Our four-part series on heart health and organic living concludes with a more thorough explanation of the heart-check mark (see illustration, right).
When shopping for organic foods, start looking for the heart-check symbol on everything from meat and poultry to whole-grain cereals and canned goods like chopped organic tomatoes. All products bearing the mark meet the American Heart Association’s nutrition criteria per standard serving size. Specifically, this means a serving of the product:
- Is low in fat (less than or equal to 3 g)
- Is low in saturated fat (less than or equal to 1 g)
- Is low in cholesterol (less than or equal to 20 mg)
- Is moderate in sodium (less than or equal to 480 mg for individual foods)
- Contains at least 10% of the recommended daily value for one or more of these naturally occurring nutrients: protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber
Note: Seafood, game meat, meat and poultry, as well as whole-grain products, main dishes and meals, must meet additional nutritional requirements.
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