Back to school: 10 must-have foods
Put these 10 heart healthy foods on your shopping list now and throughout the school and work year.
1. Vegetables.
You can't go wrong stocking up on vegetables because they are typically low in fat and calories. The key is to enjoy them
prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt. Pack carrot sticks, cucumbers or green pepper strips in the kids' lunch boxes.
Add red peppers, snow peas and bok choy to a stir fry. Try Ginger Carrots and Broccoli with Sesame Seeds as a colourful, low-sodium
vegetable dish.
2. Fruit.
Most fruits are low in fat. Boost your fibre intake by leaving the skins on whenever you can. An apple with skin has about one and a half times more fibre than a peeled apple. Plan to have fruit at every meal and snack. Then make a fruit salad for dessert!
3. Non-hydrogenated margarine.
All Becel margarines are low in saturated fat and have no trans fat. A diet low in saturated and trans fat may help reduce the risk of heart disease. There are a number of Becel products, which makes it easy to find one that's right for you and your family. Becel Omega3plus margarine can be used for baking and cooking, and contains three important types of omega-3 fats: ALA, DHA and EPA. Becel pro.activ® calorie-reduced margarine contains plant sterols. Plant sterols help lower cholesterol. Spread Becel pro.activ® on whole grain toast, muffins, chapatti and vegetables.
4. Fish.
Healthy diets containing the polyunsaturated omega-3 fats DHA and EPA can help contribute to heart health.
DHA and EPA are found in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel. Canada's Food Guide recommends eating at
last two Food Guide Servings (75 g or 21/2 ounces) of cooked fish each week. For dinner tonight, why not try making a Sea
Club Sandwich using baked salmon filets.
5. Beans. Canada's Food Guide recommends we have meat alternatives like beans and lentils more often.
Dried red kidney beans and lentils, for example, are heart healthy because they are low in fat, high in fibre and sodium-free.
Use your favourite beans to make a pot of Vegetarian Chili. If you're using canned beans or lentils, rinse them first to wash
away some of the added sodium.
6. Oatmeal.
Oatmeal is a whole grain, low in fat, and an important source of oat fibre. Oat fibre helps lower LDL cholesterol, thereby reducing a risk factor for heart disease. Enjoy a bowl of hot oatmeal for breakfast with fruit, such as blueberries. Oat fibre is also found in oat bran and rolled oats, so add oat bran to your muffins and make the kids' sandwiches on oatmeal bread.
7. Barley.
Barley is another whole grain; a 125 mL (half-cup) serving is fat-free, sodium-free and a source of fibre.
Add a handful of barley to a beef or vegetable soup, or serve Cranberry Barley Pilaf as a side dish. Then, experiment with other whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa and kamut.
8. Nuts.
All nuts contain the good fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. A heart healthy diet should include more of these unsaturated fats in place of saturated or trans fats. Snack on a small handful of nuts, add them to a home-made trail mix and sprinkle them over salads.
9. Flax.
Flax contains the essential omega-3 fat ALA (alpha linolenic acid). Look for ground flax, or buy whole flax seeds and grind them yourself. They taste great in yogurt, smoothies, muffins and pancakes.
10. Lower-fat milk products.
Milk products are important sources of calcium. For heart health, choose lower fat milk products such as skim, 1% or 2% milk, and yogurt with no more than 2% milk fat (M.F.). Look for cheese with 15% to 20% M.F. to help reduce calories and saturated fat.