Making changes to your diet can help reduce the risk of having another heart attack. Other changes to your lifestyle can also help – see Further information.
What is the Mediterranean diet?
There is evidence to show that eating a Mediterranean-style diet can reduce your risk of another heart attack.
You can make your diet more Mediterranean-style by:
- eating more bread and pasta,
- eating more fruit, salad including tomatoes, and vegetables,
- eating more fish,
- eating less meat, and
- choosing products made from vegetable and plant oils, such as olive oil, rather than dairy products, such as butter and cheese.
Oily fish
Oily fish are all rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids, which help prevent heart disease. You should eat 2-4 portions of oily fish a week, such as:
- herring,
- sardines,
- mackerel,
- salmon,
- trout, or
- fresh tuna.
One portion is about 140g, equivalent to a small tin of oily fish or a small fillet of fresh fish. For more about eating fish, see Further information.
If you’ve had a heart attack in the last three months and you don’t eat enough oily fish, your GP may offer you a medicine containing omega 3 fish oils, to supplement your diet.
Healthier ways to cook
Don’t fry food or roast food in fat. Instead, choose healthy ways to cook and prepare your food., such as:
- steaming,
- poaching,
- baking,
- making a casserole,
- using the microwave, or
- stir-frying.
Buttery, cheesy or creamy sauces tend to be high in fat. Try adding flavour to your sauces using spices, herbs and lemon juice instead.
Foods to avoid
Avoid foods that contain:
- a lot of fat, especially saturated fat,
- salt, and
- added sugar.
Foods like this include:
- fried foods,
- sweets and confectionery,
- takeaways,
- processed foods, and
- pre-packaged foods.
Supplements to avoid
Do not take beta-carotene supplements (beta-carotene is a type of vitamin A). Research has shown that taking these supplements may increase the risk of another heart attack.
You should also be aware that taking vitamin C, vitamin E or folic acid will not help to prevent another heart attack. There is no evidence that taking any of these supplements will have any benefit.
Further information:
