Eating healthily means going beyond your dinner and lunch. The following are five heart-healthy snacks that you can add to your eating routine.
The heart is constantly working to provide your organs and tissues with nutrient-rich blood. To keep it functioning at its optimal efficiency, you need to eat healthy food, which includes lunch, dinner, and snacks. To help you choose the best snacks to replace cookies and chips, here are six heart-healthy snacks you can eat instead.
1. Artichoke Dip and Red Pepper Sticks
While mayonnaise and cheese are the main ingredients in most artichoke dip recipes, you can find healthier recipes that are also lower in calories. With a focus on artichokes, your dip can be high in fiber, vitamin C, folate, and vitamin K. You can also pair it with red pepper sticks, which are rich in vitamin C and lycopene, which promote heart health.
2. Sardines in Olive Oil
Sardines are small, fatty fish that are rich in omega-3 fats. When packed in olive oil, the combination will give you a nice dose of anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and proteins. In fact, various studies document the effectiveness of omega-3 fats when it comes to reducing the risk of heart disease and its risk factors.
3. Walnut and Tart Cherry Trail Mix
While nuts and seeds are heart-healthy, walnuts are particularly good at improving blood vessel function and reducing heart disease risk factors. In addition, tart cherries are rich in polyphenol antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and protect your heart. In other words, if you want a healthy and portable snack, mix walnuts with tart cherries and take it on the go.
4. Rainbow Chard Hummus Wraps
Leafy greens like Swiss chard are full of folate, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K, which help with blood pressure and circulation. By making Swiss chard hummus wraps, you’ll provide your body with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. Swiss chard also has a good amount of dietary nitrates that help reduce blood pressure.
5. Papaya Boats
The flesh of the papaya has lycopene, which is a carotenoid plant pigment that provides various benefits. For instance, its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties may help prevent atherosclerosis and improve circulation. Moreover, some studies show that a lycopene-rich diet may significantly reduce your risk of heart disease as well as protect against heart disease-related death.
Eating Healthily
By eating these snacks instead of cookies and chips, which are full of added sugars and sodium, you can improve your heart health. Of course, that’s not enough; you need to also eat a healthy dinner and healthy lunch on a regular basis.
In addition to eating healthily, you can boost your heart health by taking supplements like L-arginine Plus. Its ingredients promote circulation, blood pressure, cholesterol, and more. If you’re ready to give your heart health the support it deserves, then start eating heart-healthy snacks and take L-arginine Plus.