Heart-Healthy Plant-based Proteins
Plant proteins include lentils, chick peas, beans, nut butters, tofu and other soy products. They add variety to your diet and can be an excellent source of fibre. Nut butters (e.g., peanut, almond, cashew, hazelnut) add healthy unsaturated fats to our diet and make fantastic alternatives to butter and margarine. Click here to check the fat composition of commonly used foods.
Choose plant-based proteins more often:
| GREAT CHOICES | GOOD CHOICES | CHOOSE RARELY | |
| Legumes | Beans, peas, lentils (canned, frozen, dried) Hummus and bean dips without mayonnaise |
Baked beans with pork Hummus and bean dips with mayonnaise |
Legume dishes prepared with full fat coconut milk (e.g., curries or rice and beans) |
| Soy Products |
Tofu (firm, regular, silken, flavoured) | Soy protein products and legume based “veggie patties,” miso, tempeh, tofu puddings | Fast-food veggie burgers prepared with coconut or palm/palm-kernel oil |
| Nuts and Seeds |
All nuts and seeds Natural nut butters with NO added sodium or sugars (peanut, almond, cashew, etc) Natural seed butters (Tahini, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, sesame seed, etc) |
Nut or seed butters with added vegetable oils (e.g., cashew nut butter with safflower oil) | Nut butters with added sodium and sugar
Chocolate based hazelnut butters |
Heart-Healthy Animal Proteins:
Red meats (beef, pork, and lamb), poultry (chicken, turkey and duck), fish and eggs are all rich in protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and saturated fat. Pick the leanest cuts to decrease your saturated fat intake. Seafood such as shellfish (crab, lobster and shrimp) are rich in cholesterol so choose them less often.
Oily or fatty fish are the best sources of omega-3 fats. Omega 3 fats are great for your heart and brain. Eat fatty fish 1-2 times a week to get all their benefits!
Choose heart-healthy animal proteins:
| GREAT CHOICES | GOOD CHOICES | CHOOSE RARELY | |
| Meat | Well-trimmed, lean cuts of beef, pork, veal, venison, moose, rabbit, Extra lean hamburger |
Low sodium lean ham, back bacon Lean hamburger Lamb loin Processed meats without added sodium and nitrate/nitrate-free |
Organ meats Fatty or heavily marbled cuts of beef, pork, veal & lamb Side bacon, side ribs, pigs feet & ham hocks Processed meats with added sodium and nitrates and nitrites |
| Poultry | Skinless turkey and chicken (light or dark meat) | Lean turkey or chicken breast lunch meats, ground chicken and turkey | Fried chicken, poultry with skin, giblets, duck, goose |
| Fish and Seafood | Fresh or frozen fillets Fish canned in water Fatty or oily fish – salmon, mackerel, Atlantic herring, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna Mussels |
Fish canned in broth or tomato juice/paste Shrimp and other shellfish, squid, caviar, clams, oysters |
Salted, smoked or pickled fish Fish canned in oil Fish or seafood coated in batter |
| Eggs | Boiled, poached, scrambled omega-3 eggs Egg whites Egg substitutes |
Boiled, poached, scrambled regular eggs | Pickled, fried, deviled eggs Egg salad with full fat mayonnaise Eggs Benedict or Florentine |