Here’s How to Find the Best Foods for Your Heart
3. Beans
These versatile legumes contain more protein than any other plant food—just one cup provides a quarter of what we need each day, Morey says. They also provide heart-healthy and stress-busting B vitamins, iron, and all-important calcium. Plus, they are considered “nature’s scrub brush” because one serving’s 15 grams of fiber goes through the intestines, sops up cholesterol, and takes it away.
Use beans in soups and stews or create a vegetarian chili with kidney beans, tomatoes, carrots, celery, and a little bit of hot pepper. Puree a rinsed and drained can of white beans with two tablespoons of olive oil, a small clove of garlic, and salt and pepper for a Mediterranean-style veggie dip.
4. Blueberries
Almost all fruit is good for you—cherries, strawberries, mangos, peaches—yum! But these blue-hued beauties work overtime to provide you with antioxidants and vitamin C, both potent stress busters, Morey explains. They’re low in calories and sugar, so you can snack on them to your heart’s content without an ounce of guilt (or fat). Blueberries are also a good source of fiber, which can help relieve the cramps and constipation that can occur when you’re stressed out.
Pile ’em on cereal, eat them fresh from the basket, or blend them with some plain yogurt, a banana, and some ice for a fabulous smoothie.
5. Broccoli
Broccoli is packed with vitamins K and C, which is an antioxidant powerhouse, Morey says. Antioxidants sop up damaging free radicals that increase the risk for heart disease and other conditions. Broccoli is also believed to have “anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and antibacterial effects,” according to a 2023 study in Antibiotics.
Steam broccoli in the microwave (rinse and chop it, place it in a glass or other nonreactive bowl, and cover it with a damp paper towel, not plastic wrap) for a few minutes for optimal nutrition. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and, if you dare, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for punch, and you’ve got yourself a sublime yet simple side dish.
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