Fresh herbs

Fresh herbs make many dishes heart-healthy if they replace salt, fat and cholesterol. These flavour powerhouses, along with nuts, berries - even coffee - form an holistic approach to heart-wise eating. Read on for 21 more delicious ways to fight heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Fact: Rosemary, sage, oregano and thyme contain antioxidants.

Black beans

Mild, tender black beans are packed with heart-healthy nutrients including folate, antioxidants, magnesium for lowering blood pressure and fibre -- which helps maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Tip: Tinned black beans are quick additions to soups and salads. Choose beans canned in water without added salt.

Red wine and resveratrol

If you drink alcohol, a little red wine may be a heart-healthy choice. Resveratrol and catechins, two antioxidants in red wine, may help protect artery walls. Alcohol can also boost HDL, the good cholesterol.

Tip: The NHS says men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day, women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day

'Regularly' means drinking this amount every day or most days of the week.

Too much alcohol may hurt the heart and increase blood pressure.

Salmon: Super food

A top food for maintaining heart health, it’s rich in the omega-3s EPA and DHA and in Vitamin D. Omega-3s may help to prevent heart disease. The NHS recommends two servings of salmon or other oily fish a week. Avoid excessive consumption due to the risk of mercury contamination, especially for pregnant women.

Tip: Bake salmon in foil with herbs and vegetables. Toss extra cooked salmon in salads.

Fresh tuna for omega-3s

Fresh tuna is a good source of omega-3s. Albacore (white tuna) contains more omega-3s than other tuna varieties. Reel in these other sources of omega-3s, too: mackerel, herring, trout, sardines and anchovies.

Tip: Grill tuna steak with dill and lemon. Choose fresh, not tinned tuna.

Extra virgin olive oil

This oil, made from the first press of olives, is especially rich in heart-healthy antioxidants called polyphenols, as well as healthy monounsaturated fats. When olive oil replaces saturated fat (like butter), it can help lower cholesterol levels. Polyphenols may protect blood vessels.

Tip: Use for cooking (even frying due to its high smoke point), on salads or cooked vegetables, with bread. Look for cold-pressed and use within six months.

Walnuts

A small handful of walnuts - around 40 grams (1.5 ounces) a day may lower your cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the arteries of the heart. Walnuts are packed with omega-3s, monounsaturated fats, and fibre. The benefits come when walnuts replace bad fats, like those in crisps and biscuits - and you don’t increase your calorie count.

Tip: A handful has nearly 300 calories. Walnut oil has omega-3s, too. Use in salad dressings.

Almonds

Flaked almonds go well with vegetables, fish, chicken, even desserts. Just a handful adds a good measure of heart health to your meals. They're packed full of vitamin E, plant sterols, fibre and heart-healthy fats. Almonds may help lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of diabetes.

Tip: Toast to enhance almonds' creamy, mild flavour.

Edamame

These green soyabeans are moving beyond Japanese restaurants, where they're a tasty appetiser. They're packed with soya protein, which can lower blood triglyceride levels. Half a cup (approximately 100g) of edamame also has nine grams of cholesterol-lowering fibre - equal to four slices of wholewheat bread.

Tip: Try frozen edamame, boil and serve warm.

Tofu

Make soya protein the main attraction more often at dinnertime by cooking with tofu instead of red meat. You gain all the heart-healthy minerals, fibre, and polyunsaturated fats of soya - and you avoid a load of artery-clogging saturated fat.

Tip: Chop firm tofu, marinate, then grill or stir-fry, being sparing with the oil. Add tofu to soups for protein with no added fat.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a hearty, healthy substitute for normal potatoes for people concerned about diabetes. With a low glycaemic index, these spuds won't cause a quick spike in blood sugar. Ample fibre, vitamin A and lycopene add to their heart-healthy profile.

Tip: Enhance their natural sweetness with cinnamon and lime juice, instead of sugary toppings.

Oranges

This sweet, juicy fruit contains the cholesterol-fighting fibre pectin - as well as potassium, which helps maintain healthy blood pressure. A small study shows that OJ may improve blood vessel function and modestly lower blood pressure through the antioxidant hesperidin.

Tip: A medium orange averages 62 calories, with three grams of fibre.

Chard

This dark green, leafy vegetable is rich in potassium and magnesium, minerals that help maintain healthy blood pressure. Fibre, vitamin A, and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, add to the heart-healthy profile.

Tip: Serve with grilled meats or as a bed for fish. Saute with olive oil and garlic until wilted, season with herbs and pepper.

Carrots

The latest research on carrots shows these sweet, crunchy vegetables may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. They're also a top cholesterol-fighting food, thanks to ample amounts of soluble fibre - the kind found in oats.

Tip: Sneak shredded carrots into pasta sauce.

Porridge

Oats in all forms can help your heart by maintaining healthy levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol. A warm bowl of porridge fills you up for hours, fights snack attacks and helps keep blood sugar levels stable over time -- making it useful for people with diabetes, too.

Tip: Swap oats for a third of the flour in pancakes, muffins and cakes. Use oats instead of bread crumbs in cooking.

Flaxseed

This shiny, honey-coloured seed has three elements that are good for your heart: fibre, phytochemicals called lignans, and ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in plants. The body converts ALA to the more powerful omega-3s, EPA and DHA.

Tip: Grind flaxseed for the best nutrition. Add it to cereal, cakes, yoghurt, even mustard on a sandwich.

Low-fat yoghurt

While low-fat dairy products are most often promoted for bone health, these foods can help maintain healthy blood pressure levels, too. Milk is high in calcium and potassium and yoghurt has twice as much of these important minerals. To really boost the calcium and minimise the fat, choose low-fat or no-fat varieties.

Tip: Use yoghurt instead of ice cream, or in place of high-fat ingredients in baking.

Foods fortified with stanols and sterols

Want the heart-healthy power of vegetables in your milk or on toast? Spreads and drinks can deliver - when they're fortified with cholesterol-fighting sterols and stanols. These plant extracts block cholesterol absorption in the gut and can lower LDL levels by up to 10% without affecting good cholesterol.

Tip: Consume at least two grams of stanols and sterols a day.

Coffee

Coffee and tea may help protect your heart by warding off type 2 diabetes. Studies show that people who drink three to four cups a day may cut their risk by 25% - and even decaffeinated coffee works. Caution is due, however, for those who already have diabetes or hypertension; caffeine can complicate these conditions.

Tip: Choose black coffee or a skinny latte to limit fat and calories.

Chilli powder

Shaking hot chilli powder on food may help prevent a spike in insulin levels after meals. A small study in Australia showed that simply adding chilli to a burger meal produced lower insulin levels in overweight volunteers.

Tip: Chilli powder is a blend of five spices, while dried chilli pepper comes from a single hot pepper. Both are good substitutes for salt in recipes.

Cherries

Cherries are packed with anthocyanins, an antioxidant believed to help protect blood vessels. Cherries in any form provide these heart-healthy nutrients: the larger heart-shaped sweet cherries, cherries used for baking, as well as dried cherries and cherry juice, which can be found in some health food stores.

Tip: Sprinkle dried cherries into cereal, green salads or wild rice.

Blueberries

The list of healthy nutrients in blueberries is extensive: anthocyanins give them their deep blue colour and support heart health. Blueberries also contain ellagic acid, beta-carotene, lutein, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium and fibre.

Tip: Add fresh or dried blueberries to cereal, pancakes, or yoghurt. Puree to make dessert sauce.

Related Reading