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Via: defendernetworks.com

Home-cooked meals are a great way to eat healthy and save money. A well-stocked kitchen can make it fast and easy to prepare nutritious, flavorful meals.

Start by adding these five kitchen staples to your pantry, and you’ll be ready to cook heart-healthy fare your family will savor.

1. Herbs and Spices bring out the essence in food and may help you cut down on sodium (salt) when cooking. Look for recipes that enhance the flavor with spices instead of salt. Here are some spices and herbs and the food items that they complement:

  • Allspice – Lean ground meats, stews, tomatoes, peaches, applesauce, cranberry sauce, gravies, lean and extra lean meat
  • Basil – Fish, lamb, lean ground meats, stews, salads, soups, sauces, fish cocktails
  • Dill – Fish sauces, soups, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, potatoes, salads, macaroni, lean and extra lean beef, lamb, skinless chicken, fish
  • Nutmeg – Fruits, piecrust, lemonade, potatoes, skinless chicken, fish, lean meat loaf, toast, veal, pudding
  • Pimiento –  Salads, vegetables, casserole dishes

Most salt in our diet comes from processed foods. Eat less-processed foods and keep low-sodium varieties of broth and tomato sauces on hand.  Most healthy adults should eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium (approximately 1 tsp of salt) per a day. African-Americans, those 45 and older and people with high blood pressure, should eat less than 1,500 mg of sodium. Read the label on canned and other packaged goods. Cutting back on salt is one way to reduce blood pressure, a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

2. Whole Grains can be hearty sources of fiber and other nutrients – an essential part of a heart-healthy diet. Regular consumption of fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains may even help lower cholesterol in some people. Studies have shown that diets rich in whole-grain foods may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

How do you know you’re buying a whole-grain food? Check the label; “whole grain” should be the first ingredient. Examples of whole grains include:

  • Whole oats/oatmeal
  • Whole-wheat bread
  • Brown rice and wild rice
  • Barley

3. Fruits and vegetables are staples of a heart-healthy diet. They’re low in calories and full of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Fresh, frozen, canned or dried, they’re a delicious must-have for any healthy kitchen. Opt for the no-sodium added vegetables and the no-sugar-added fruits when selecting canned varieties in your grocery store.

4. Lean and extra lean protein is best. Animal sources of protein, such as red meat, have artery clogging saturated fat – the kind that’s solid at room temperature – and cholesterol. If you enjoy red meat, select the leanest cuts such as sirloin, chuck and loin.

Other lean protein choices include skinless poultry – especially white meat – and seafood.  Beans are also loaded with protein, as is tofu, which makes an excellent substitute for meat in many recipes.

When eating meat, poultry or fish, aim for servings of about 3 ounces – about the size of a deck of cards.  One cup serving of cooked beans or 3 ounces of tofu can replace a 3-ounce serving of meat, poultry or fish.

5. Healthier fats, such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, still need to be used sparingly. About 120 calories are in a tablespoon of most types of fat. Choose oils such as canola oil or olive oil and use soft margarines with no trans fats.

Look for the American Heart Association heart-check mark on food packaging in the grocery store to find heart-healthy foods. Start by making your grocery list online. Visit heartcheckmark.org to build your free grocery list from approximately 800 products certified by the American Heart Association to be low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Print your list for future use, or access it from your Web-enabled mobile phone.

For recipes, cooking tips, and other nutrition information from the American Heart Association, visit americanheart.org/nutrition.

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