Heart-Healthy Diet Guidelines

Learn how to improve your heart health by watching your weight, eating more vegetables and fruits, filling up on fiber and more.

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Heart disease is the world's number one killer. It is responsible for one in every three deaths. It affects women and men with no respect for geography or economics. Other facts about heart disease:

Fact: Cardiovascular disease is America's number-one killer, claiming 900,000 lives each year.

Fact: Some heart risk factors, such as family history, are out of your control.

Fact: A healthy diet and lifestyle are your best weapons against heart disease.

To help prevent cardiovascular disease, EatingWell’s nutrition experts recommend the following heart-healthy eating guidelines.

Watch your weight

Don’t get caught up in the high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet hype. The best way to maintain a healthy weight is to consume the right number of calories (from healthful foods) for your age, size and lifestyle. Familiarize yourself with the calorie contents of foods and what “reasonable” portions look like. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise (e.g., brisk walking) nearly every day. If you can’t devote 30 minutes all at once, break it up into 10-minute intervals.

Eat your vegetables—and fruits

Research links diets rich in fruits and vegetables with a lower risk for heart disease. Eat a variety, focusing on deeply colored vegetables and fruits (e.g., spinach, carrots and berries). They tend to be more nutritious than paler picks (e.g., potatoes and corn).

Fill up on fiber

Eat 25 to 30 grams of total fiber daily. There are two kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Research shows that soluble fiber, found in oats, beans, barley and citrus, helps reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. Studies suggest that insoluble fiber—found in whole-wheat breads and cereals and vegetables—also helps protect your heart. Fiber extends the time food stays in your stomach, which may help you feel full for longer on fewer calories.