American Heart Association Donate Local Info Languages Careers ____________________ (Submit) Search header_tabbox_top2 Get Your Local Info usmap Find out what is happening at your local American Heart area ____________________ Go Search by State ____________________ header_tabbox_top header_tabbox_top2 SELECT YOUR LANGUAGE mx Español cn 简体中文 cn 繁体中文 vn Tiếng Việt header_tabbox_top * Getting Healthy * Conditions * Healthcare / Research * Caregiver * Educator * CPR & ECC * Shop * Causes * Advocate * Giving * News * Nutrition Center Healthy Diet Goals 1. Suggested Servings from Each Food Group 2. Dictionary of Nutrition 3. Frequently Asked Questions About Nutrition 4. Nutrition Quizzes 5. Industry Nutrition Advisory Panel (INAP) Heart-Smart Shopping 1. Grocery Shopping 2. Reading Food Nutrition Labels 3. Heart-Check Mark 4. Grocery List Builder 5. Heart-Check Mark Nutritional Criteria Healthy Cooking 1. Healthier Preparation Methods for Cooking 2. Healthy Snacking 3. Smart Substitutions 4. Summer Barbeque Tips Recipes 1. Welcome to Delicious Decisions 2. Soups, Salads and Side Dishes 3. Snacks and Appetizers 4. Main Dishes 5. Desserts and Sweets Dining Out 1. Choosing a Restaurant 2. Talking with Your Server 3. Deciphering the Menu 4. Ordering Your Meal 5. Eating Fast Food 6. Tips by Cuisine Cookbooks and Health Guides 1. Special Diet Cookbooks 2. General Cookbooks 3. Healthy Lifestyle Guides * Physical Activity Getting Active * Healthier Kids Our Programs How to Make a Healthy Home 1. Heart Healthy Holiday Gifts 2. Help Children Develop Healthy Habits 3. Make Fast Food Friendlier 4. Healthy Foods Under $1 5. Healthy Post-Play Snacks 6. Tips for Dealing With a Picky Eater 7. Take Control of Portion Sizes 8. Limit Tube Time and Get Your Kids Moving 9. Get Non-Athletes to be Physically Active See More Activities for Kids 1. My Family Health Tree 2. Healthy Challenge Scavenger Hunt 3. Happy, Healthy Eating 4. Make the Most of Play 5. 5 Ways that Play can Change your Day * Weight Management Body Mass Index (BMI) 1. BMI in Children Losing Weight 1. Welcome to the No-Fad Diet Obesity 1. Childhood Obesity 2. Obesity - Stroke Connection * Stress Management How Does Stress Affect You? Fight Stress With Healthy Habits Take Action to Control Stress Four Ways to Deal With Stress * Fats & Oils Fats 101 1. Saturated Fats 2. Trans Fats 3. Trans Fats News 4. A History of Trans Fat 5. Trans Fat Conference 6. Monounsaturated Fats 7. Polyunsaturated Fats 8. Cholesterol Q & A 9. Levels of Cholesterol Meet the Fats 1. The Bad Fats Brothers 2. Meet Sat 3. Meet Trans 4. Bad Fats Brothers' Menu 5. Bad Fats Brothers' Downloads 6. The Better Fats Sisters 7. Meet Mon 8. Meet Poly 9. Better Fats Sisters' Menu See More The Dish with Dr. Eckel 1. The Dish: Go from Bad to Better 2. The Dish: Get the Big Fat Picture 3. The Dish: Phasing Out Trans Fat in New York City 4. The Dish: "Trans Fat-Free" Doesn't Mean Healthy 5. The Dish: Dig In for Better Dining Out 6. The Dish: Live Fat-Sensibly This Summer 7. The Dish: Making the Change to a Heart-Healthy Life 8. The Dish: Artificial or Natural? Taking in Trans Fats 9. The Dish: Personal Daily Calorie and Fat Limits See More Face the Fats Restaurant Resources 1. Restaurant Operating Tips 2. Frying without Trans Fat 3. Prepared Foods & Mixes without Trans Fat 4. Baking without Trans Fat 5. 0 Grams Trans Fat Oils and Fats 6. Restaurant FAQs 7. Other Restaurant Resources * Quit Smoking Quitting Smoking Your Non-Smoking Life Urges Quitting Resources Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids * | More * Updated:Tue, 7 Sep 2010 10:24:00 PM Nutrition - Fish + Omega-3 Words (spot) Fish is a good source of protein and, unlike fatty meat products, it’s not high in saturated fat. Fish is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart of healthy people, and those at high risk of — or who have — cardiovascular disease. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids decrease risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), which can lead to sudden death. Omega-3 fatty acids also decrease triglyceride levels, slow growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and lower blood pressure (slightly). Nutrition - At Least Twice a Week (spot) Go fish The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times (two servings) a week. Each serving is 3.5 ounce cooked, or about ¾ cup of flaked fish. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Increasing omega-3 fatty acid consumption through foods is preferable. However, those with coronary artery disease, may not get enough omega-3 by diet alone. These people may want to talk to their doctor about supplements. And for those with high triglycerides, even larger doses could help. Patients taking more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids from capsules should do so only under a physician’s care. High intakes could cause excessive bleeding in some people. Check out Fish 101 for specific consumption recommendations. Eating fish, is there a catch? Some types of fish may contain high levels of mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxins and other environmental contaminants. Levels of these substances are generally highest in older, larger, predatory fish and marine mammals. The benefits and risks of eating fish vary depending on a person’s stage of life. * Children and pregnant women are advised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to avoid eating those fish with the potential for the highest level of mercury contamination (e.g., shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish); to eat up to 12 ounces (two average meals) per week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury (e.g., canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, catfish); and check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in local lakes, rivers and coastal areas. * For middle-aged and older men and postmenopausal women, the benefits of fish consumption far outweigh the potential risks when the amount of fish are eaten is within the recommendations established by the FDA and Environmental Protection Agency. * Eating a variety of fish will help minimize any potentially adverse effects due to environmental pollutants. Five of the most commonly eaten fish or shellfish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. Avoid eating shark, swordfish, king Mackerel, or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury. Check out Fish 101 for amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and mercury levels for the top 10 fish and shellfish in the United States. Also check out frequently asked questions by consumers. Tips for Cooking Fish Nutrition - Recipe Trout with Salsa (spot) * Enjoy fish baked or grilled, not fried. * Choose low-sodium, low-fat seasonings such as spices, herbs, lemon juice and other flavorings in cooking and at the table. * Try these flavorful fish recipes: Spring Greens with Salmon and Apricot-Ginger Vinaigrette Trout with Skillet-Roasted Peppers Cumin-Rubbed Salmon Salmon and Corn Chowder Detailed Research AHA Scientific Statements: Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease Healthy Diet Goals A. Suggested Servings from Each Food Group B. Dictionary of Nutrition C. Frequently Asked Questions About Nutrition D. Nutrition Quizzes E. Industry Nutrition Advisory Panel (INAP) Fish and Omega-3? Fish and Omega-3 are an important part of a heart-healthy diet. Want to know why? Learn more. Types of Fats Fats - Fats 101 (640 header with words) Do you know evreything you need to know about fats and oils? Check out: + Saturated Fats + Trans Fats + Monounsaturated Fats + Polyunsaturated Fats Nutrition Center Nutrition - Nutrition Center (red/black logo) Go directly to the section of interest. Nutrition - Healthy Diet Goals (icon+words) Nutrition - Heart-Smart Shopping (icon+words) Nutrition - Healthy Cooking (icon+words) Nutrition - Recipes (icon+words) Nutrition - Dining Out (icon+words) Nutrition - Cookbooks (icon+words) Rate This Article Poor Fair Good Very good Excellent! Thank You - Your feedback has been logged. + Popular Articles + Most Viewed A. 1 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings B. 2 Warning Signs of Heart Failure C. 3 What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean D. 4 Grocery Shopping E. 5 Cooking for Lower Cholesterol F. 6 CPR Statistics G. 7 Low Blood Pressure H. 8 Why Cholesterol Matters I. 9 Fats 101 J. 10 Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers A. 1 CPR B. 2 What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean C. 3 911 - Warnings Signs of a Heart Attack D. 4 Find a CPR Class E. 5 Good vs. Bad Cholesterol F. 6 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings G. 7 Healthcare / Research H. 8 High Blood Pressure I. 9 Getting Healthy J. 10 Educator