Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2024 - 35

FOODSERVICE
MENUS
BY JENNY KINTER
HEART DISEASE REMAINS THE
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH in
the United States, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, with an average of one in
four people dying from heart disease
annually. However, the World Health
Organization estimates that 75 percent
of these deaths could be prevented
with lifestyle management and
updates-including a focus on hearthealthy
nutrition.
Promoting heart health begins with
nutritious foodservice menus, but
that doesn't mean your operation
has to sacrifice taste or wade through
complicated recipes. Evidence-based
nutrition strategies go back to the
basics to offer options that taste great
while encouraging heart health for
residents and patients.
KEEP IT SIMPLE,
SWEETHEART
It sounds so simple because it is:
The American Heart Association
recommends whole grains, fruits,
vegetables, lean protein, legumes, and
low-fat dairy products while limiting
foods high in saturated fats, trans fats,
sodium, and added sugars.
" A heart-healthy diet really gets back
to the basics of nutrition, and even
simple changes to diets and menus
can make a difference in heart health.
This could simply be adding more
vegetables to dishes or choosing a
whole grain bread, " said Lesley Shiery,
MS, RD, a nutrition manager and
registered dietitian in the General
Mills Bell Institute of Health and
Nutrition. The Bell Institute with
General Mills Foodservice recently
hosted an industry webinar on
employing evidence-based nutrition
for heart-healthy foodservice menus.
" When you add in fruits, vegetables,
and whole grains, you are also adding
in fiber since each of these food groups
deliver this important nutrient.
Higher fiber intakes have been shown
to help with maintaining healthy
cholesterol levels and a healthy heart, "
Shiery states.
The recommended fiber intake is 38
grams per day for men and 25 grams
per day for women ages 50 and under,
heart-healthy
EVIDENCE-BASED
NUTRITION FOR
according to the National Academy of
Medicine. For those older than 50, the
recommendations drop to 30 grams a
day for men and 21 grams per day for
women.
Both soluble fiber-which dissolves
in water and can lower blood glucose
and cholesterol levels-and insoluble
fiber-the type that promotes
movement through the digestive
system to prevent constipation-
are beneficial for overall health.
Unfortunately, Americans are only
getting about half of their daily needs
when it comes to heart-healthy fiber.
If foodservice menus are short on fiber,
then beans, vegetables, and high-fiber
whole-grain cereal are all easy-to-add
options for bolstering fiber. Other
key categories to pay attention to for
evidence-based nutrition for heart
health include:
Fats (oils)
While foodservice diets should limit
saturated fats, it's important to
remember that good fats are critical
for a healthy diet.
NUTRITION & F OOD SER VICE EDGE | JULY-AUGUST 2024 35
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2024

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