Have a Heart Healthy Valentine's Day

Planning the perfect Valentine’s Day for your special someone can be stressful, time consuming, and often filled with unhealthy diet choices. Instead of showering your valentine with chocolates, try showering them with food for a healthy heart. After all, don’t you want to be their Valentine next year?

Along with other healthy lifestyle activities, such as regular exercise, not smoking, and lower stress levels, eating a variety of healthy foods is excellent for your heart health. The American Dietetic Association recommends adding these foods to your regular diet to jump start your journey.

1. Blueberries are packed with the colorful antioxidant, anthocyanin, fiber, vitamin C, and are easy to find year round. Blueberries are great on their own, but they add an amazing flavor to cereal, smoothies, or as a topping. 
2. The American Heart Association recommends including omega-3 rich foods into your diet at least twice a week for a healthy heart. Salmon is loaded with protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is easy to cook and has a pleasant flavor. Try grilled or baked salmon paired with a fresh spinach salad or grilled vegetables.
3. For many, oatmeal is a staple in a heart healthy diet. Whole grain oats are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and most importantly, cholesterol-lowering fiber. Oatmeal is tasty on its own or it can be dolled up by adding various fruits and berries. Oatmeal is a great substitute when baking. Replacing one-third of the flour in a pancake, muffin, or cookie recipe with oatmeal will add in fiber without taking away from the taste!
4. The benefits of eating spinach are too long to list. Just remember, Popeye was on to something! Spinach is loaded with vitamins and minerals, notably folate and iron. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant spinach should be a regular on your menu. Fresh spinach is delicious in a salad or blended up in a green smoothie.

Maintaining a healthy heart requires a mixture of activities and any one of them alone is not enough. You must work to have a healthy balance between exercise, diet, and lifestyle. However, picking up one good habit often leads to another. This year make Valentine’s Day the beginning of a new you!

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to chat, please feel free to come by the Hunt County Extension office, 2217 Washington Street, Greenville, Texas, 75401, call (903) 455-9885, or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu.