If you want to eat a heart-healthy diet but are not sure what
staples you should keep in your home, check out this heart-healthy kitchen
essentials guide. With the help of this guide, you can start stocking up on
nutritious foods to help you reduce your risk of heart disease.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Fresh seasonal fruits—berries, oranges, apples, pears, bananas, papaya,
figs, mandarins, grapefruit, plantains, pineapple, apricots, mangoes, and
grapes.
- Dried unsweetened fruits—raisins, cranberries, dates, figs, berries,
bananas, mango, papaya, apples, and apricots.
- Fresh seasonal vegetables—Among these choices are yellow, green, and red
bell peppers; cucumbers; broccoli; kale; escarole; cauliflower;
tomatoes; dark leafy greens celery; eggplant; zucchini; yellow squash; acorn
squash; spaghetti squash; and many others.
Dairy and dairy alternatives
- Skim or 1% milk
- Soymilk (plain, unsweetened, vanilla, or chocolate)
- Low-fat or non-fat buttermilk
- Non-fat half and half or non-fat creamers
- Non-fat or reduced-fat cheese (bricks, slices, or shredded)
- Soy-based cheeses (bricks, slices, or shredded)
- Non-fat or light cream cheese
- Non-fat or 1% fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
- Non-fat or 1% fat yogurt (includes light fruited, vanilla, or plain)
- Soy-based yogurts
- Non-fat sour cream
- Egg substitutes, egg whites
Fats, cooking oils
- Assorted raw nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, soy nuts,
cashews, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds)
- Whole, milled, or ground flaxseeds or flax meal
- Assorted cooking oils (olive, canola, walnut, rapeseed, peanut, and
sesame)
- Non-fat cooking sprays (e.g., Spectrum Naturals®, PAM®)
- Baking fat replacements (e.g., pureed prunes, applesauce, or Smucker’s
Healthy Bake®)
- Non-hydrogenated shortening (e.g., Spectrum Naturals)
- Trans-free liquid or tub margarine (e.g., Take Control®,
Benecol®, Fleischmann’s Light®, or Smart Balance®)
- Reduced fat or non-fat salad dressings
Herbs, seasonings and spices
Leave the salt container on the countertop. Here are some
fabulous seasonings that everyone should stock in their kitchens:
- Allspice, basil, bay leaves, black pepper, caraway seeds, cayenne and
chili powder
- Chinese five-spice, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, and curry powder
- Dill, garlic powder, ground ginger, Italian seasoning, marjoram, and
mint
- Nutmeg, onion powder, oregano, paprika, and parsley
- Red pepper flakes, rosemary, and reduced-sodium soy sauce
- Assorted sodium-free Mrs. Dash® seasonings
Sweeteners
- Splenda®, Equal® NutraSweet®, Sugar
Twin®, and/or Brown Sugar Twin® (sugar substitutes)
- Sugar-free or "light" maple syrups
- Honey
- Brown rice syrup for a sweetening alternative to use when baking