sugar, saturated fat, and heavily processed foods.
What are some affordable heart-healthy foods?
Affordable options include beans, lentils, oats, brown rice, frozen vegetables, canned fruit packed in water or 100% juice, low-sodium canned vegetables, eggs, unsalted peanut butter, and canned fish.
Are canned and frozen foods heart healthy?
They can be. Frozen fruits and vegetables can provide important nutrients and last longer than fresh produce. When possible, look for vegetables without added sauces, canned foods with less sodium, and fruit packed in water or 100% juice.
How does food insecurity affect heart health?
Food insecurity can make it harder to consistently obtain nutritious food, follow a medically recommended eating pattern, and afford medications or healthcare. These challenges can contribute to poorer management of conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
How does Food Bank of the Rockies support heart-healthy eating?
Food Bank of the Rockies distributes foods from all major food groups and uses evidence-based guidelines to help prioritize foods that provide protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients. The organization also listens to community members so that the foods offered are practical, culturally responsive, and aligned with neighbors’ needs.
How does Food Bank of the Rockies support heart-healthy eating?
Food Bank of the Rockies distributes foods from all major food groups and uses evidence-based guidelines to help prioritize foods that provide protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients. The organization also listens to community members so that the foods offered are practical, culturally responsive, and aligned with neighbors’ needs.
Help Provide Nourishing Food to Our Neighbors
Everyone deserves access to food that supports their health, respects their culture, and fits their individual circumstances.
Are you inspired to help ensure all of our community members have access to the nourishing foods they need to thrive? Make a donation today.
Are you or someone you know looking for food assistance? Use our Find Food tool to locate a Food Bank of the Rockies Hunger Relief Partner or Mobile Pantry near you.