Grocery shopping and label reading can be overwhelming, especially if you are making food selections as a result of serious disease like heart disease. Eating heart healthy is not really hard, but for someone who has never paid attention to food choices or the health implications of eating, it can seem overwhelming.

Fortunately, the American Heart Association has developed and revised a Heart-Check Mark symbol. There are specific guidelines a food must meet to qualify for the Heart-Check Mark symbol and those guidelines are continually being updated. Click here for specific information on guidelines.

There are many heart-healthy foods that do not have the Heart-Check Mark. In making healthful choices, it is always a good idea to evaluate the entire food and focus on produce and unprocessed foods. Click here for a more detailed description of a heart-healthy diet.

Bottom line: The Heart-Check Mark symbol is a good first step in evaluating a food product. It is not the only way to evaluate food, but certainly a good place to start when choosing heart-healthy foods at the store.

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