The Healthy Food List to Get Your Heart Healthy Cooking Started

Here is a healthy food list that will help you choose the right healthy foods to stock your refrigerator and cabinets. Be sure to check out the healthy tips below.

Click HERE to download a printable healthy food list of the items below that you can take with you each time you go to the grocery store!

GRAINS

____ Oatmeal (plain rolled oats)
____ Other Hot Cereals
____ Cold cereals (fiber: 3 grams or more per serving, sugar: 5 grams or less per serving, and fat: 3 grams or less per serving)
____ Oat bran, whole wheat, or whole grain bagels
____ Breads (whole wheat or whole grain)
____ Whole wheat pita bread
____ Rice (whole grain brown rice)
____ Tortillas (whole wheat or whole grain)
____ Pastas all varieties (whole grain or whole wheat)
____ Couscous, quinoa, bulgur (whole grain)
____ Other Grains:
________________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Tip: Always choose whole wheat and whole grain bread, rice, and pasta over white bread and grains.

VEGETABLES

____ Asparagus
____ Artichokes
____ Bell Peppers
____ Broccoli
____ Cabbage
____ Carrots
____ Cucumbers
____ Garlic
____ Onions
____ Tomatoes
____ Lettuce
____ Mushrooms
____ Potatoes: all varieties Baking, Yukon Gold, Yellow Fin, Red, Purple, New, Sweet and Yam
____ Beans: navy, green, Lima, kidney, pinto, refried, black, soy, fava, chick peas
____ Dried beans, peas and lentils
____ Frozen vegetables
____ Low sodium vegetable juice
____ Other Vegetables:
________________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Tip: Buying organic is in most cases worth the money for taste and nutritional value.
Healthy Cooking Tip: Look for low sodium canned vegetables for cooking.

FRUIT

____ Apples
____ Apricots
____ Bananas
____ Berries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
____ Grapes
____ Mangos
____ Melons, cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon
____ Oranges and tangerines
____ Peaches, nectarines
____ Pears
____ Plums
____ Grapefruit
____ Tangerines
____ Apple sauce (no sugar added)
____ Canned fruit packed in its own juice or water
____ Frozen fruit, no sugar added (peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
____ Fruit Juice
____ Other Fruits:
________________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Tip: Go to your local farmers market for the best fruits and vegetables…they taste better and you're supporting your local farmers!

LEAN MEATS, FISH, POULTRY

____ Beef Lean: tenderloin, sirloin, filet, top round, flank steak
____ Pork Lean Cuts: tenderloin roasts or butterfly pork chops
____ Fish Fresh/Seafood: sea bass, tuna, swordfish, halibut, tilapia, trout, sole, shrimp
____ Chicken, Turkey, and Poultry: breasts and thighs (boneless/ skinless), fillets, tenderloin
____ Ground Meats: Round steak, sirloin, Piedmontese beef, veal, pork loin, turkey, chicken, venison
____ Other Meats:
________________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Tip: Look for organic, grass-fed beef if possible. Not only is it lower in saturated fat and higher in Omega 3 fatty acids, the cows are not fed antibiotics or hormones that normal beef is.
Healthy Tip: Piedmontese beef is a special type of beef from Italy that is actually leaner and lower in fat than chicken!

DAIRY

____ Yogurt, low-fat or nonfat, plain or with fruit
____ Milk ½% or skim
____ Cheeses, Part-Skim, skim milk or low-fat (50% fat or less per serving)
____ Cottage cheese (nonfat or low fat)
____ Sour cream, low-fat or nonfat
____ Cream cheese, low-fat or fat free
____ Eggs
____ Other Dairy:
________________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Tip: Part skim string cheese is a great, healthy snack.
Healthy Cooking Tip: Substitute 2 egg whites for every whole egg and you will cut out most of the fat and cholesterol.

CANNED GOODS

____ Tuna
____ Chicken breast
____ Black beans
____ Kidney beans
____ Garbanzo beans or chickpeas
____ Lima beans
____ Mexican corn
____ Broth - chicken, vegetables and beef
____ Broth based soups
____ Other canned goods:
________________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Cooking Tip: Choose low sodium and sodium-free broths.
Healthy Tip: Rinse canned tuna and chicken with water and drain to remove some of the salt.

FROZEN FOODS AND SNACKS

____ Nuts: All varieties - raw, roasted, shelled or unshelled.
____ Non-fat frozen yogurt
____ Low fat popcorn (If microwave,1-2 grams fat per serving)
____ Whole grain pretzels
____ Rice or corn cakes
____ Low-fat cookies (graham or animal crackers, vanilla wafers, ginger snaps)
____ Whole wheat crackers
____ Low-fat granola or breakfast bars
____ Whole grain bread sticks
____ Pita chips
____ Hummus
____ Other snack foods:
________________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Tip: Pick unsalted nuts.
Healthy Tip: Try Kashi's line of snacks…they’re healthier than other brands and contain all natural ingredients.

SAUCES, CONDIMENTS, & OILS

____ Bar-B-Q sauce
____ Broth (chicken, beef, and vegetable)
____ Pickles
____ Salad dressings and mayonnaise, low-fat or nonfat
____ Low sodium Soy sauce
____ Salsas and Pica de Gallo
____ Spaghetti and pasta sauces (tomato-based, not cream-based white sauces)
____ Mustard - all varieties
____ Taco Sauce
____ Teriyaki sauce and marinade
____ Worcestershire sauce
____ Oils: olive, canola, sesame, peanut
____ Olive oil and vegetable oil spray
____ Vinegars: white, white wine, red wine, rice, apple cider
____ Other sauces:
________________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Cooking Tip: Substitute fat free cooking sprays and low sodium chicken broth for oil when cooking.

HERBS, SEASONINGS, & SPICES

____ Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, garlic, oregano, mint, basil, rosemary, thyme
____ Seasonings: garlic, curries, onion powder, cumin, mustard powders, salt-free poultry seasoning, cayenne, black, or red pepper
____ Spices: All spice, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, saffron, sage
____ Other herbs and seasonings:
________________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Cooking Tip: Try growing your own fresh herbs either outside or on a windowsill. They are a great flavor substitute for salt when cooking.

BEVERAGES

____ No-calorie drink mixes
____ Protein drinks & shakes
____ Reduced calorie juices
____ Unsweetened iced tea
____ Low sodium vegetable juices
____ Carbonated water
____ Water
____ Other beverages
________________________________________________________________________________________

Other:
________________________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________________________
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Pick different healthy foods from this healthy food list each time you go grocery shopping. The next section will talk about healthy cooking and tips and methods for cooking healthier.