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Smart swaps: Heart Health

Author: Katrina Pace - MSc, New Zealand Registered Dietitian

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Maintaining heart health isn’t all about cutting foods out. Adding soy protein, such as tofu, unsaturated fats and antioxidants from nuts, beta-glucan fibre from oats and omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you’ve already got high cholesterol, then try adding foods fortified with plant sterols and stanols.

Choosing foods low in saturated fat and sodium will keep your heart pumping and help you enjoy life for longer.

Any product examples given here were correct at time of publication. However, remember to check the ingredients and nutrition information every so often, as these can change over time.

Skip the cheese with your salad and choose tuna in spring water to get some of your weekly omega-3

Supersize your heart benefits by swapping high-fibre cereal for a hearty bowl of oats and get some heart-healthy beta-glucan fibre

Exchange a meat meal, with saturated fat, for a meal including a soy protein, such as tofu

Instead of your usual low-fat spread, choose one with added plant sterols

Don’t miss out on taste when you reduce your salt, pack in the flavours with salt-free spice and herb mixes

Article sources and references

Chiavaroli L et al. 2018. Portfolio dietary pattern and cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases 61:43-53
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29807048
EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). 2010. Scientific opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to oat beta glucan and lowering blood cholesterol and reduced risk of (coronary) heart disease pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal 8:1885 competition winners October 2018 Your say Lynette Houston (best feedback) Steve Mellick (spot prize) Silvia Faber, Kate Park, Sarah #HFGkids Richard Nicholls, Graceyn Growden, Flynn Wadge Subscription prizes Terisa Persen, Gael Hutton HFG_
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1885
Heart Foundation. Healthy Eating Guidelines, heartfoundation.org.nz Accessed September 2018
https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/healthy-eating/eating-for-a-healthy-heart
Ministry of Health. 2018. Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment and Management for Primary Care. Wellington: Ministry of Health
https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/cardiovascular-disease-risk-assessment-and-management-primary-care