Whole Grains for Smart Hearts
You can improve your diet deliciously and easily by adding

whole grains for big health payoffs. Did you know - •Unrefined whole-grain foods contain fiber that can help lower your blood cholesterol - important for preventing heart disease and stroke. •Fiber-rich, whole-grain foods also help you feel full, which may help you manage your weight. •The outer layer of whole grains (removed in processed foods) contains antioxidants, B vitamins, protein, fiber, minerals and healthy fats. So, eating more whole-grain, high-fiber foods every day is smart for you and everyone in your family.

Remember to: •Choose foods such as whole wheat, oats and oatmeal, rye, barley and whole-grain corn. Also include popcorn, brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, bulgur (cracked wheat), millet and triticale. •Choose breads and other foods that list whole grains as the first item in the ingredient list. •Aim for about 25 grams of fiber each day.

- FAMILY FEATURES

Go With the (Whole) Grain!

It's difficult, even for dietitians, to determine how many whole grains are in a food just from reading the ingredient list or the Nutrition Facts panel on the label. That's why the American Heart Association added the whole-grain category to its existing Food Certification Program, making it simple to find and select whole-grain foods in the grocery store.

"This simple, new whole-grains certification mark is an easy and reliable tool consumers can use when shopping for foods that can be a part of a heart-healthy diet, said Penny Kris-Etherton, R.D., Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.

In fact, the heart-check mark is the first third-party symbol that requires a whole-grain product to be at least 51 percent whole grain by weight and meet minimum daily dietary fiber content criteria, as well as be low in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. It's another great way to eat better and decrease the risk of heart disease.

Shop smart. Live well. Look for the heart-check mark!

This simple icon from the American Heart Association takes the guesswork out of heart-healthy shopping. And because it's backed by science, it's reliable.

•Products carrying the heart-check mark have been screened and certified by the American Heart Association to be low in saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over age 2.

•Products high in whole grains may also meet the American Heart Association's criteria for being high in whole grains and fiber, as well as being low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Take it to heart. Make heart-healthy shopping easy. Build a healthy shopping list at heartcheckmark.org. And learn more about reducing cholesterol through healthy lifestyle changes by visiting americanheart.org.