The American Heart Association recommends an eating plan that emphasizes intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and includes low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, legumes (dried beans and peas), nontropical vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. It should limit intake of sodium, sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meats.
Vegetables
- One serving equals: 1 cup raw leafy vegetables (about the size of a small fist); 1/2 cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables; 1/2 cup vegetable juice.
- Eat a variety of colors and types, especially deeply colored vegetables, such as spinach, carrots and broccoli.
- Look for vegetables that are fresh, frozen, or canned in water without added sugar, saturated and trans fats, or salt.
Fruits
- One serving equals: 1 medium fruit (about the size of a baseball); 1/4 cup dried fruit; 1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit; 1/2 cup 100% fruit juice.
- Eat a variety of colors and types, especially deeply colored fruits such as peaches and berries.
- Eat whole fruits to get all of the nutrients (such as fiber) that can be missing in some juices.
- One serving equals: 1 slice bread; 1⁄2 cup hot cereal, 1 cup flaked cereal; or 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta (about the size of a baseball)
- At least half of your servings should be high-fiber whole grains. Select items like whole-wheat bread, whole-grain crackers and brown rice.
- Aim for about 25-30 grams of fiber from foods each day.
Poultry, fish and lean meat (less than 6 cooked ounces per day)
- A 3 oz. portion is about the size of a deck of playing cards, 1⁄2 of a chicken breast or 3⁄4 cup of flaked fish.
- Enjoy at least 2 servings of baked or grilled fish each week; especially fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, trout, and herring (3 oz. of grilled or baked fish is about the size of a checkbook).
- Trim all visible fat from meats before cooking.
- Remove skin from poultry before eating.
Nuts, seeds, and legumes
- One serving equals: 1/3 cup or 1 1/2 oz nuts; 2 Tbsp. peanut butter (no salt added); 2 Tbsp. or 1/2 oz seeds; 1/2 cup cooked legumes (dried beans or peas)
- Add beans to your soups, salads, and pasta dishes.
- Try unsalted nuts in your salads, stir-fries, or stirred into yogurt.
Low-fat dairy products
- One serving equals: 1 cup milk or yogurt or 1 1/2 oz. low sodium, fat-free or low-fat cheese (about the size of 6 stacked dice).
- Use only milk products with 0% to 1% fat. 2% milk is not low-fat.
- Have only fat-free or low-fat yogurt with no added sugars.
- Use dry-curd, fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese.
- Cheeses (low sodium, fat-free or low-fat) should have no more than
- 3 grams of fat per oz. and no more than
- 2 grams of saturated fat per oz.
How can I learn more?
- Call 1-800-AHA-USA1 (1-800-242-8721), or visit heart.org to learn more about heart disease and stroke.
- Sign up to get Heart Insight, a free magazine for heart patients and their families, at heartinsight.org.
- Connect with others sharing similar journeys with heart disease and stroke by joining our Support Network at heart.org/supportnetwork.
We have many other fact sheets to help you make healthier choices to reduce your risk, manage disease or care for a loved one. Visit heart.org/answersbyheart to learn more.
Do you have questions or comments for your doctor or nurse?
Do you have questions or comments for your doctor or nurse?
Take a few minutes to write your own questions for the next time you see your healthcare provider. For example:
How many calories should I eat each day?
What’s a good, healthy cookbook?
©2015, American Heart Association