Your diet is an important influencer when it comes to heart health. Depending on the food, it may impact your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, inflammation and triglycerides. What do all those things have in common? Every one of them is a risk factor for developing heart disease.

While some foods can have a negative influence on one or more of the risk factors mentioned above, others can have a positive impact on your heart health. The key is to pick the foods that will benefit your heart’s well-being.

Leafy Green Veggies

Leafy green vegetables are heralded for all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants they contain. In general, leafy green veggies are an outstanding source of vitamin K which is good for your arteries and your body’s ability to form blood clots properly when necessary.

Berries

When you’re shopping for organic food, don’t overlook the berries in the produce section. Berries are loaded with phytonutrients and soluble fiber which foster heart health. Here are some of the types of berries you may want to pick up during your next trip to the grocery store:

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries

Oats

Oats are one of the heart-healthy foods that should be on your shopping list if you suffer from cholesterol problems. Like berries, oats have soluble fiber and desirable nutrients. 

If you can’t stand the thought of making cooked oatmeal part of your organic eating plan, consider toasting some organic oats and storing them in an airtight container. You can then add them to yogurt or a salad whenever you want. Alternatively, you can dry some berries and use your toasted oats to make homemade berry granola bars.

Colorful Vegetables

Similar to leafy green vegetables, a lot of veggies that have different colors are also heart-friendly. Vegetables like tomatoes, certain squashes, carrots, bell peppers and sweet potatoes contain things like soluble fiber and carotenoids that promote heart health.

Dark Chocolate and Red Wine

While it may seem counterintuitive, both dark chocolate and limited amounts of red wine are good for your heart. Eating dark chocolate just two times per week can lower the chances that you’ll develop calcified plaque in your arteries by 32 percent. If you increase your intake of dark chocolate to five times per week, your risk for coronary heart disease may drop to 57 percent below what a non-chocolate eater’s risk is.

Red wine can help increase your good cholesterol levels, which can improve the health of your heart. You don’t need to drink a lot of red wine to see results. A typical woman needs to consume just one four-ounce glass of red wine daily while men can drink up to twice as much.

Looking for Organic Food Restaurants? We’ve Got You Covered

Nuts, beans, legumes, whole grains – there are plenty of heart-healthy foods out there. And you can find many heart-friendly foods on the menus of many of the restaurants in our database of organic restaurants. If you want to find an eatery that plates up delicious organic food that’s good for your heart, you needn’t look any further than Organic Restaurants. Look through our lists of organic restaurants by city now!