Intermountain Health Experts Encourage Eat Fruits and Veggies to Improve Heart Health

Lowering cholesterol levels to improve heart health can be as simple as eating one more fruit or vegetable every day.

Intermountain Health dietitians are inviting people to try eating one vegetable or fruit with every meal to improve their heart health. For those who never eat vegetables or fruits, dietitians invite them to add one fruit or vegetable to one meal or a snack.

These efforts are inexpensive, introduce new flavors, and may lead to a new heart-healthy habit.

Heart health is important. Nearly 2 in 5 American adults have high cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. High cholesterol doesn’t come with symptoms, so many people don’t know that their levels are too high. Cholesterol levels are determined by a blood test.

People can lower their cholesterol levels by eating fewer foods with saturated fats and trans fats, and eating more foods that have soluble fiber.

Foods with saturated fats include butter, fat in meat, coconut oil, cheese, cream, and cocoa butter. Foods containing trans fats include commercial baked goods, crackers, stick margarines and other spreads, and non-dairy coffee creamers. People looking to lower cholesterol levels should eat fewer of these foods.

Barker recommends eating more foods with soluble fiber, which is found in fruits and vegetables, whole grains such as oatmeal and quinoa, healthy fats like chia seeds and avocados, and in beans and legumes, such as peas.

Soluble fiber helps clear cholesterol from the body. Soluble fiber cannot be absorbed in the intestine. As a result, it can bind itself to cholesterol in the intestine and remove cholesterol from the body.

Here are some easy ways to add fruits, veggies and other fiber-rich foods to your diet:

• Buy one new fruit or vegetable to try each time you visit the grocery store.
• When eating out, eat the vegetables that come with an entrée first.
• Choose lean meats and low-fat dairy products, and eat them in moderation.
• Try making fiber-rich foods the star of one meal a day. Add beans to a chili recipe, and use ground turkey instead of ground beef.

More information about nutrition services and healthy eating is available at IntermountainHealth.org.