In honor of National Wear Red Day today, this month's Tasty Tips is all about heart health. Whether you are dealing with heart health issues, know someone who is, or want to prevent any heart issues in the future, this post is for you! The best place to start when thinking about your heart health is to think of the foods you eat. Below are some tips and tricks to help your heart:

1.Choose foods that promote heart health more often.

Fruits and vegetables. At least half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables.

Whole grains. At least half of your grains should be whole grains. Whole grains include:

1. whole wheat
2. whole oats
3. oatmeal
4. whole-grain corn
5. brown rice
6. wild rice
7. whole rye
8. whole-grain barley
9. buckwheat
10. bulgur
11. millet
12. sorghum

Fat-free or low-fat dairy products. These include milk, calcium-fortified soy drinks (soy milk), cheese, yogurt, and other milk products.

Seafood, skinless poultry, lean meats, beans, eggs, and unsalted nuts.

Source: www.womenshealth.gov

2. Reduce your intake of foods that hinder heart health.

Saturated fats. Saturated fat is usually in pizza, ice cream, fried chicken, many cakes and cookies, bacon, and hamburgers. Check the Nutrition Facts label for saturated fat. Less than 10% of your daily calories should be from saturated fats.

Trans fats. These are found mainly in commercially prepared baked goods, snack foods, fried foods, and margarine. The Food and Drug Administration is taking action to remove artificial trans fats from our food supply because of their risk to 

Added sugars. Foods like fruit and dairy products naturally contain sugar. But you should limit foods that contain added sugars. These include sodas, sports drinks, cake, candy, and ice cream. Check the Nutrition Facts label for added sugars and limit the how much food you eat with added sugars.

Source: www.womenshealth.gov

3. Bring heart healthy recipes to life.

Now that you know what's best to eat for your heart, try out some of the recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute below to turn your knowledge into action.  

Spicy Baked Fish

Zucchini Lasagna

Wonderful Stuffed Potatoes

Banana-Nut Bread

Winter Crisp

Sour Cream Substitute

Minestrone Soup

Want more information? Check out the resources below for more tips, studies, and inspiration:

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Womenshealth.gov

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service Information Center

The American Heart Association

Have you seen how healthy eating and dietary changes have made an impact on the heart health of you or someone you know? Let us know in the comments below!