Top 5 Heart-Healthy Foods You Must Include in Your Diet

Want to keep your heart healthy and safe? The best you can do is incorporate heart-healthy foods into your diet.

Foods that maximize your cardiovascular health specifically target the heart and help boost its functioning and overall health. These foods are nutritious and safe as a whole and offer great benefits. They include controlling blood pressure, managing cholesterol level, and keeping heart disease at bay.

Read on to find out about some of the best heart-friendly foods.

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Top heart-healthy foods to add to diet

Here’s a list of five foods that are not only tasty but are also the safest for the heart:

1) Green vegetable

Green vegetables are rich in potassium. (Photo via Pexels/Lisa Fotios)

Green vegetables are one of the best heart-healthy foods that should definitely be added to your diet.

Vegetables like kale, spinach, collard greens, etc. are all famous for their abundance of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins. These leafy green vegetables are loaded with vitamin K, which help protect the heart and promote blood circulation.

Green vegetables are also rich in potassium and dietary magnesium, which help manage blood pressure, preventing cardiovascular disease, reducing arterial stiffness, and improving the overall functioning of the blood vessels.

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2) Oat

Oats are also among the best heart-healthy foods rich in fiber content, meaning they can fill you up for hours and curb your snack cravings.

Consuming oats can also reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body and keep your blood sugar levels stable, thereby making it safe for diabetics.

Here’s a quick heart-healthy recipe for oats that you can try:

Ingredients

1 cup of rolled oats

1 cup of water and milk

½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon honey or any other sugar alternative

Toppings – sliced fruits, nuts, peanut butter, etc.

Process

Combine milk, water, cinnamon, and oats in a pan. Stir continuously and add milk according to your preferred consistency. Bring to a boil.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the oatmeal cool down. Serve in a bowl, and drizzle honey and add the desired toppings.

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3) Salmon

Salmon is one of the best heart-healthy foods for non-vegetarians. (Photo via Pexels/Malidate Van)

Salmon is one of the best heart-healthy foods for non-vegetarians. It's loaded with omega-3s, which are known to reduce the risk of heart disorders. Moreover, they lower blood pressure and prevent inflammation too.

Salmons are filling and delicious and can be added to any heart-healthy diet plan. Just make sure to cook the fish in less oil, and avoid frying or go for grilled or steamed salmon dishes.

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4) Black bean

Black beans are among the most heart-friendly foods that are packed with essential vitamins and nutrients. They're rich in beneficial antioxidants and contain folate and magnesium, which are known to help control blood pressure.

Black beans are also loaded with fiber and help control blood sugar level and bad cholesterol. You can add them to your salads and soups, or cook them with other veggies as well.

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5) Walnut

Walnuts are rich in micronutrients and fibers. (Photo via Pexels/Oksana D)

One of the best heart-healthy foods, walnuts are rich in micronutrients and fibers and contain essential minerals as well. That includes manganese, copper, magnesium, etc.

Studies have shown that adding walnuts to your diet can help keep the heart healthy and stay away from chronic illnesses. They can reduce LDL cholesterol and lower chances of heart disease too. You can add a few pieces of walnuts to heart-healthy desserts to make the recipe even more flavorful and healthy.

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Wrapping up

Including the aforementioned heart-healthy foods in a well-balanced diet can keep the heart in the best shape and also reduce chances of cardiovascular problems such as stroke, heart attack, etc.

So, now that you know about these foods, add them to your diet to avail their benefits and boost your quality of life.