Taking Your Grocery Shopping To Heart
Contributed by: News Canada
(NC) - Recently, Canadians have been bombarded with stories in the news about what foods they should avoid, but there's been little information about what foods they should embrace and enjoy. Eating and shopping for heart healthy food should be a heartening experience - literally. Here are a few pointers to help you make heart healthy selections:
Grains
Whole grains are an important source of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Choose whole wheat pasta and bread, brown long-grain rice or wild rice, oatmeal, whole grain pizza dough, tortilla wraps and pita breads.
Flavourings And Oils
Enhance your meals without relying on saturated fat and salt by adding these items to your cart: soft, non-hydrogenated margarine for cooking and baking; mustards, salsas and flavoured vinegars for pep; dried fresh herbs for flavour; garlic and ginger for added taste; and olive and canola oil for sprucing up salads.
Fresh Foods
Look for these heart healthy choices in the fresh food departments:
- leaner cuts of meat
- fish for one or two meals a week (especially omega-3 rich varieties like tuna)
- soft non-hydrogenated margarine in place of butter
- omega-3 eggs
- a variety of fruits and vegetables
Canned And Frozen Foods
Pack your cart with canned legumes (chickpeas and lentils), canned fruit (in water), frozen or canned vegetables, canned tuna and salmon in water and low-fat condensed milk to substitute for cream in recipes.
Pre-Packaged Foods
When selecting pre-packaged foods, read the nutrition labels carefully. Watch out for the words "hydrogenated" or "shortening" in the ingredient list. Watch the serving size as well - compare the serving size listed with the amount you will actually eat.
