Improving your diet

Healthy food choices begin with knowing what is in the food you are buying. The nutrition information of most food can be found on the “Nutrition Facts” label found on the back of food packages.

The Nutrition Facts label provides information on the amount of calories, fat, carbs (carbohydrates), protein, cholesterol, sodium and key vitamins found in the product.

Below is an example of a Nutrition Facts label:

Salt

Salt (also called “sodium”) is a major cause of high blood pressure, which makes heart failure worse. Studies show that the more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure gets. Therefore, reducing the amount of salt consumed in your diet is an essential aspect of living with heart failure.

But I don’t put salt on my food….Approximately 70% of the salt we eat comes from inside the foods we buy at the store, not from the salt (sodium) we add at the table. You can learn how much salt (sodium) is found in your food by looking at the Nutrition Facts label located at the back of most products. 
In addition to the Nutrition Facts label, some products have nutrition messages on the packaging. Below are examples of nutrition messages you may come across and what they mean: 


  1. "No added salt/unsalted"= No salt added, and none of the ingredients contain a significant amount of salt.
  2. "Salt free/sodium free"= No more than 5 mg of sodium per 100 g of food
  3. "Low salt/low in sodium= 50% less sodium than their regular product or no more than 40 mg of sodium per 100 g of food

How much salt should I eat?
The general guideline for those with heart failure is to have less than 2 g of salt per day. Remember to include the amount of sodium in the packaged food that you eat. The TOTAL amount allowed ends up being less than 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt.

How can I reduce the amount of salt (sodium) I eat?

  1. Throw away the salt shaker
    • Instead of salt, use herbs, spices, garlic or salt substitutes (just make sure they do not contain potassium chloride, which could be harmful for your heart)
  2. Separate the amount of salt (sodium) in the food you eat throughout the day:
    • Breakfast 400 mg
    • Lunch 600 mg
    • Dinner 600 mg
    • Snack 100 mg
  3. Choose products that have less than 10% daily value (DV) of sodium (salt)
  4. Eat fresh foods instead of processed or canned
  5. Add a serving of fresh vegetables and fruits to your lunch and dinner
  6. Take care when eating out. Stick to steamed, grilled, baked, boiled and broiled foods.
  7. Use oil and vinegar, rather than bottled dressings, on salads
  8. Reduce the amount of processed foods consumed, as they tend to be high in sodium. Other foods and condiments to avoid due to a high sodium content include:
    • Cheese
    • Ketchup
    • Lunch meat
    • Pickles
    • Barbeque, soya and Worcestershire sauces
    • Salad dressing

Potassium
HF patients taking high doses of diuretics may need to increase the amount of potassium in their diet. HF patients with poor kidney function may need to decrease potassium in their diet. Check with your doctor to determine if you need to increase your potassium intake. Potassium is found in:
  • Chicken
  • Fish
  • Meat
  • Bananas
  • Citrus juice/fruits
  • Prune juice
  • Dates
  • Raisins
  • Mushrooms
  • Potatoes
  • Spinach
  • Squash
  • Tomatoes
Canad's Food Guide
Another useful tool you can use to make better healthy food choices is "Canada’s Food Guide."The food guide separates food into four major groups:
  1. Vegetables & Fruits
  2. Grain Products
  3. Milk and alternatives
  4. Meat and Alternatives
    5.

Eating a variety of foods from all four food groups will help you get enough vitamins and minerals, reach or maintain a healthy weight as well as achieve overall health and vitality.

To print a copy of Canada's Food Guide, click on the following images: