5 heart-healthy food swaps

A diet high in saturated fats increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. It’s easy to cut your fat intake by swapping to lower fat versions of foods you frequently eat:

Whipped Cream Cheese

The problem with regular cream cheese is that a two tablespoon serving contains 9 grams of fat, of which 6 grams are cholesterol-spiking saturated fat. You can still enjoy your schmear by going with “light” whipped cream cheese that trims 40 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat off each serving.

Greek Yogurt

Mayonnaise isn’t just for sandwiches; it turns up in all kinds of foods, such as egg and chicken salad, dips, cole slaw, salad dressings – even sushi rolls. A single tablespoon of mayo packs 10 grams of fat, so it’s hardly heart healthy. For the creaminess of mayo minus all the fat, use Greek yogurt in your favorite recipes. You’ll save 75 calories and 10 grams of fat per tablespoon and get a welcome boost of protein and calcium, too.

Whole Orange

While fresh -squeezed orange juice is nutrient-dense, juicing removes nearly all of the fiber, which has been scientifically proven to reduce cholesterol. Grab a fresh whole orange instead and you’ll get a healthy dose of vitamin C, potassium, folate, calcium, vitamin B6, and thiamin, plus 6 times more heart healthy fiber and far less sugar.

Whole Wheat Bread

Eating a lot of refined carbohydrates such as white bread can raise blood triglycerides and lead to insulin resistance - factors that increase risk of stroke, heart attack, and coronary artery disease. Switch to whole wheat bread and you’ll benefits from the many important nutrients white bread loses during processing – particularly fiber.

Fat Free Milk

Opt for fat free milk instead of whole milk and you’ll get the same vitamins and minerals without all the calories and fat! A one cup serving of whole milk has 150 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat, compared to a cup of fat free milk with 80 calories and no saturated fat.

For delicious high fiber meal plans, recipes and tips on healthy eating, drinking and losing weight, check out my latest book, The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with Fiber!

Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a registered dietitian in New York City and the author of two bestselling diet books:  The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with fiber and The F-Factor Diet. Subscribe to Tanya’s free weekly newsletter and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest,and LinkedIn