Ever heard someone groan that “eating healthy” means giving up all the good stuff? Like, suddenly your life is just carrot sticks and sad salads? Yeah, not true.
The real trick isn’t cutting everything out—it’s about what you add to your plate.
Heidi Mochari, R.D., gets it. She’s the director of nutrition at New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s preventive cardiology program. Mochari says, “If I could go grocery shopping with a patient, this is what I’d throw in her cart.”
Start here:
Nonfat Yogurt
Nonfat yogurt isn’t just for smoothies or breakfast bowls. It’s loaded with magnesium, potassium, and calcium—three minerals that help lower blood pressure. Since high blood pressure is one of the big heart risk factors, this is a win.
Plus, no saturated fat to clog your arteries. That’s a major bonus.
EXTRA CREDIT Tip:
Go for plain, unsweetened yogurt. Add a swirl of honey or a handful of berries yourself. The stuff with too much added sugar? That can tank your healthy HDL cholesterol.
Blueberries
These little guys punch way above their weight. They’re full of resveratrol, a natural compound that helps protect your arteries from damage.
Just one of your five daily servings of fruits and veggies? Make it blueberries.
EXTRA CREDIT Tip:
Not into berries? Resveratrol’s also hiding in red grapes, plums, and cranberries.
High-Fiber Cereal
Spoiler: not all cereal is good for you. Flip the box over and check the fiber—look for 3 grams or more per serving.
Oatmeal works. So do Cheerios and Kashi. They bring in soluble fiber, which helps flush out bad cholesterol.
EXTRA CREDIT Tip:
Swap in soy milk. Studies say 25 to 50 grams of soy protein a day can cut LDL (the bad cholesterol) by up to 8%.
Walnuts
Walnuts are more than crunchy salad toppings. A handful—just seven halves—gives you folate, tannins, and polyphenols, all heart helpers.
And yeah, they’ve got calories (about 100 per serving), but it’s the kind of fat your heart likes.
EXTRA CREDIT Tip:
Try walnut butter instead of peanut butter in your next PB&J. It’s loaded with omega-3s, which help keep arteries from stiffening up.
Beans
Black, pinto, kidney, garbanzo—pick your fighter. These beans are full of folate, a B vitamin your heart loves.
Need proof? The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that women who ate the most folate had a 69% lower risk of heart disease.
EXTRA CREDIT Tip:
Fresh beans are best. If you’re using canned, rinse them to wash away some of the sodium.