It's widely known that a nutritious, well-balanced diet is key to a healthy heart. Yet most of us don't eat the way we should.

If you're reluctant to change your diet because you think it will be too difficult or unappetizing, here's some good news: You don't have to make radical changes or give up all the foods you love to improve your health.

"It's more important to make small, subtle changes and stick with them than to be overwhelmed with a completely new diet," says Cheryl Kapalka, a registered dietitian at Valley Hospital. "Many people find that their families don't even notice when they make healthier versions of favorite foods."

Here are some simple and appetizing ways to improve your diet and your health:

At the Grocery Store

• Shop for foods with Heart Smart labels.
• Use a combination of lower-fat and fat-free products.*
• Mix 2 percent milk with 1 percent milk until you adjust to the lower-fat version.
• Gradually switch from white to wheat to multigrain breads or cereals.
• Buy tuna packed in water rather than oil.
• Buy 10 to 15 percent lean ground beef.

At Home

• Watch your portion size.
• Eat three meals a day.
• Eat balanced meals. Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruit, one-quarter with carbohydrates and one-quarter with protein.
• Dine with low-fat salad dressings.
• Use lower-fat foods when cooking (lowfat sour cream, low-fat or fat-free soups, cooking spray instead of oil or butter) or smaller amounts of your normal high-fat ingredients.

What the Experts Recommend
The American Heart Association recommends that people at normal risk for heart disease follow these guidelines:

• Limit cholesterol to less than 300 mg per day.
• Limit fat in your diet. Saturated fats should account for less than 10 percent of your total calories, while total fats should account for less than 30 percent of your daily calories.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Eat more multigrain breads and cereals.
• Reduce the amount of salt in your foods.

For more healthy eating tips, visit www.valleyhospital.net.

* Some fat-free products increase the sugar when eliminating the fat. Be sure to check the label.

The Valley Health System c/o Valley Hospital Medical Center 620 Shadow Lane Las Vegas, NV 89106