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The best diet and nutrition tracking apps on Android in 2022

Part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is looking after your dietary habits. Of course, snagging takeout frequently and snacking on the wrong kinds of foods won’t do you any favors in the long term. But sometimes, we need more awareness of how to overcome our current eating habits, and we need to know where to start when it comes to developing a better diet. So we’ve created a list of some of the best Android apps that are easily accessible on your favorite Android phone to help enable healthier choices for your daily food intake and meal planning.

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MyFitnessPal

You can’t go wrong with MyFitnessPal, the all-in-one food tracking app. The app serves as your nutrition coach and food diary, helping to recommend well-balanced meals so you meet your dietary goals. MyFitnessPal also saves you time as you record your daily food intake since you can scan the barcodes for the products you own/consume to get the information you need to record instantly. Never forget to miscount your calories again now that you have access to the best food tracker.

Lose it!

If you’re looking for a more personalized food-tracking app, Lose it! is an excellent choice. You can take pictures of your food to help log what you’ve consumed, set macro dietary goals for weight loss plans, and select custom recipes that exactly fit your needs. Sometimes the cookie-cutter methodologies don’t work out for us, but why not just create our own goals using the help of an app instead? The Lose it! app might just be the push that gets us there.

Lifesum

You may be completely lost and don’t know where to begin when it comes to dieting. Thankfully, Lifesum provides complete meal plans for every type of diet/goal, along with healthy recipes to help you create a balanced diet. It also offers a built-in calorie tracker with a sleek UI to view macros and calories at a glance. Unfortunately, you’ll need a paid subscription to sync with third-party services, which can be a roadblock for some users.

Mealime

Starting fresh on any diet can be cumbersome. Not only do you have to keep track of your eating activities, but you require a lot of meal planning. It’s not easy to shop for all the ingredients to carefully prep those meals, which is why we turn to Mealime. Mealime helps plan your meals for you and your family, generate grocery store shopping lists, and a paid subscription giving access to detailed nutritional information, meal plan tracking, and exclusive recipes. Have personal preferences or allergies you need to note down? Mealime takes care of all that for you.

Freeletics Nutrition

You may know Freeletics for its popular bodyweight training app, but Freeletics Nutrition is a standalone app dedicated to improving your nutritional and weight goals. Basically, you are what you eat. Freeletics Nutrition doesn’t believe in focusing on calorie counting; it is all about the final results to get to where you want to be for healthy eating and weight. In addition, you can pay for a subscription to access a nutritional coach to help you along the way. Are you worried about finding the right meal plans without meat? Well, vegetarians and pescatarians are also well accommodated within this app. There’s a plan for literally anyone.

BodyFast Intermittent Fasting

A beginner-friendly app to get ahold of a safe and effective fasting plan. It includes recipes, fasting plans, coaching tips, and food/water tracking; you’ll learn what you’re eating and how each stage affects your body. If not done correctly, fasting may pose some risks, which is why you’ll turn to the help of BodyFast Intermittent Fasting. In addition, you’ll have access to a BodyFast coach, trackers with timers and reminders, and plans tailored to your dietary needs and goals. So never worry about learning how to fast on your own ever again.

Senza

Senza is the ultimate ketogenic and fasting dietary help; you gain access to beginner guides, keto-specific recipes, and daily recommendations. The app also includes carnivore and paleo diets for recipes and tips. It also has advanced features like potassium, sodium, magnesium, glucose, and ketone intakes. Instead of acquiring a virtual coach, you’ll connect with live nutritionists for advanced support. In addition, you can now sync your progression with Fitbit and Google Fit; that way, you can keep up with your exercise, weight, and dietary advancement, all in a single place.

Yuka — Food & cosmetic scan

A set dietary plan can only do so much for your weightless goals. However, it is possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle if you know how to make informed choices. This is where Yuka comes in. Yuka is the ultimate food scanning app that takes scientific data to evaluate the nutritional value, additives (how much), and the organic dimension of the product. It’ll then assess a level of risk and recommend better alternatives. Yuka is the app to take with you while you’re shopping or taking a trip to your food pantry. Don’t get fooled by what you’re eating ever again!

Live life to the fullest while eating healthy

A healthy body is also a healthy mind. So be sure to take care of your physical health and well-being to live life to the fullest. The best Android apps are also companion apps that enable a healthier lifestyle that enforces your nutritional and dietary plans. So not only is being health conscious for your daily food intake vital, but you’ll also want to look into the best Android apps for health and fitness to supplement your lifestyle goals.

Here are the ‘5 pillars of a longevity diet’

There are some day-to-day tactics that may maximize your possibilities of dwelling to 90 and past – and a balanced diet plan is a person of the most significant variables on the listing.

In his new e book, “The Blue Zones American Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Reside to 100,” Dan Buettner “recognized the world’s longest-lived areas (blue zones) and examined the designs and existence that feel to clarify their populations’ longevity.”

Blue zones are defined by Buettner as populations with the maximum rates of dwelling to 100 – or starting to be centenarians – and the greatest middle-age lifestyle expectancies.

Across the entire world, these teams include things like communities in Japan, Italy, Greece, Costa Rica and even a Seventh Day Adventist neighborhood in California.

“The folks in the blue zones reside up to a 10 years more time than typical Us citizens and invest a portion of what most [of] the rest of us do on well being treatment,” Buettner wrote.

Of training course, there are various variables to take into consideration. Several of these communities have a lot more chances to wander from spot to area and are inclined to pressure a great deal a lot less than most Us residents.

But, after analyzing above 150 nutritional surveys that capture “the everyday feeding on practices of folks in the blue zones above the earlier 80 many years,” these had been the most popular foods involved in their eating plans.

‘The five pillars of a longevity diet’

Buettner discovered that 65{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of nutritional consumption in blue zones came from intricate carbs, and these meals are “the 5 pillars of a longevity diet regime on four continents”:

Entire grains like corn, rice and oats (advanced carb)
Greens
Tubers, such as potatoes and yams (sophisticated carb)
Nuts
Beans (intricate carb)

2 quick recipes that use the healthiest meals

Right here are two recipes you can check out that incorporate a blend of the meals that the healthiest communities consume:

Succotash

Succotash is a staple dish in Native communities that dates back again to the 1620s. Though usually paired with fish and other meats, this variation of the food is completely plant-based.

2 lbs of cooked, hulled corn
8 ounces of dried cranberry beans (or Jacob’s cattle beans or other equivalent beans), soaked and cooked until eventually tender
Salt
You can incorporate in turnips, carrots, squash, cabbage, onions and more.

Hoppin’ John With Carolina Gold Rice and Sapelo Crimson Peas

Nevertheless Carolina Gold rice is a West African strain, this dish was very first made by enslaved people in America. Carolina Gold rice was widely made use of for lots of several years, “only to all but completely disappear just after the Great Melancholy.” Fortunately, it is now bought in grocery retailers and online.

1 cup of Sapelo purple peas
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
3 cups of water
2 cups of Carolina Gold rice

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Here are the ‘5 pillars of a longevity diet’

The #1 Diet and Exercise Plan

If you’ve ever tried just dieting or exercising to burn off belly fat and have been unsuccessful, you’re not alone. Burning stubborn belly fat and keeping it off for the long haul is best accomplished by a combination of healthy eating habits and exercise to ensure you not only melt your midsection, but also have some solid muscle to show once it’s gone. We’ve put together the ultimate diet and exercise plan that’ll help you lose inches off your waist, so listen up.

The following program calls for personal adjustment, depending on your fitness level and nutrition requirements, and it’s not a replacement for a dietetic-supervised meal plan. However, in my experience, the guidelines discussed successfully lead healthy individuals to burn fat and get fit when followed consistently for at least three months.

Without delay, let’s dive in! And next up, don’t miss Lose 5 Inches off Your Waist With This Bodyweight Workout, Trainer Says.

The ultimate diet plan for a slim waist:

The #1 Diet and Exercise Plan — Shutterstock

If you want to see sustainable weight loss with corresponding health improvements, follow the guidelines below.

Aim for a caloric deficit of 300 to 500 calories per day.

Eating about 500 calories per day fewer than you burn is a sustainable way to burn about a pound of fat per week. While you can go higher for faster weight loss, this is more difficult to sustain and puts you at greater risk of losing muscle mass and having reduced energy levels.

Focus on nutrient-dense foods.

Aim to eat three to five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day to lose inches off your waist. Lean proteins such as chicken, fish, and plant proteins, as well as unsaturated fats from olive oil, are also helpful for getting your body the maximum amount of nutrients while keeping your calorie intake lower.

Limit your intake of sweetened beverages and alcohol.

Sodas, fruit juices, and alcoholic drinks are essentially “empty calories” that spike your blood sugar. They make losing weight harder by racking up the calorie count without providing vital micronutrients.

RELATED: 5 Easy Daily Habits To Cut Calories and Lose Weight, Expert Says

Drink plenty of water.

Adult men and women need an average of 3.7 and 2.7 liters of water per day, respectively, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you do not meet your daily need, sugar and food cravings become harder to resist and so does preventing yourself from overeating. If you find yourself craving sweets, ask yourself, “Have I consumed enough water today?”

The ultimate workout plan to blast stubborn belly fat and find your waist:

woman holding pink dumbbell weight loss concept — Shutterstock

When it comes to how to lose inches off your waist through working out, you need a two-to-three-day-per-week plan that hits upper and lower body exercises at a high intensity.

For lower body workouts, select three to five leg exercises, then perform 10 to 20 reps with 30 seconds of rest between sets, for a total of three to five rounds.

For upper body exercises, select a horizontal push and pull, along with a vertical push and pull exercise, for a total of four exercises. Perform three sets of 10 on each.

If you prefer jogging, I recommend using HIIT-style training to maximize your calorie burn and fat loss.

RELATED: 5 Best Habits to Lose Belly Fat and Actually Keep it Off, Says Science

Example of a lower-body workout:

Perform each exercise for 10 to 15 reps using moderate resistance, then rest for 30 seconds, and complete the next exercise. Repeat for three to five rounds.

Squats
Lunges
Deadlifts
Side lunges

Example of an upper-body workout:

Perform each exercise for 10 to 15 reps using moderate resistance, then rest for 30 seconds, and complete the next exercise. Repeat for three to five rounds.

Pull-ups
Dumbbell overhead press
Dumbbell rows
Dumbbell bench press

Example of an interval workout:

Run for 10 to 15 minutes, alternating 30 seconds of intense running followed by a 30-second jog. You can start by performing a few interval cycles, then finishing with a slower jog, until you are able to complete a full 15 minutes of interval training.

The bottom line

Any program is only as good as your ability to stick with it long enough to see results. These guidelines give you a framework to follow a diet and exercise program that will lead you to sustainable fat loss, slimming down your waist to reveal a fit, toned physique and all-around healthy body. Following this program for at least three months is the best way to ensure sustainable weight loss results.

Tyler Read

Tyler Read is a personal trainer and has been involved in health and fitness for the past 15 years. Read more about Tyler

The Green Mediterranean Diet Reduces Twice as Much Visceral Fat as the Mediterranean Diet and 10{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} More Than a Healthy Diet

Summary: A modified version of the Mediterranean diet called the green Mediterranean diet, which consists of enriched dietary polyphenols such as green tea, walnuts, and duckweed, and decreased red meats, reduced more visceral fat than the traditional Mediterranean diet or a traditional diet plan.

Source: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

The green Mediterranean diet (MED) significantly reduces visceral adipose tissue, a type of fat around internal organs that is much more dangerous than the extra “tire” around your waist.

The green Mediterranean diet was pitted against the Mediterranean diet and a healthy diet in a large-scale clinical interventional trial- the DIRECT PLUS. Subsequent analysis found that the green Med diet reduced visceral fat by 14{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}, the Med diet by 7{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} and the healthy diet by 4.5{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}.

The study was published in BMC Medicine.

Reducing visceral fat is considered the true goal of weight loss as it is a more important indicator than a person’s weight or the circumference of their waist. Visceral fat aggregates over time between organs and produces hormones and poisons linked to heart disease, diabetes, dementia and premature death.

The research was led by Prof. Iris Shai of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, an adjunct Professor from the Harvard School of Public Health, and an Honorary Professor, University of Leipzig, Germany, together with her doctoral student Dr. Hila Zelicha and Italian, German, and American colleagues.

The DIRECT-PLUS trial research team was the first to introduce the concept of the green-Mediterranean diet. This modified MED diet is further enriched with dietary polyphenols and lower in red/processed meat than the traditional healthy MED diet. On top of a daily intake of walnuts (28 grams), the participants consumed 3-4 cups of green tea/day and 100 grams (frozen cubes) of duckweed green shake/day. The aquatic green plant duckweed is high in bioavailable protein, iron, B12, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols and substituted meat intake.

The Green Mediterranean Diet Reduces Twice as Much Visceral Fat as the Mediterranean Diet and 10{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} More Than a Healthy Diet — On top of a daily intake of walnuts (28 grams), the participants consumed 3-4 cups of green tea/day and 100 grams (frozen cubes) of duckweed green shake/day. Image is in the public domain

The team has shown in previous studies that the green MED diet has a variety of salutary effects ranging from the microbiome to age-related degenerative diseases.

Two hundred and ninety four participants took part in the 18-month long trial.

“A healthy lifestyle is a strong basis for any weight loss program. We learned from the results of our experiment that the quality of food is no less important than the number of calories consumed and the goal today is to understand the mechanisms of various nutrients, for example, positive ones such as the polyphenols, and negative ones such as empty carbohydrates and processed red meat, on the pace of fat cell differentiation and their aggregation in the viscera,” says Prof. Shai.

“A 14{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} reduction in visceral fat is a dramatic achievement for making simple changes to your diet and lifestyle. Weight loss is an important goal only if it is accompanied by impressive results in reducing adipose tissue,” notes Dr. Hila Zelicha.

Funding: This work was funded by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – Project number 209933838- SFB 1052; the Rosetrees trust (grant A2623); Israel Ministry of Health grant 87472511; Israel Ministry of Science and Technology grant 3-13604; and the California Walnuts Commission.

None of the funding providers was involved in any stage of the design, conduct, or analysis of the study and they had no access to the study results before publication.

About this diet and fat reduction research news

Author: Ehud Zion Waldoks
Source: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Contact: Ehud Zion Waldoks – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Image: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: Open access.
“The effect of high-polyphenol Mediterranean diet on visceral adiposity: the DIRECT PLUS randomized controlled trial” by Hila Zelicha et al. BMC Medicine

Background

Mediterranean (MED) diet is a rich source of polyphenols, which benefit adiposity by several mechanisms. We explored the effect of the green-MED diet, twice fortified in dietary polyphenols and lower in red/processed meat, on visceral adipose tissue (VAT).

Methods

In the 18-month Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial PoLyphenols UnproceSsed (DIRECT-PLUS) weight-loss trial, 294 participants were randomized to (A) healthy dietary guidelines (HDG), (B) MED, or (C) green-MED diets, all combined with physical activity. Both isocaloric MED groups consumed 28 g/day of walnuts (+ 440 mg/day polyphenols). The green-MED group further consumed green tea (3–4 cups/day) and Wolffia globosa (duckweed strain) plant green shake (100 g frozen cubes/day) (+ 800mg/day polyphenols) and reduced red meat intake. We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify the abdominal adipose tissues.

Results

Participants (age = 51 years; 88{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} men; body mass index = 31.2 kg/m²; 29{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} VAT) had an 89.8{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} retention rate and 79.3{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} completed eligible MRIs. While both MED diets reached similar moderate weight (MED: − 2.7{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}, green-MED: − 3.9{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}) and waist circumference (MED: − 4.7{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}, green-MED: − 5.7{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}) loss, the green-MED dieters doubled the VAT loss (HDG: − 4.2{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}, MED: − 6.0{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}, green-MED: − 14.1{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}; p < 0.05, independent of age, sex, waist circumference, or weight loss). Higher dietary consumption of green tea, walnuts, and Wolffia globosa; lower red meat intake; higher total plasma polyphenols (mainly hippuric acid), and elevated urine urolithin A polyphenol were significantly related to greater VAT loss (p < 0.05, multivariate models).

Conclusions

A green-MED diet, enriched with plant-based polyphenols and lower in red/processed meat, may be a potent intervention to promote visceral adiposity regression.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03020186

Ensure your diet is heart-friendly by making these healthy changes

It is a well-known fact that heart health forms the core of overall wellness. It beats about 2.5 billion times over the average lifetime and pushes millions of gallons of blood to every part of the body. This steady flow carries with it oxygen, fuel, hormones, nutrients, other compounds, and a host of essential cells. It also whisks away the waste products from metabolism.

“As such, many essential body functions fail in case the heart stops functioning, with some stopping almost instantly. It can also fail when its health is compromised by way of a poor diet and lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol, infection, and more. A healthy lifestyle, especially when started at a young age, goes a long way to preventing cardiovascular disease or any other disease or illness,” said Anam Golandaz, clinical dietician, Masina Hospital, Byculla, Mumbai.

The expert went on to share certain important points that will help aid heart health.

Path to improve heart health

Following these nutritional strategies can help you reduce or even eliminate some risk factors, such as reducing total and LDL (low-density lipoprotein)-cholesterol; lowering blood pressure, blood sugars and triglycerides; and reducing body weight.

Control your portion size

Overloading your plate, taking seconds, and eating until you feel full can lead you to eat more calories than your body requires. “These extra calories will make you put on extra weight and lead to you being overweight and obese — the main causes of heart diseases. Follow a few simple tips to control food portion size – Use a small plate or bowl; eat more low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables, and eat smaller amounts of high-calorie, high-sodium foods, such as refined, processed, or fast foods.

Ensure your prevent heart related health scares by these diet tips (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Be smart about fats

Unlike widely believed, some fats are actually good for us and our hearts. When using fats for cooking, choose monounsaturated fats such as olive oil or canola oil. Also, a good source of monounsaturated fats are avocados. Polyunsaturated fats (found in nuts and seeds) and omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish such as tuna and salmon) are also healthy choices. In general, try to avoid trans fats that are usually found in processed foods and snacks such as bakery products, or packed food. Look for the words “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredient label to know whether a food item contains trans fats.

What’s the difference between healthy fat and unhealthy fat?

Saturated and trans fats can be harmful to your heart and arteries. A basic rule of a heart-healthy diet is to lower these harmful fats but include moderate amounts of healthy fats such as mono- and polyunsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fats. These are good for our hearts.

Go whole-grain

Whole-grains such as wheat, oats, buckwheat or wholegrain breads or pastas are higher in fibre, magnesium, manganese, selenium, B vitamins and complex carbohydrates. Choose them over white breads or regular pastas.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

They contain fibre, antioxidants ,vitamins, and minerals that are good for our heart and overall body.

Prepare meat healthily

Instead of deep frying, try baking, broiling, and roasting as these are the healthiest ways to prepare meat and poultry. Also trim any outside fat or skin before cooking.

Don’t forget beans

Dry beans, peas, soybean and lentils are good source of protein and fibre. They are also high in minerals without the saturated fat found in some animal proteins. Eating beans as part of a heart healthy diet and lifestyle may also help to improve blood cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease.

Choose low-fat dairy

Go for fat-free or low-fat versions of milk, yoghurt, and cheese products as it is high in saturated fat.

Include lean protein

Eat protein–rich foods, including fish, lean meats, skinless poultry, eggs, nuts and seeds, and beans.

What should you avoid eating?

A heart-healthy diet limits some nutrients. These include no-salt seasonings instead of salt.
Packaged foods, sauces, canned foods, and processed foods contain a high amount of sodium.
Sweetened drinks, snacks, and sweet treats are the main source of added sugars in our diet. These include sodas, sweetened coffee and tea, energy drinks, cakes, pies, ice cream, candy, syrups, and jellies. Limit these types of foods and drinks.

Limit your intake of alcohol. Too much alcohol can raise blood pressure and cause weight gain. It can also contribute to or worsen heart failure in some people.

“Know that no single food can make you healthy instantly, so your overall dietary pattern is more important than specific foods,” said Golandaz

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How to Keep Your Heart Healthy Through Your Diet

Heart disease is a leading health issue in the US. When it comes to your risk level, some factors are out of your control — like, say, your blood type. But other factors are more changeable, including your diet. Everyone from the American Heart Association to the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends making specific food choices to support a healthy heart. Because foods for heart health can reduce other potential cardiovascular issues — like high blood pressure and high cholesterol — it’s worth keeping in mind as you plan your weekly meals.

Keep reading to find out which foods to look for and what a heart-healthy diet looks like overall.

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What is a heart-healthy diet?

Studies have revealed two things: foods that are riskier for your heart and foods that strengthen it. Fortunately, you’re not about to get hit with a bunch of curveballs. The best foods for heart health are ones you probably already think of as healthy. Similarly, the not-so-heart-healthy foods are probably already on your radar for not doing your body any favors.

Before we dive in here, let’s say: everything in moderation. Unless you already know you have a heart health issue, you don’t need to cut out any foods or make drastic changes. We’re not saying you can never have another piece of bacon or crack open another soda. Instead, being mindful of what a heart-healthy diet looks like can help you incorporate more of those foods into your meals.

Now, let’s talk details. According to the AHA and Department of Health, a heart-healthy diet is rich in:

Produce
Lean proteins
Fiber-rich complex carbs
Healthy fats

A diet full of colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins and fats will give your body the fiber, vitamins and minerals it needs to support a healthy heart.

A bright rainbow spectrum of produce on a platter. — David Malan/Getty Images

Conversely, if you’re trying to boost cardiovascular health, you want to limit your intake of:

Trans fats
Saturated fats
Processed meats (for example, lunch meat, salami and hot dogs)
Excess salt
Excess sugar
Refined carbohydrates (for example, white breads and snacks)
Red meat
Excess alcohol

If a lot of your favorites are on the less heart-healthy list, don’t panic. You can still include them in your diet (unless your doctor says otherwise). Just make sure that these foods aren’t taking over every meal, and try to add as many heart-healthy foods into your day as you can.

Heart-healthy foods

Person in a long brown dress browses a grocery store aisle. — d3sign/Getty Images

If you want to feel good about what your next grocery trip will do for your heart health, you can grab items in these specific categories.

1. Fruits and vegetables

Remember the food pyramid from back in the day? It was on to something. Your body benefits from eating quite a bit of produce.

That’s because veggies and fruit load in a lot of nutritional density per bite. Bananas and sweet potatoes deliver potassium, a key mineral for heart health. Cruciferous veggies may help to prevent clogged arteries. Leafy greens deliver fiber, which can help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Long story short, the more produce you’re packing in, the better. And if fresh produce doesn’t work for your budget or your lifestyle, don’t worry. You can get plenty of nutritional benefits from frozen, dried and canned options. Just make sure they’re marked low-sodium.

2. Whole grains

Not all carbs are bad. Refined carbs like the ones in white bread fly through your body, usually doing you more harm than good. But complex carbohydrates, like the ones you’ll find in whole grain products, deliver fiber, which we’ve already mentioned as a heart health booster.

Plus, they often come packed with vitamins and minerals like iron, selenium, thiamin (Vitamin B1), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), niacin (Vitamin B3), folate (Vitamin B9) and magnesium. If you’re looking for a heart-healthy diet, choose products that have whole grains in their ingredient list. Plus, complex carbs can also be found in beans, potatoes, peas and corn.

Fish tacos on a plate, with corn tortillas and fresh cilantro. — GSPictures/Getty Images

3. Lean and plant protein

While certain proteins — like red and processed meat — can be hard on your heart, others top the list of foods for heart health. The key here is to look for plant-based protein, lean animal proteins and fish. Experts recommend mixing up your protein sources. So you have plenty of options, stock up on:

Lentils
Beans
Nuts
Seeds
Tofu
Fish, especially ones high in omega-3 fatty acids
Eggs
Low-fat dairy products
Poultry
Seeds

Swap some of your red meat and cured pork for the options above and you’ll be doing your heart a favor.

4. Healthy fats

You might think that fat spells heart trouble, but it’s all about the type of fat. While trans and saturated fats have been linked to cardiovascular issues in numerous studies, your body, including your heart, needs healthy fats. You can get these from fish, nuts and seeds, along with avocados and moderate amounts of plant oils like:

Olive oil
Sesame oil
Sunflower
Soybean oil
Canola oil
Corn oil
Safflower oil

As a general rule of thumb, if the fat would be solid at room temp, it’s probably saturated. If it would be a liquid, it most likely falls under the unsaturated variety. Think butter (controversial for health) versus olive oil (definitely part of a heart-healthy diet).

Sesame oil pouring into a small dish. — SUNGMIN/Getty Images

5. Heart-check foods

The American Heart Association has certified certain foods for heart health and given them the Heart-Check seal, which you can find on some food packaging. Once you learn that seal, it can make it easier to stock your cart with foods for heart health.

For the best results, pair your heart-healthy diet with other heart health boosters like regular exercise, sleep and stress management techniques. It can also be helpful to learn your blood type and what it means for your risk of specific cardiovascular conditions.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.