NUTRITION GUIDE FOR HEART HEALTH

Prepared by

Diabetes Education CommitteeSaudi Diabetes & Endocrine Association

•Maintain your body weight within the healthy range, and lose weight, if obese.

•Maintain your blood sugar and blood pressure within the recommended ranges.

•Maintain your blood cholesterol within the recommended range.

•Take your medications as advised by your doctor.

•Check your blood sugar and blood pressure regularly.

• Practice exercise regularly, and get the advise of your doctor on exercise type and duration.

• Avoid alcohol drinks.

• Avoid smoking (active or passive).

• Consume healthy low fat food that is rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and low in salt and saturated fat.

Follow the nutritional guidelines for your heart health, and contact the Saudi

Diabetes & Endocrine Association for any question.

MEAT GROUP Choose Moderate portions of skinless poultry, lean veal or lamb

or fish. Bake or grill meat or chicken or fish than frying. One cup cooked dried lentils or beans can be used as

meat substitute. Go Slow Fatty meats, organ meats, egg yolk, commercially

processed meats (such as sausage, hotdog and canned meat).

General Guidelines for Heart Health

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES GROUP

Choose Include vegetables and fruits with colors (green or yellow

or orange or red color) in your daily meal plan, such as: tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, mango, squash, orange spinach.

Steam your vegetables or eat fresh and whole vegetables and fruits, and select unsweetened fruit juices.

Go Slow Potato chips and deep-fried vegetables. Canned fruits in syrup and sweetened fruit drinks. Vegetables mixed with fatty sauces.

BREAD AND CEREALS GROUP

Choose Whole grain breads and cereals. Pastas (spaghetti, noodles, macaroni and

steamed rice).Go Slow Commercially baked breads (high in saturated

fat and sugar), such as pastries and egg rich breads, donuts and pancakes.

MILK PRODUCTS GROUP

Choose Low fat and non-low fat milk products

(skimmed milk, yogurt, laban, low fat cheese and low fat labneh).

Go Slow Whole milk and its products, cream, butter,

spread cheese, evaporated and condensed milk and Gishda.

FAT GROUP

Choose Vegetable oils such as: (corn oil, sunflower

oil, olive oil, or canola oil).Go Slow Solid fats and hydrogenated margarines,

butter, ghee, animal fat, coconut and palm oils.

DESSERTS GROUP

Choose Low fat fruit desserts (small portions). Sugar substitute and diet drinks. Healthy puddings made with fruits and skimmed milk. Go Slow Ice cream and other desserts made with whole milk,

butter, puddings, pies, cakes and fried snacks. Regular soft drinks and commercial sweets and

cakes.

HEALTH MESSAGE

UNITE FOR PREVENTING DIABETES, OBESITY AND OSTEOPOROSIS

Contact Us

Tel: 03-8878970 / 8876099 Fax: 03-8878710 Email: sdea@sdea.org.sa Website: www.sdea.org.sa P.O Box 1498 – Al Khobar 31952

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Eastern Province