"DASH" Into Heart Health Month With 5 Grocery Tips

Every February, all eyes become focused on hearts. Earlier this month, you celebrated Valentine’s Day and won over your sweetie’s heart with chocolate-covered strawberries and a bouquet of roses. February is also Heart Health Month, and another way to show you care is by including tips/ recommendations from the list below. for you and your loved ones.

Pick ‘n Save | Metro Market has some quick ideas and tips aligning with DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet Guidelines. This flexible eating method requires no special food. Instead, DASH is a research-based dietary approach that focuses on providing daily and weekly serving suggestions. This plan recommends:

• Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
• Including fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils
• Limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils
• Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets

1) Make lower-sodium choices:

• Read nutrition labels and select low-sodium options when possible (under 140mg per serving)
• Choose Simple Truth items, which are free from 101 artificial preservatives and ingredients including 13 sodium-based

2) Include fruit (fresh or frozen) in a dessert, side, or beverage:

• Create fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt with frozen berries.
• You can prep them by defrosting – or by mashing and simmering to remove water and create a thicker fruit mixture
• Add on top of ice cream, oatmeal, or yogurt
• Skewer up fresh-cut fruit kabobs or arrange on a plate with yogurt for dippingMake a fruit-infused beverage by adding fresh or frozen varieties to water

3) Add a vegetable to a meal, sauce, or smoothie. For example, riced cauliflower can help thicken a soup or sauce, and even add a bit more fiber to a smoothie.

4) Eat more whole grains by snacking on popcorn. Get creative with flavor suggestions from our recipe library.

5) Try something new! One tip to add fish into the menu is to swap ground meat for a ground salmon (burger) in a favorite family recipe. Here are two recommendations to try: Salmon Burgers or Thai Curry Turkey Meatballs Recipe

Research shows that food choices can impact your long-term health, which includes lowering blood pressure. “DASH” eating can help you make a positive impact on your heart health while still being able to include convenience and flavor.

At each Pick ‘n Save | Metro Market that has an in-store pharmacy, you can check your blood pressure for free before checking out. Regular monitoring of your blood pressure can help you identify potential issues and make lifestyle changes and dietary choices like those recommended through the “DASH” eating plan.

At Pick ‘n Save | Metro Market, we want to help create mealtimes, memories, and forming healthful patterns that last a lifetime. Shopping with “DASH” in mind makes heart-healthy cooking easier to do just that.