The American Heart Association dietary guidelines help you make sensible choices about the foods you eat. By following these guidelines, which apply to all healthy people over age two, you will enjoy the best of nature’s bounty, and at the same time, you may reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Once you are familiar with the guidelines, it’s easy to develop an eating plan that is good for your heart. Remember that balance and moderation are the keys to a well-planned and palate-pleasing diet.

Six Simple Steps to Good Nutrition

1.)    Enjoy a wide variety of food. As you plan your daily meals, try to include each food group, using the sample number of servings below as a guide.

·         Six or more servings of whole-grain and other grain products and legumes each day. ·         Five or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day. ·         Three or more servings of fat-free or low-fat milk products for most adults. ·         Two servings of lean meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetarian protein each day. Include at least two servings of fish each week, preferably fatty fish.

2.)    Choose a diet low in saturated and trans fats. Replace these fats with the healthful polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

3.)    Balance your food intake with physical activity to achieve and maintain a healthful weight.

4.)    Limit your daily intake of dietary cholesterol to less than 300 milligrams.

5.)    Keep your intake of sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams per day. (If you have had a heart attack or have coronary heart disease, check with your doctor about the specific recommendation for you. Your limits are probably lower.)

6.)    If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to one drink per day if you are a woman and two drinks per day if you are a man. If you don’t drink, don’t start.