The 12 Best Foods for Heart Health That You Should Eat More Of

Salmon wasn’t always a big part of my diet. It can be expensive, and I used to think of it as fancy food. But when I started focusing on my heart health, I realized how good it is for me. Now, I try to eat it a couple of times a week.

Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower blood pressure and keep the heart strong. These healthy fats also reduce swelling in blood vessels and help prevent heart rhythm problems. Simply put, salmon is one of the best foods for your heart.

The best part is that it tastes great when cooked right. I like to bake it with olive oil, lemon, and a little seasoning. If fresh salmon is too pricey, canned or frozen options work too. Eating salmon regularly is an easy way to try and boost your heart health with food. 

Related: Budget-Friendly Superfoods Under $2 That Every Pantry Needs 

Kale and Swiss chard have a strong taste, and I know a lot of people try to hide their flavor in smoothies or buttery dishes. That’s why spinach is my go-to leafy green. It’s mild, easy to add to meals, and works great in sandwiches or with grilled mackerel (delicious as a healthy breakfast). 

Leafy greens are packed with vitamin K, which helps keep arteries strong and blood flowing smoothly. They also have nitrates, which help lower blood pressure. Eating more of these veggies can help reduce the risk of heart disease and keep your heart working its best.

Remember, you don’t need to eat a big bowl of kale to reap its benefits. Add a handful of spinach to a sandwich, toss some greens in a stir-fry, or mix them into a scramble. Keep it simple, and you’ll be more likely to stick to the changes. 

Since focusing on my health, I’ve swapped crunchy cereals for oatmeal and white rice for brown rice. These small changes have helped me lose weight and improve my blood test results.

Whole grains, like oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa, are full of fiber. Fiber helps lower bad cholesterol, which can clog arteries and lead to heart disease. It also helps keep good cholesterol at a healthy level.

What I’ve also found is that oatmeal (like all whole grains) keeps you full longer, plus it gives you steady energy (did you know coffee doesn’t give you energy?). A bowl of oatmeal in the morning or swapping white bread for whole-grain bread can make a big difference for your heart. And it’s small changes like these that potentially add up over time. 

I put blueberries on everything these days, pancakes, yogurt, porridge, you name it. They’re sweet, which is important now that I’ve had to cut down on sugar.

Berries, like blueberries and strawberries, are full of antioxidant polyphenols. These help protect blood vessels and reduce swelling inside the body. Eating berries often can lower the risk of heart disease and keep your heart strong. 

Here’s the best part, they’re easy to add to meals. A handful of berries with breakfast or as a snack is a simple way to add heart-healthy nutrients to your system. 

Related: Best Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Add to Your Everyday Meals

One of my favorite snacks right now is a slice of sourdough toast, smothered in mashed avocado mixed with finely diced onion, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and topped with a poached egg. Seriously, it’s delicious.

The reason avocados are in my diet is that they are packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. These fats help lower bad cholesterol and keep your heart strong. Eating them often can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Avocados are creamy and although an acquired taste, they’re not hard to add to meals. Spread them on toast, mix them into salads, or blend them into smoothies. Based on all the research done on this, they’re possibly one of the best heart-healthy foods available. 

In our house, we use garlic in everything, mashed potatoes, lasagne, and almost every recipe we cook. We even batch cook, and every sauce starts with diced garlic in a pan.

The secret to garlic’s heart benefits is allicin. This compound helps lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol. It may also help prevent blood clots, keeping blood flowing smoothly.

To get the most allicin, crush or chop the garlic before using it. Let it sit for a minute before cooking. Adding garlic to your meals is easy, but remember, the best option for heart health is freshly chopped or crushed (garlic’s also great for circulation).

We keep a small bowl in the kitchen with bananas and oranges. They’re easy to grab as a snack, but more importantly, they’re great for heart health.

Oranges are full of pectin, a type of fiber that helps lower bad cholesterol. They also have potassium, which helps control blood pressure. Together, these nutrients keep your heart strong and healthy.

Oranges are sweet, juicy, and easy to eat. Whether you peel one for a snack or add it to a fruit cocktail as breakfast, they’re perfect to help boost your heart’s health. 

A fancy fruit-flavored yogurt might taste great, but it’s often full of added sugar. That’s why I go for plain Greek yogurt and add my own sweetness with berries. Keeping a pot of yogurt and berries in the fridge is an easy, healthy snack. It also helps stop late-night binge eating, at least, it does for me.

Yogurt is packed with potassium and calcium. Potassium helps control blood pressure, while calcium keeps blood vessels working properly. Both are important for a healthy heart. 

If berries aren’t your thing, you could also add a drizzle of real honey. 

Asparagus is a bit pricey where I live, so it’s more of a twice-a-month treat. And yes, I call it a treat because it soaks up flavor better than most other veggies. You can roast it, grill it, or toss it in a stir-fry, it always tastes great. 

Asparagus is rich in folate, a vitamin that helps lower homocysteine. Too much homocysteine in the blood can increase the risk of heart problems. Folate helps keep levels in check, protecting your heart.

If you can, add asparagus to your meals now and then. It’s not just delicious, it’s good for your heart. 

Sweet potatoes are great mashed and have been a constant in my meals since I cut back on white potatoes to control my carbs.

Sweet potatoes are packed with potassium and fiber. Potassium helps keep blood pressure in check, while fiber helps lower bad cholesterol. Both are important for a healthy heart.

They’re also naturally sweet and super versatile. Bake them, mash them, or roast them, they’re easy to cook and a heart-healthy addition to most meals. 

I was never a big fan of tomatoes in sandwiches, but when they’re mixed into sauces or chopped on toast, like in bruschetta, they can be really tasty. Recently, I’ve found ways to enjoy them more, knowing they’re good for my health. The trick is finding a way to eat them that you like, roasted, in soup, or even blended into a smoothie.

Tomatoes are high in lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect the heart. Lycopene may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering bad cholesterol and keeping blood vessels healthy.

Tomatoes are easy to add to meals. Fresh, cooked, or blended, they’re a simple way to help your heart while adding sweetness to the taste of your food.

Also Read: Healthy Aging Starts in Your Mug – 8 Science-Backed Benefits of Bio Coffee

Wow, the price of real olive oil can be sky-high. Luckily, with a good non-stick pan, you only need a drizzle when cooking. It’s also great on salads or drizzled-over crusty bread.

Olive oil is packed with monounsaturated fats, which help lower bad cholesterol and protect blood vessels. These healthy fats keep your heart strong and may reduce the risk of heart disease.

A little goes a long way. Swap butter or vegetable oil for olive oil when you can, it’s an easy switch that can do your heart good.