When it comes to your heart, what you eat matters. Follow these tips for heart-healthy eating:

• Eat less saturated fat. Cut back on fatty meats and high-fat dairy products. Limit foods like pizza, burgers, and creamy sauces or gravy.
• Cut down on sodium (salt). Read the Nutrition Facts label and choose foods that are lower in sodium. Look for foods labeled “low sodium” or “no salt added” — like some canned soups, canned vegetables, packaged meals, and snack foods.
• Get more fiber. Eat vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains to add fiber to your diet.

Take this list with you the next time you go food shopping.

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits—including options that are fresh, frozen, canned, or dried.

• Fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots
• Leafy greens for salads, like Romaine lettuce, spinach, and kale
• Canned vegetables that are low in sodium
• Frozen vegetables without added butter or sauces, like broccoli or cauliflower
• Fresh fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, pears, and peaches
• Canned, frozen, or dried fruit without added sugars

DAIRY

Look for fat-free or low-fat options.

• Fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
• Fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt
• Fat-free or low-fat cheese or cottage cheese
• Soy milk with added calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D

WHOLE GRAINS

For products with more than 1 ingredient, make sure whole wheat or another whole grain is listed first in the ingredient list. Look for products that say 100% whole grain.

• Whole-grain bread, bagels, English muffins, and tortillas
• Whole-grain hot or cold breakfast cereals with no added sugar, like oatmeal or shredded wheat
• Whole grains like brown or wild rice, quinoa, or oats
• Whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta and couscous

PROTEINS

Choose a variety of foods with protein.

• Seafood — fish and shellfish
• Poultry — chicken or turkey breast without skin, or lean ground chicken or turkey (at least 93% lean)
• Lean meats — like pork shoulder, beef sirloin, or lean ground beef (at least 93% lean)
• Beans, peas, and lentils — like black beans and garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• Eggs
• Unsalted nuts, seeds, and nut butters, like almond or peanut butter
• Tofu

BENEFITS QUESTIONS?

Our benefits and incentives demonstrate to our assignment employees and officers that a long-term working relationship with Lofton can be fulfilling as well as financially satisfying. Contact Lofton Benefits Coordinator if you have any questions or concerns regarding benefits at: benefits@loftonstaffing.com or 225.924.0200.

About Lofton: Founded in 1979, Lofton Services offers clients the best of all worlds. We provide the responsive, personal service and flexibility of a small local firm while having the technology, resources, and infrastructure to deliver the benefits of the biggest players in our industry. Lofton Staffing can deliver the right people, with the right skills, right when you need them. Contact us today.