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Look, Learn and Eat
Healthy!
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So, you're out grocery shopping for, say, the ingredients to this
delicious and heart-healthy pizza. But do you take the time to
read the nutrition information on the food labels? Fewer than
half of Americans do, according to a recent survey by the
American Heart Association. That's a discouraging figure,
considering the tremendous effect the food we eat has on our
health — particularly our heart-health.
However, research shows that shoppers who do read food labels cut
about twice the amount of fat from their diet as those who don't
read labels.
If you're trying to stick to a healthy eating plan, having
reliable label-reading skills is obviously important. Yet, in the
modern media climate of fad diets and daily "breakthrough"
discoveries, choosing healthy food can be more complicated than
ever. Just getting through the grocery store can be a challenge,
considering all the product "health claims" bombarding consumers.
Take heart. There are simple ways to quickly and reliably find
what your body — specifically your heart — doesn't need in the
food you eat.
First, look for these two red flags: saturated fat and
cholesterol. As the nation's foremost authority on heart-health,
the American Heart Association states that reducing saturated fat
and cholesterol in the diet helps reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease — America's #1 killer of women and men.
Next, continue reading the food label for information on
calories, sodium, added sugars and other ingredients your doctor
may advise to watch in your diet.
For even faster healthy food shopping, look for the heart-check
mark. The distinctive red heart with a white check mark was
developed by the American Heart Association's Food Certification
Program to help consumers quickly and reliably identify foods
that can be part of a heart-healthy eating plan. Located on the
product package, the familiar mark is easy to find and easy to
use — right when and where you're making your food selection.
"The American Heart Association red heart-check mark is a great
way to find heart-healthy foods simply and reliably," says
Rebecca Mullis, Ph.D., head of the University of Georgia's
nutrition department. "Consumers can rest assured that the mark
is based on the best science available."
Mullis says it's one tool she recommends to her own patients to
help them build a heart-healthy diet. Anyone with a medical
condition, she adds, should contact a physician or registered
dietitian about special dietary needs.
Smart Shopping Made Simple
With so many food options in the grocery store, it's hard to spot
heart-healthy choices quickly. That's why the American Heart
Association created the heart-check mark. The distinctive red
heart with the white check mark helps consumers easily and
reliably identify heart-healthy foods that can be part of a
sensible eating plan. Food packages bearing the simple logo have
been evaluated to ensure they meet the American Heart
Association's criteria for heart-healthy levels of saturated fat
and cholesterol for healthy people over age 2.
You have more important things to worry about — spending hours at
the grocery store shopping for heart-healthy foods shouldn't be
one of them.
Shop Smart. Live Well. Look for the Heart-Check Mark.
Products that qualify for the American Heart Association's Food
Certification Program carry the heart-check mark on the label. It
lets consumers know instantly that the food has significant
science to back the mark and meet the American Heart
Association's nutritional criteria per standard serving: