February is Heart Health Month, and an optimal time to focus on smart food choices that benefit this vital organ. Reduce fatty meats and high-fat dairy as well as sodium while increasing foods that help our hearts. Take a heart health challenge this month and choose three new items from the list below per week to include in your diet. See if you can combine items for a heart-healthy jam-packed dinner, like the delicious and easy-to-make White Bean Kale Quinoa Soup, by https://www.forkintheroad.co/white-bean-kale-quinoa-soup/.
Vegetables and Fruits
-Dark, leafy greens like spinach, kale, collards, radish greens, arugula
-Berries of all kinds
-Tomatoes
-Avocados
-Garlic
Whole Grains
-Unrefined whole wheat flour and products
-Whole Oats
-Brown Rice
-Other grains like rye, barley, buckwheat, and quinoa
Fatty fish and Heart-Healthy Oils
-Grilled, steamed, sauteed, or baked Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines, or Tuna
-Olive Oil, Walnut Oil (use for cooking, in salad dressings, in oatmeal, rice, etc.)
Nuts and Beans
Walnuts and almonds
All beans
