My dad's heart failure in 2020 was really a wake-up call for my family. I really wish there were more resources for our family in terms of how to handle a heart-healthy diet! These are the top 5 things I wish I knew after my dad came home from the hospital. I wish I didn't waste so much time troubleshooting, researching, and trial testing. I've done the research for you so that, hopefully, you and your family do not need to. Your low sodium/heart-healthy journey is beginning now. Make it count!
Stop Using Butter, Margarine, Cisco and Lard: Butter/lard has too much cholesterol and margarine/crisco has too much sodium. Honestly, any equivalent cooking oil is better than any of the above. If you want to stay heart healthy, stay away from the above.
Use Cooking Spray: Instead of freeing pouring oils into a pan, use cooking spray! Cooking sprays can grease pans up just nicely without adding too much saturated fat to your dish! You can get cooking sprays at any store! Here are some examples of the ones I like to use:
Salt Replacements: My family struggled to find good salt replacements. All the online communities or blogs were suggesting potassium chloride (which does not taste great and interfered with my dad's medication) and Table Tasty (which provided less flavor than my dad likes). After years and years of research, this is the final list of great-tasting salt replacements that are absolutely amazing and that I am proud of... I only wished I knew this on day one!
Healthy Protein: There are simple replacements you can make to your meats. Mainly, choose leaner cuts rather than fattier dark meat. There are meat "cousins" to your standard meats that are more fitting for a heart-healthy meal. See Top 3 Meat Replacements for more details.
Tracking/Meal Prepping: Keeping all your nutrition facts in mind can be overwhelming! Make a simple daily chart that tracks the three key nutrition facts: sodium, cholesterol, saturated fat. It will take the burden off having to mentally track every meal! After you find a meal that you love (and that is within your doctor-approved nutrition limits), you can start creating standard heart-healthy meal prep meals!
Footnotes/Disclosures
*The nutritional information provided in recipes on this website are estimates and is for informational purposes only. Actual nutrition facts may vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use, as well as the portion sizes. For accurate nutritional information, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist. Thank you for understanding!
** Some of the links on this blog are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. This is at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products and services that I have personally used and believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for supporting Healthy Heart Foodie!
*** This article was written from the perspective of my own experience with my dad. My dad suffered from heart failure and coronary artery disease requiring bypass surgery. If you suffer from other medical conditions such as diabetes, there may be other considerations.
**** I am not a health-care professional and the information in this website is not meant to be medical advice. Please consult your doctor for medical guidance.
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