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Healthy Kitchen
Heart-healthy foods are essential to a heart-healthy diet. If you want to eat a heart-healthy diet but are not sure what foods you should buy, check out this heart-healthy kitchen
essentials guide. From fruits and vegetables to whole grain goodness, learn what foods to keep on hand.
Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
Fill your fridge with seasonal fruits such as berries, oranges, apples, pears, and grapes, and vegetables such as bell peppers, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, tomatoes, dark leafy greens,
celery, eggplant, zucchini, and squash.
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
Skim or 1% milk
Soymilk (plain, unsweetened, vanilla, or chocolate)
Low - or nonfat buttermilk
Nonfat half-and-half or nonfat creamers
Nonfat or reduced-fat cheese (bricks, slices, or shredded)
Soy-based cheeses (bricks, slices, or shredded)
Nonfat or light cream cheese
Nonfat or 1% fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
Nonfat or 1% fat yogurt (includes fruited, vanilla, or plain)
Soy-based yogurts
Nonfat sour cream
Egg substitutes, egg whites
Meat, Poultry, Fish & Meat Substitutes
Skinless, boneless chicken or turkey breasts and tenders
Skinless, white breast meat ground chicken or turkey
Pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
Lean ground beef such as ground round or ground sirloin (Note: When buying beef, look for words like "round" or "loin" and choose lean cuts -- the less marbling, the lower the fat
content.)
Assorted fish: salmon, mackerel, tilapia, trout, herring, tuna
Tofu silken, soft, firm, or extra firm
Tempeh
Seitan
Frozen Foods
Frozen vegetables and vegetable blends without added sauces, gravies, and added sodium
Frozen fruits without added sugar (for example, frozen blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries)
Frozen soybeans (edamame)
Frozen vegetarian burgers, sausage patties, or links (For example, Boca Burgers, Yves, Morningstar Farms or Gardenburger)
Reduced-fat and sodium vegetarian chili, burritos, and entrees like Amy's Organic and Health Valley.
Fats, Cooking Oils
Assorted cooking oils (olive, canola, walnut, grapeseed, peanut, and sesame)
Non-fat cooking sprays (for example, Spectrum Naturals, Pam)
Baking fat replacements (for example, pureed prunes, applesauce, or Smucker's Baking Healthy)
Non-hydrogenated shortening (for example, Spectrum Naturals)
Trans-free liquid or tub margarine (for example, Promise Activ, Benecol, Fleischmann's Light, Smart Balance)
Reduced-fat or nonfat salad dressings
Herbs, Seasonings & Spices
Here are some delicious seasonings to take the place of salt.
Allspice Basil Bay Leaves Black pepper Caraway seeds Cayenne Chili powder Chinese five-spice Cinnamon Cloves Coriander Cumin Curry powder Dill Garlic powder Ginger, ground Italian
seasoning Marjoram Mint Nutmeg Onion powder Oregano Paprika Parsley Red pepper flakes Rosemary Assorted sodium-free Mrs. Dash seasonings Sweeteners
Splenda, Equal, Nutra Sweet, Sugar Twin, and Brown Sugar Twin (sugar substitutes)
Sugar free or "light" maple syrups
Honey
Brown rice syrup for a sweetening alternative to use when baking
Pantry Essentials
Snacks
Assorted raw nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds)
Dried fruits
Whole-grain breads, tortillas, pitas
Whole-grain, trans-fat free crackers (such as Health Valley whole wheat crackers, Kashi TLC crackers, Reduced Fat Triscuits, Fat Free Rye Crisp, Wasa)
Baked, trans-fat-free tortilla chips
Brown rice cakes, popcorn cakes
Whole-grain pretzels (such as Snyder's oat bran or honey wheat)
Plain popcorn or light microwave popcorn
Pantry Essentials continued...
Condiments
Assorted vinegars: rice, red wine, balsamic, apple cider, raspberry. These make delicious salad dressings.
Reduced-sodium ketchup
Assorted mustards: whole grain, honey, Dijon, yellow
Reduced-sodium soy sauce
Reduced-fat or nonfat mayonnaise
Barbecue sauce
Beans, Grains, Sauces
Assorted canned beans such as lentils, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, and black beans (Note: Choose low or reduced sodium if you have high blood pressure.)
Dried beans (lentils, split peas, garbanzo beans, black beans)
Reduced-sodium soups with beans (for example, Health Valley)
Vegetarian chili beans (for example, Westbrae Naturals or Health Valley)
Vegetarian or nonfat refried beans
Rolled, steel cut, or Irish oats
Oat bran
Whole or ground flaxseeds
Whole-grain cold cereals (Note: Choose cereals that contain 5 or more grams of dietary fiber and fewer than 8 grams of sugar per serving.)
Barley
Brown rice, wild rice, and brown basmati rice
Grains such as wheat berries, couscous, polenta, millet, bulgur or quinoa (pronounced keen-wa)
Whole-wheat, spelt, or kamut pastas (Note: These whole-grain pastas come in bowtie, fettuccini, lasagna, spaghetti, fusili, spiral, elbow macaroni, and ravioli varieties.)
Wheat germ
Whole-wheat flour and whole-wheat pastry flour
Soy flour
Cornmeal
Reduced-sodium canned diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, and tomato sauce
Tomato paste
Low-fat or fat-free pasta sauce
Reduced-sodium chicken, beef, and vegetable broths
98% fat-free cream of mushroom or chicken soups (for example, Campbell's Healthy Request)
Heart-healthy foods are essential to a heart-healthy diet. If you want to eat a heart-healthy diet but are not sure what foods you should buy, check out this heart-healthy kitchen
essentials guide. From fruits and vegetables to whole grain goodness, learn what foods to keep on hand.
Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
Fill your fridge with seasonal fruits such as berries, oranges, apples, pears, and grapes, and vegetables such as bell peppers, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, tomatoes, dark leafy greens,
celery, eggplant, zucchini, and squash.
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
Skim or 1% milk
Soymilk (plain, unsweetened, vanilla, or chocolate)
Low - or nonfat buttermilk
Nonfat half-and-half or nonfat creamers
Nonfat or reduced-fat cheese (bricks, slices, or shredded)
Soy-based cheeses (bricks, slices, or shredded)
Nonfat or light cream cheese
Nonfat or 1% fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
Nonfat or 1% fat yogurt (includes fruited, vanilla, or plain)
Soy-based yogurts
Nonfat sour cream
Egg substitutes, egg whites
Meat, Poultry, Fish & Meat Substitutes
Skinless, boneless chicken or turkey breasts and tenders
Skinless, white breast meat ground chicken or turkey
Pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
Lean ground beef such as ground round or ground sirloin (Note: When buying beef, look for words like "round" or "loin" and choose lean cuts -- the less marbling, the lower the fat
content.)
Assorted fish: salmon, mackerel, tilapia, trout, herring, tuna
Tofu silken, soft, firm, or extra firm
Tempeh
Seitan
Frozen Foods
Frozen vegetables and vegetable blends without added sauces, gravies, and added sodium
Frozen fruits without added sugar (for example, frozen blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries)
Frozen soybeans (edamame)
Frozen vegetarian burgers, sausage patties, or links (For example, Boca Burgers, Yves, Morningstar Farms or Gardenburger)
Reduced-fat and sodium vegetarian chili, burritos, and entrees like Amy's Organic and Health Valley.
Fats, Cooking Oils
Assorted cooking oils (olive, canola, walnut, grapeseed, peanut, and sesame)
Non-fat cooking sprays (for example, Spectrum Naturals, Pam)
Baking fat replacements (for example, pureed prunes, applesauce, or Smucker's Baking Healthy)
Non-hydrogenated shortening (for example, Spectrum Naturals)
Trans-free liquid or tub margarine (for example, Promise Activ, Benecol, Fleischmann's Light, Smart Balance)
Reduced-fat or nonfat salad dressings
Herbs, Seasonings & Spices
Here are some delicious seasonings to take the place of salt.
Allspice Basil Bay Leaves Black pepper Caraway seeds Cayenne Chili powder Chinese five-spice Cinnamon Cloves Coriander Cumin Curry powder Dill Garlic powder Ginger, ground Italian
seasoning Marjoram Mint Nutmeg Onion powder Oregano Paprika Parsley Red pepper flakes Rosemary Assorted sodium-free Mrs. Dash seasonings Sweeteners
Splenda, Equal, Nutra Sweet, Sugar Twin, and Brown Sugar Twin (sugar substitutes)
Sugar free or "light" maple syrups
Honey
Brown rice syrup for a sweetening alternative to use when baking
Pantry Essentials
Snacks
Assorted raw nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds)
Dried fruits
Whole-grain breads, tortillas, pitas
Whole-grain, trans-fat free crackers (such as Health Valley whole wheat crackers, Kashi TLC crackers, Reduced Fat Triscuits, Fat Free Rye Crisp, Wasa)
Baked, trans-fat-free tortilla chips
Brown rice cakes, popcorn cakes
Whole-grain pretzels (such as Snyder's oat bran or honey wheat)
Plain popcorn or light microwave popcorn
Pantry Essentials continued...
Condiments
Assorted vinegars: rice, red wine, balsamic, apple cider, raspberry. These make delicious salad dressings.
Reduced-sodium ketchup
Assorted mustards: whole grain, honey, Dijon, yellow
Reduced-sodium soy sauce
Reduced-fat or nonfat mayonnaise
Barbecue sauce
Beans, Grains, Sauces
Assorted canned beans such as lentils, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, and black beans (Note: Choose low or reduced sodium if you have high blood pressure.)
Dried beans (lentils, split peas, garbanzo beans, black beans)
Reduced-sodium soups with beans (for example, Health Valley)
Vegetarian chili beans (for example, Westbrae Naturals or Health Valley)
Vegetarian or nonfat refried beans
Rolled, steel cut, or Irish oats
Oat bran
Whole or ground flaxseeds
Whole-grain cold cereals (Note: Choose cereals that contain 5 or more grams of dietary fiber and fewer than 8 grams of sugar per serving.)
Barley
Brown rice, wild rice, and brown basmati rice
Grains such as wheat berries, couscous, polenta, millet, bulgur or quinoa (pronounced keen-wa)
Whole-wheat, spelt, or kamut pastas (Note: These whole-grain pastas come in bowtie, fettuccini, lasagna, spaghetti, fusili, spiral, elbow macaroni, and ravioli varieties.)
Wheat germ
Whole-wheat flour and whole-wheat pastry flour
Soy flour
Cornmeal
Reduced-sodium canned diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, and tomato sauce
Tomato paste
Low-fat or fat-free pasta sauce
Reduced-sodium chicken, beef, and vegetable broths
98% fat-free cream of mushroom or chicken soups (for example, Campbell's Healthy Request)