Fatty dinners, packed with saturated and trans fats, can take a toll on your heart health. Regularly eating these kinds of meals can raise your cholesterol levels, build up plaque in your arteries, and increase your risk of heart disease. It’s a good idea to cut back on some of these unhealthy options, like canned or packaged items, fatty meats, and processed snacks.
We checked in with nutritionist Lisa Richards and Lisa Andrews, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the BodybuildingReviews, to learn about two dinner foods to avoid for better heart health. According to them, canned soups and prime rib are the main culprits. Read on to find out why.
1. Canned soup
Dinner doesn’t get much easier than a can of soup. It’s quick, simple, and cozy to heat up a hearty bowl. However, Richards warns that it can also be bad for your heart.
"Canned soups can potentially be a dangerous dinner option for heart health due to several reasons," she tells us. She notes that many canned soups are loaded with sodium. "Excessive sodium intake can lead to elevated blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular issues," she says. "Canned soups often contain added salt as a preservative or flavor enhancer, contributing to their high sodium content."
While canned items may look healthier due to their broth-like consistency, they can actually contain a lot of unhealthy fats, including saturated and trans fats. "These fats can raise cholesterol levels and promote the development of plaque in the arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease."
In order to extend shelf life, these items can contain added sugars, sodium, and other additives—all of which can cause health complications. Richards says that these additives "can be detrimental to overall heart health and contribute to conditions like obesity and diabetes."
"To make healthier choices, it is advisable to read nutrition labels and choose canned soups that are low in sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars," she suggests. "Alternatively, preparing homemade soups using fresh ingredients allows for better control over the ingredients and can provide a heart-healthy option with less sodium and healthier fats." Got it!
2. Prime rib
While prime rib may be a tempting choice for meat lovers, Andrews cautions against its consumption due to its high fat and cholesterol content. "Prime rib is one of the fattiest cuts of red meat, making it high in both saturated fat and cholesterol," she warns. Say it ain't so!
These saturated fats can raise LDL cholesterol levels and contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Additionally, high dietary cholesterol intake has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Consuming prime rib regularly can therefore significantly increase the risk of artery-clogging and heart-related complications. "If you want steak, go for a lean filet mignon but skip the bacon wrap," Andrews suggests. Noted!
