“What is the recommended diet for a healthy heart?”

A heart-healthy diet should include at least five servings of this food group per day. Of all the foods needed to maintain heart health, vegetables and fruit are consumed in much smaller amounts than recommended.

In addition to consuming various ingredients, the cooking process affects the taste, texture, color, digestibility, absorption, and nutritional value of a dish.

A heart-healthy diet is likely to call to mind images of bland, boiled food. On the other hand, a heart healthy diet is one that is enjoyable, rich in taste and colorful because it should include lots of colorful vegetables and fruits, coarse grains such as millet, legumes of all kinds (soybeans, nuts and seeds). -grains), and low-fat dairy products with some servings of fish or poultry. .

Preferred cooking methods such as boiling (cooking in a covered pot using a small amount of boiling liquid) and steaming (departing food in the steam created by boiling water) score well. Among the methods of frying – stir-frying or stir-frying (tossing food with little fat in the pan) is acceptable and healthy,” says Nilanjana Singh, registered dietitian and health consultant.

“While each cooking method has its own advantages and limitations, it can be helpful to keep these comprehensive guidelines in mind for optimal heart health,” Nilaniana told IANSlife:

. Short Cooking Time: Overcooking should always be avoided, regardless of the cooking method. Cooking for too long will destroy the nutrients as well as the color and texture of the food. Methods that use shorter cooking times are preferred—pressure cooking and the microwave being prime examples.

. Minimal Water Use: When cooking in water, use as little water as possible. This will reduce the leaching of water-soluble nutrients. Try using leftover water in your sauce or dressing. Also, avoid adding baking soda to vegetables while cooking. They may retain the color but the vitamin C content is reduced.

. Avoid very high temperatures: This is especially important in the case of dry heat methods such as roasting, roasting, roasting and frying. Cooking at very high temperatures (above 180°C) can form acrylamide, a compound linked to cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Fat falling on meat/paneer/potatoes at high temperatures causes these chemicals to build up.

. Use multi-source cooking oils: One of the most frequently asked questions about diets has to do with which cooking oils are best for our health. Multi-source cooking oils have the added advantage of lower absorption technology and better heat stability, which are desirable for high temperature cooking methods such as roasting and frying. Fried foods are a big part of our festive menu, which we can sometimes enjoy in limited quantities, without increasing our risk of disease.

This brings us back to the fact that diet can play a huge role in disease prevention. The importance of using minimally processed, nutrient-dense ingredients cannot be overemphasized.

While the focus of a heart-friendly diet is on what we should be doing, being aware of what we should be avoiding is also important. Excess salt, sugar, and saturated fat should be on your “watch” list. Trans fats, ultra-processed foods and processed meats fall into the category of foods to avoid.

Overall, the dietary choices you make can go a long way in preventing not only heart disease but many other chronic conditions as well. Ian