9 Heart-Healthy Snacks to Keep Your Heart Healthy On-The-Go
What does it mean to eat to keep your heart healthy? It means taking care of the tool that, if you love, loves you back. Simply put, you need to take care of your old pumper. Cramming deep-fried pork rinds into your face on the run is not going to do the job. It would help you to follow a healthy meal plan daily. By eating right, your heart can operate at full capacity. In this article, we will look at some of the best heart-healthy snacks you can eat from breakfast to late-night that are excellent for your heart as well as your overall health.
So, let’s get started, shall we? I know it seems easier to stop at the closest vending machine or fast-food drive-through, but come on, you know that stuff is terrible for your health.
Take a few extra minutes at the grocery store or health food store to find healthy snacks and meal options, and your heart will thank you. So, let’s get down to the heart of the matter.
Avocado Toast
Avocado is almost the perfect food as snack. To make it even better snacks, mash the avocado and add it to a whole-grain toast and add toppings of nuts, chili, cilantro, etc.
Avocados are packed with vitamins C, E, B6, and K, as well as high in potassium, magnesium, pantothenic acid, folate, riboflavin, and niacin. Avocados provide your body with beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Even though most of the calories from avocados are from fat, it is the good unsaturated fat that your body knows how to get rid of it. The phytosterols in avocados can lower cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease.
Tuna Salad Sandwich
Tuna is packed with rich essential nutrients like Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, iron, potassium, vitamins B6, B12, and A making it a heart-healthy snack. The Ogema-3 fatty acids help reduce cholesterol and support the blood vessels. There has been a lot of negative press about canned tuna, but with specialized production processes now in place, tuna is entirely heart-healthy to eat––in moderation.
While making tuna salad, try to use greek yogurt or avocado as a mayonnaise substitute to make it even healthier.
Kale Salad or Kale Chips
Does anything else need to be said about this fantastic heart-healthy snack? Kale is a real superfood. Eating one cup of chopped kale gives you over 134% of your daily recommended vitamin C, over 200% of vitamin A, and close to 700% of your daily intake of vitamin K. If you are not a fan of eating kale salad, try kale chips instead.
Kale contains fiber, antioxidants, calcium, iron, and numerous other nutrients can help your body remove unwanted toxins. Kale also has vital minerals like potassium, copper, and manganese.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho is traditionally a Spanish soup made from tomatoes and other vegetables. Gazpacho’s main ingredient ‘tomato’ adds fiber, antioxidants such as lycopene and carotenoids which improve your cholesterol level and keep your heart healthy. Gazpacho is also loaded with water, which makes you feel full on minimal calories, great for heart health, and your waist.
You can add some spices to taste and serve this soup cold, so it’s great for summer weather. But that’s not all. It is a fabulous way to get iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.
Chickpea Salad with Avocado
Chickpeas are really heart-healthy. A serving of beans, peas, or even lentils a day can decrease the amount of bad ‘LDL cholesterol.’ and keep your heart healthy. Chickpea salad with Avocado makes it even healthier.
This hardy little bean is high in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. All this makes these beans an excellent choice for a healthy heart snack.
Salmon Toast
Salmon is an excellent natural source of high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals, including selenium, vitamin B12, and potassium. Salmon contains astaxanthin, a carotenoid found in the red pigment.
Astaxanthin has been linked to numerous health benefits, including endurance, heart health, joint pain, healthier skin, and even the possibility of cancer treatments in the future.
Because of all the health benefits of salmon, it has been linked to weight control. All this does not compare to the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids in salmon. Always look for the highest quality salmon and try to eat it at least 2 to 3 times a week.
Brussel Sprouts
YES! Brussel sprouts are perfect snacks for a healthy heart! Sorry, kiddos. Brussels sprouts tout’s a long list of nutritious benefits, including vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Adding Brussel sprouts can also help fight way colds because it is packed with immune-boosting vitamin C and cancer-fighting glucosinolates.
Fresh Brussel sprouts are best after the first winter frost. The cold weather produces sugar, making them less bitter. Frozen are good year-round. But don’t let Brussel sprouts bad wrap stop you. They can be fun, delicious, and healthy for your heart!
Finish with Vegan Meringues
These little treats are vegan and heart-healthy—choice over other desserts. They are low in calories about 20per cookie! Not only that, but they are also high in protein and other nutrients because of the chickpea juice we recommend! So go ahead and enjoy.
Blueberries
Nothing said healthy heart like blueberries. These little guys sure pack a punch when it comes to health. Packed with potassium and vitamin C, blueberries are doctors’ number one choice for lowering your risk of heart disease, but that is not all.
They are full of antioxidants, Phyto-flavinoids, and are anti-inflammatory to boot. Blueberries have what it takes to protect your cardiovascular cells, which can help in lowering blood pressure. This combination makes tasty blueberries an antioxidant superfood.
However, there are a couple of things you should know about eating blueberries. Even though studies have shown a small bowl of blueberries daily can help reduce your risk of obesity and diabetes.
Eating too many can cause heartburn, reflux, bloating, and diarrhea. So, go easy on them even though they are delicious. Also, make sure that you buy from a reputable organic grower. Blueberry farms have a bad reputation for heavily spraying pesticides on the plants. Certain frozen blueberries companies are better than others. Do your blueberry homework and find a trustworthy grower or brand.
Bottom Line
The heart is one of the most important organs of your body if not the most. Maintaining a healthy heart is not that difficult if you can be a little bit more selective about the meals and snacks you’re taking.
About the Author
Lori Bogedin is a health and wellness writer and editor of TwigsCafe.com. She is in the restaurant business since 1999. In 2016 she was named one of the "Top Women in Business" by Northeastern Pennsylvania Business Journal.
