Why Your Heart Needs You to Eat More Plants (And How to Start)

Heart-healthy eating is having a moment and for good reason. The foods you choose today play a big role in how well your heart functions for years to come.(1) The good news? Supporting your heart doesn’t require a complicated or restrictive diet. In fact, many of the most heart-friendly foods are simple, colorful staples like fruits and vegetables.

Despite what flashy headlines suggest, heart health isn’t about a single “superfood.” It’s about consistent eating patterns that put more plants at the center of your plate. When you build that habit, the benefits show up not only long term in better cardiovascular health but also short term with improved nutrient intakes. (1,2)

Ready to add more heart-healthy plants to your plate? Read on for the low-down on what to prioritize and how to start today.

Why Plants Are Excellent for Your Cardiovascular Health

Fruits and vegetables that support heart health are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.(3) Think fruits, like berries, grapes, and watermelon, vegetables, like leafy greens and cruciferous veggies, and even protein-packed legumes, such as beans and lentils. Together, these foods can help improve symptoms that accompany poor heart health. For example, consuming more fruits and vegetables can help: 

• Lower blood pressure (2) 
• Manage blood cholesterol levels (2)  
• Reduce inflammation (2) 
• Improve blood glucose control (2) 

Benefits of Eating a Variety of Colors of Fruits and Vegetables 

Aiming for a variety of colors is an easy way to cover your nutrient bases and keep your heart happy, too. Each color of produce options at the market contains different phytonutrients, such as antioxidants.(4) These are those good guys that keep your body healthy and kick the free radicals (or those foreign invaders that can do damage to your heart over time) to the curb.(4) 

Need some inspiration? Use this little cheat sheet to reap the colorful benefits different produce picks provide. 

• Blue & Purple:(5)
  • Fruits: Blueberries, Currants, Grapes, Plums, Raisins
  • Vegetables: Olives, Cabbage, Eggplant, Potatoes 
• Green:(5)
  • Fruits: Avocados, Honeydew, Kiwifruit, Limes, Green Peas
  • Vegetables: Artichokes, Broccoli, Celery, Leafy Greens, Okra
• Yellow & Orange:(5)
  • Fruits: Apricots, Cantaloupe, Mangoes, Peaches, Persimmons 
  • Vegetables: Butternut Squash, Carrots, Pumpkin, Sweet Corn
• Red:(5)  
  • Fruits: Apples, Cherries, Strawberries, Watermelon
  • Vegetables: Red Peppers, Radishes, Onion, Rhubarb, Tomatoes
• White, Tan, & Brown:(5)
  • Fruits: Bananas, Dates, Peaches
  • Vegetables: Cauliflower, Garlic, Mushrooms, Potatoes

3 Easy Ways to Eat More Plants in a Heart Healthy Diet

And these don’t require you to spend hours prepping in the kitchen! 

1. Stock-Up on Canned, Dried, & Frozen Fruits & Vegetables 

Canned, dried, and frozen fruits and vegetables come in super handy to add more volume to your meals with our produce friends. Keep these tips in mind when shopping these aisles: 

• Choose dried fruits without sugar added.
• Opt for canned fruits in water or their own juice (no syrups added). Rinse under cool running water to lower the sugar content before eating. 
• Choose canned vegetables that have low sodium options, like canned beans, corn, peas, and lentils. Rinse them under cool running water when you pop open the top to lower sodium further. (6)
• Purchase frozen fruits and vegetables without sauces or seasoning added. 

2. Meal Prep Produce After You Shop 

You just unpacked your grocery haul, and that beautiful produce is calling your name. Step one, done. But instead of letting it sit and spoil (because let’s be honest, life gets busy), prep it right away. Portion baby carrots into snack bags for work, chop lettuce for ready-to-go salads, or prep other fruits and veggies so they’re easy to grab throughout the week.

When your produce is washed, chopped, and ready to eat, you’re far more likely to actually use it, even during your busiest days.

3. Plan Meals Around Produce – Then Add Protein 

Plants should take up most of the space on your plate (or bowl), which means planning meals around them is one of the easiest ways to eat more of them consistently. Craving a burrito bowl? Perfect. Let lettuce and beans form your base, then layer on toppings and protein like the finishing touches. Think of plants as the foundation and everything else as the extras.

To make it even easier, lean on tools that support your goals, like the MyFitnessPal app. You can keep tabs on your veggie intake while also tracking the macro- and micronutrients you’re getting from those plant foods.

Bottom Line

There’s a reason healthcare professionals encourage you to “eat the rainbow” when it comes to the variety of fruits and vegetables at the market. That rainbow is filled with a variety of nutrients that support heart health through lowering blood pressure, improving cholesterol levels, and lowering inflammation.(1,2) 

But, it doesn’t have to become a full time thinking about how to eat more plants. MyFitnessPal dietitian Katherine Basbaum shares, “Adding one more fruit or vegetable to your plate at every meal is one of the simplest ways to support heart health for the long haul.” 

Start today by pairing a handful of berries with your morning bagel sandwich. You don’t have to become a green smoothie lover if that’s not your jam. Progress, not perfection, is what matters most in the long haul. Use the MyFitnessPal Meal Planner to help spot opportunities to add more fruits and vegetables into your routine. 

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