Heart-Healthy Versions of 5 Favorite Foods

The majority of soups on supermarket shelves are loaded with sodium, and it's well-known that consuming too much salt can sabotage blood pressure levels. But the good thing about buying packaged foods is that they all feature nutrition labels where you can compare levels of sodium, saturated fats, cholesterol and other nutrients. Low-sodium soup is a good lunch option because all you need to do is heat it up—and it's probably much lower in calories than your usual sandwich. When you have time to cook, make up a big batch of healthy soup and freeze individual portions for quick lunches.

5. Chocolate
We're not giving you permission to load up on candy bars here, but you should know that dark chocolate contains some potentially potent heart-protectors. Cocoa has been shown to contain antioxidants that may promote cardiovascular well-being, the same kinds that are found in red wine and fruits. However, it's important to be smart about this and choose chocolate that is made of mostly cocoa solids (look for over 70 percent), and keep consumption moderate.

Heart-Healthy Shopping List

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Frozen fruits and vegetables (choose ones that are free of sauces, salt, fat or preservatives)
• Lean, grass-fed beef
• Chicken breasts
• Fish
• Low-fat cheese and yogurt (watch the sugar content on that yogurt)
• Whole-grain bread
• Whole-grain cereal, crackers or pasta
• Olive oil or canola oil
• Trans fat-free margarine
• Low-sodium canned soup
• Dark chocolate
• Almonds, walnuts or other nuts and seeds