Counting the fat, cholesterol grams you eat is not necessary for a heart-healthy diet

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A crucial take-home message of Healthy Eating for a Healthy Heart, a newly revised report from Harvard Health Publications, is to consider the types of foods that you eat and your overall dietary pattern, rather than focusing on individual nutrients such as fat, dietary cholesterol, or specific vitamins.
“There are no single nutrients or vitamins that can make you healthy. Rather, there is a short list of key foods that together can dramatically reduce your risk for heart disease,” says Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, the editor of the report and an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Which foods help your heart, and which hurt it? Here’s just a taste of some of the foods discussed in detail in the report.
Foods to eat in abundance (partial list):

• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains (such as whole-wheat bread)
• Fish and seafood
• Vegetable oils

Foods to avoid:

• Processed meats
• Highly refined and processed grains and sugars (such as white bread and sugary baked goods)
• Sugary drinks (such as soda)

This report also includes 49 heart-healthy recipes created just for Healthy Eating for a Healthy Heart by Ellen di Bonaventura, a clinical dietitian at Massachusetts General Hospital. With these recipes, even the novice cook can learn to use heart-healthy foods to create meals that appeal to any palate.
For example, this black bean chili might make a nice, hearty meal now that temperatures are getting cooler:
Black Bean Chili
Makes 6 servings

• 6 cups canned black beans (see Note)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 16 ounces canned whole plum tomatoes, no added salt
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar

Pour the beans into a colander. Rinse under cold water for 5 minutes.
Dice the garlic cloves. In a 4-quart pot, brown the garlic in the olive oil on low heat. Add the chili powder, beans, tomatoes, and vinegar. Cook on high heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Lower to simmer and cook for another 30 minutes.
Optional: Add fresh cilantro, hot pepper sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, or reduced-fat Cheddar cheese as desired and if your diet allows. (These additions are not included in the nutritional data below.)
Note: You can use dried beans that have been soaked overnight and cooked. Follow the package instructions for soaking and cooking.
Nutrition information per serving
Calories: 270; Total fat: 5 g; Saturated fat: 0.5 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 90 mg; Total carbohydrates: 42 g; Fiber: 14 g; Protein: 15 g
Also in this report:

• Special bonus section: Getting to a heart-healthy weight

• How diet affects your heart
• Specific diets and your heart