When it comes to maintaining a healthy heart it's important to have a plan - a heart healthy diet plan that is.

Following is a list of wonderful ingredients to have on hand when you're coming up with a good heart healthy diet plan.

*brown rice *whole wheat pasta *bulgur *couscous *canned beans *chick peas *lentils

A heart healthy diet plan should also consist of fruit and vegetables like

*canned fruit (in light syrup or juice) *canned vegetables to make purées *frozen fruit *frozen vegetables (frozen fruit juice concentrate is ideal for dressings and glazes).

Other things to include in your heart healthy diet are:

*low fat mayonnaise type dressings *evaporated skim milk to substitute for cream *oils - canola, sunflower, olive oil *margarine that is low in saturated fat (soft and non-hydrogenated)

It's also important to keep the following heart healthy cooking tips in mind.

*Allow the fat to run off your meat by grilling and barbecuing. *Instead of frying, steam your food. *Use br

oth or tomato juice to braise your meat. *Always skim off any fat before serving homemade soups and stews. This is done by refrigerating the soup or stew overnight and then skimming before your reheat them. *Keep deep fried foods to a minimum. *Use non-stick frying pans and woks to eliminate the need to add oil. *Trim all visible fat from meats as well as the skin from poultry and fish.

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