Diet for Heart Failure

Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, occurs when your heart does not pump blood well enough to meet your body’s needs for oxygen-rich blood. Heart failure is a long-term (chronic) condition. Living with heart failure can be challenging.

However, following your health care provider’s instructions about a healthy lifestyle and working with a diet and nutrition specialist (dietitian) to choose the right foods may help to improve your symptoms.

What are tips for following this plan?

General guidelines

• Do not eat more than 2,300 mg of salt (sodium) a day. The amount of sodium that is recommended for you may be lower, depending on your condition.
• Maintain a healthy body weight as directed. Ask your health care provider what a healthy weight is for you.
  • Check your weight every day.
  • Work with your health care provider and dietitian to make a plan that is right for you to lose weight or maintain your current weight.
• Limit how much fluid you drink. Ask your health care provider or dietitian how much fluid you can have each day.
• Limit or avoid alcohol as told by your health care provider or dietitian.

Reading food labels

• Check food labels for the amount of sodium per serving. Choose foods that have less than 140 mg (milligrams) of sodium in each serving.
• Check food labels for the number of calories per serving. This is important if you need to limit your daily calorie intake to lose weight.
• Check food labels for the serving size. If you eat more than one serving, you will be eating more sodium and calories than what is listed on the label.
• Look for foods that are labeled as “sodium-free,” “very low sodium,” or “low sodium.”
  • Foods labeled as “reduced sodium” or “lightly salted” may still have more sodium than what is recommended for you.

Cooking

• Avoid adding salt when cooking. Ask your health care provider or dietitian before using salt substitutes.
• Season food with salt-free seasonings, spices, or herbs. Check the label of seasoning mixes to make sure they do not contain salt.
• Cook with heart-healthy oils, such as olive, canola, soybean, or sunflower oil.
• Do not fry foods. Cook foods using low-fat methods, such as baking, boiling, grilling, and broiling.
• Limit unhealthy fats when cooking by:
  • Removing the skin from poultry, such as chicken.
  • Removing all visible fats from meats.
  • Skimming the fat off from stews, soups, and gravies before serving them.

Meal planning

• Limit your intake of:
  • Processed, canned, or pre-packaged foods.
  • Foods that are high in trans fat, such as fried foods.
  • Sweets, desserts, sugary drinks, and other foods with added sugar.
  • Full-fat dairy products, such as whole milk.
• Eat a balanced diet that includes:
  • 4–5 servings of fruit each day and 4–5 servings of vegetables each day. At each meal, try to fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables.
  • Up to 6–8 servings of whole grains each day.
  • Up to 2 servings of lean meat, poultry, or fish each day. One serving of meat is equal to 3 oz. This is about the same size as a deck of cards.
  • 2 servings of low-fat dairy each day.
  • Heart-healthy fats. Healthy fats called omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods such as flaxseed and cold-water fish like sardines, salmon, and mackerel.
• Aim to eat 25–35 g (grams) of fiber a day. Foods that are high in fiber include apples, broccoli, carrots, beans, peas, and whole grains.
• Do not add salt or condiments that contain salt (such as soy sauce) to foods before eating.
• When eating at a restaurant, ask that your food be prepared with less salt or no salt, if possible.
• Try to eat 2 or more vegetarian meals each week.
• Eat more home-cooked food and eat less restaurant, buffet, and fast food.

Recommended foods

The items listed may not be a complete list. Talk with your dietitian about what dietary choices are best for you.

Grains

Bread with less than 80 mg of sodium per slice. Whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, and brown rice. Oats and oatmeal. Barley. Millet. Grits and cream of wheat. Whole-grain and whole-wheat cold cereal.

Vegetables

All fresh vegetables. Vegetables that are frozen without sauce or added salt. Low-sodium or sodium-free canned vegetables.

Fruits

All fresh, frozen, and canned fruits. Dried fruits, such as raisins, prunes, and cranberries.

Meats and other protein foods

Lean cuts of meat. Skinless chicken and turkey. Fish with high omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, sardines, and other cold-water fishes. Eggs. Dried beans, peas, and edamame. Unsalted nuts and nut butters.

Dairy

Low-fat or nonfat (skim) milk and dried milk. Rice milk, soy milk, and almond milk. Low-fat or nonfat yogurt. Small amounts of reduced-sodium block cheese. Low-sodium cottage cheese.

Fats and oils

Olive, canola, soybean, flaxseed, or sunflower oil. Avocado.

Sweets and desserts

Apple sauce. Granola bars. Sugar-free pudding and gelatin. Frozen fruit bars.

Seasoning and other foods

Fresh and dried herbs. Lemon or lime juice. Vinegar. Low-sodium ketchup. Salt-free marinades, salad dressings, sauces, and seasonings.

Foods to avoid

The items listed may not be a complete list. Talk with your dietitian about what dietary choices are best for you.

Grains

Bread with more than 80 mg of sodium per slice. Hot or cold cereal with more than 140 mg sodium per serving. Salted pretzels and crackers. Pre-packaged breadcrumbs. Bagels, croissants, and biscuits.

Vegetables

Canned vegetables. Frozen vegetables with sauce or seasonings. Creamed vegetables. French fries. Onion rings. Pickled vegetables and sauerkraut.

Fruits

Fruits that are dried with sodium-containing preservatives.

Meats and other protein foods

Ribs and chicken wings. Bacon, ham, pepperoni, bologna, salami, and packaged luncheon meats. Hot dogs, bratwurst, and sausage. Canned meat. Smoked meat and fish. Salted nuts and seeds.

Dairy

Whole milk, half-and-half, and cream. Buttermilk. Processed cheese, cheese spreads, and cheese curds. Regular cottage cheese. Feta cheese. Shredded cheese. String cheese.

Fats and oils

Butter, lard, shortening, ghee, and bacon fat. Canned and packaged gravies.

Seasoning and other foods

Onion salt, garlic salt, table salt, and sea salt. Marinades. Regular salad dressings. Relishes, pickles, and olives. Meat flavorings and tenderizers, and bouillon cubes. Horseradish, ketchup, and mustard. Worcestershire sauce. Teriyaki sauce, soy sauce (including reduced sodium). Hot sauce and Tabasco sauce. Steak sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and cocktail sauce. Taco seasonings. Barbecue sauce. Tartar sauce.

Summary

• A heart failure eating plan includes changes that limit your intake of sodium and unhealthy fat, and it may help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Your health care provider may also recommend limiting how much fluid you drink.
• Most people with heart failure should eat no more than 2,300 mg of salt (sodium) a day. The amount of sodium that is recommended for you may be lower, depending on your condition.
• Contact your health care provider or dietitian before making any major changes to your diet.