Your Heart-Healthy Grocery Shopping List

Pantry Essentials continued...

Condiments: Watch out for high amounts of salt in condiments and sauces -- even small amounts add up fast.

• Barbecue sauce
• Ketchup, reduced-sodium
• Mayonnaise, reduced-fat or nonfat
• Mustards: whole grain, honey, Dijon, yellow
• Soy sauce, reduced-sodium
• Vinegars: rice, red wine, balsamic, apple cider, raspberry. These make delicious salad dressings.

Fats, Cooking Oils: Cut down on butter in your cooking. Instead, use healthy oils -- like olive and canola oil.

• Margarine, trans-fat-free
• Nonfat cooking sprays 
• Nonhydrogenated shortening  
• Oils, olive and canola
• Replacements for fat when baking, such as applesauce, fruit puree, or yogurt 
• Salad dressings, reduced-fat or nonfat

Snacks: Stock your pantry with nuts, dried fruit, and whole wheat products for snacks and meals.

• Nuts and seeds, assorted raw (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds)
• Breads, tortillas, pitas, whole-grain
• Crackers, whole-grain, trans-fat-free
• Dried fruits
• Popcorn cakes or brown rice cakes
• Popcorn, plain or light microwave
• Pretzels, whole-grain
• Tortilla chips, baked, trans-fat-free

Spices vs. Salt: Throw away your salt shaker -- salt drives up your blood pressure. Instead, add flavor with zesty spices and herbs.

Sweeteners: Cut down on sugar. It's full of calories that will pack on pounds. Instead, satisfy your sweet tooth with healthier options -- although the less you use of any sweeteners, the better.

• Brown rice syrup for a sweetening alternative in baking
• Honey (in moderation)
• Sugar-free or "light" maple syrups