Heart Healthy Snacks for World Heart Day

Your heart is the strongest muscle in your body. By age 70, it will have beaten 2.5 billion times. It needs a lot more than love to survive and thrive. Each September, World Heart Day reminds us that habitual risk factors like eating an unhealthy diet, smoking and lack of exercise can put our hearts at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). While genetics and pre-existing conditions like hypertension can affect our heart health, a healthy diet and lifestyle are the best weapons against CVD.

Fortunately, our diet is something we can control. Heart healthy eating habits are especially important when it comes to snacking, as we tend to overeat when on-the-go or under stress. The American Heart Association recommends eating an overall healthy diet with an emphasis on:

• A variety of fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Low-fat dairy products
• Poultry and fish (without skin)
• Nuts and legumes
• Heart healthy oils like olive and avocado
• Limited amounts of red meat, added sugars, saturated fat, trans fat and sodium

With our on-the-go lifestyles, it can be challenging to eat healthy at work. If your only option is vending machine snacks, you may be in luck. Healthy vending machines offer a convenient way to manage heart health at work when it comes to choosing heart healthy snacks. With more than 2,500 healthy vending snacks, drinks and meals to choose from, Healthy YOU Vending is committed to making healthier choices more convenient and readily available to everyone.

So, what are some heart healthy snacks you can choose from a healthy vending machine?

• Oatmeal
• Dark chocolate
• Apple chips
• Coconut chips
• Dried fruit like raisins and apricots
• Nuts and seeds
• Almond butter
• Dried chickpeas
• Whole grain crackers
• Canned tuna or chicken in water

Take a peek at some of our recommendations for vending-ready, healthy snacks. Always check nutrition labels and consult with your healthcare professional to make the best choices for your optimum health.

On World Heart Day, and every day, make heart healthy snack choices as part of an overall healthier eating and lifestyle plan. We don’t hesitate to use our heart to connect with others. What are you doing to make your heart work for you?

Healthy YOU Vending has set the trend in the healthy vending industry for more than 20 years. Learn more about why Healthy YOU Vending machine snacks can be better-for-you choices, and how to get a healthy vending machine placed at your location.