Healthy Food Choices for People with Heart Failure

The foods below are recommended for people with heart failure because these foods are typically low in salt, saturated fat and cholesterol. Learn to read food labels to help you choose heart-healthier foods when you shop.

Fruits	Fresh, canned or frozen
Vegetables	Fresh or frozen (avoid sauce or flavor pouches, which add salt and fat) Canned is OK if unsalted or rinsed
Meats, poultry, fish	Fresh or frozen fish (not breaded) Canned tuna and salmon (unsalted or rinsed) Chicken or turkey, both with the skin removed Lean cuts of beef, veal, pork or lamb (trim away all fat)
Meat substitutes	Dried beans, peas, lentils (not canned) Tofu (soybean curd) Nuts or seeds (unsalted, dry-roasted), such as sunflower seeds, peanuts, almonds and walnuts (Eat nuts in small amounts because they're high in fat and calories.) Unsalted peanut butter
Drinks (follow your healthcare team's limits on fluid intake)	Fruit juices, fresh, frozen or canned Canned low-sodium or no-salt-added tomato and vegetable juice Breakfast drink, powder or liquid (limit to 1 cup/day) Lemonade (frozen concentrate or fresh) Tea and coffee in moderation Soy protein powder, soy milk
Dairy choices (Choose 2–3 servings of these low-fat dairy products per day)	Liquid or dry milk (1 percent, ½ percent, fat-free or nonfat) Cottage cheese, dry curd (low sodium) Low-fat or part-skim cheeses, such as ricotta and mozzarella Neufchatel cheese
Fats, oils (Use any of these in small amounts)	Unsaturated vegetable oils like canola, olive, corn, cottonseed, peanut, safflower, soybean and sunflower Low-sodium, low-fat salad dressing and mayonnaise Unsalted margarine with liquid vegetable oil as first ingredient
Breads, cereals, grains, starches	Pasta Rice (enriched white or brown) Starchy vegetables, such as corn, potatoes, green peas, etc. (not canned unless salt-free) Loaf bread and yeast rolls Homemade breads (with regular flour, not self-rising) Melba toast Matzo crackers Pita bread Taco shell, corn tortilla Cooked cereals, such as corn grits, farina (regular), oatmeal, oat bran, cream of rice, cream of wheat (avoid instant cereals) Puffed rice or wheat, shredded wheat (or any cereal with 100–150 mg of sodium (limit to 1 cup/day) Wheat germ (in small amounts) Unsalted, no-fat popcorn
Cooking ingredients, seasonings	Corn starch, tapioca Cornmeal (not self-rising because of high salt content) Fresh or dried herbs, salt-free herb seasonings Flour — regular white or whole-wheat (not self-rising) Fresh fruits and vegetables, such as lemons, limes, onions, celery, etc. Fresh garlic or ginger Louisiana-type hot sauce (limit to 1 teaspoon/day) Low-sodium baking powder Onion or garlic powder (avoid garlic salt) Tomato paste, unsalted tomatoes, unsalted tomato sauce Vinegar Water chestnuts Yeast Butter substitute (limit to 1/2 teaspoon/day)
Sweets	Carob powder, cocoa powder Flavored gelatins Fruits Frozen juice bars, fruit ice, sorbet, sherbet Sugar, honey, molasses, syrup (cane or maple) Jelly, jam, preserves, apple butter Graham and animal crackers, fig bars, ginger snaps

The D.A.S.H. (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan has all the components of a heart-healthy diet. It's delicious and varied — rich in vegetables and fruits, with whole grains, high-fiber foods, lean meats and poultry, fish at least twice a week, and fat-free or 1 percent fat dairy products. Download a PDF of the complete D.A.S.H. eating plan. This link is provided for convenience only, and is not an endorsement or assurance of the entity or any product or service.

This content is reviewed regularly. Last updated 03/12/09.