Last week’s National Wear Red Day’s annual movement encouraged all women to look more closely at cardiovascular risk factors. We hear to adopt a healthy heart diet. Why? Eating healthy is one of the best ways to reduce one’s chances of heart disease. The AHA food certification program guides you to the best nutrition choices.
First, what is the Heart-Check food certification program? The AHA strategy gives consumers a straightforward way to identify which items are building blocks for a heart-healthy diet.
Established in 1995, the American Heart Association and food industry leaders collaborated across foodscape systems. Their goal is to create a world of longer, healthier lives through nutrition security for all.
The symbols or heart-check marks make it easy to spot heart-healthy foods in the grocery store. I never knew of the coordinated effort to help people live longer, healthier lives.
What does the Heart-Check mark certification mean? Everything that gets this validation from the AHA has to meet rigorous standards. The goal is to help shoppers find foods that support a heart-healthy diet.
According to the AHA, products with the certification have 92% brand awareness among consumers. Three out of four consumers are likelier to purchase foods featuring a Heart-Check mark.
How does the certification work? Foods submitted for verification must meet rigorous standards in the seven categories covered.
Standard requirements include:
♥ Total fat: less than 6.5 grams
◊ Sodium: A limited amount based on the food category
♥ Cholesterol: 20 mg or less
◊ Saturated (bad) fats: 1 gram or less
♥ Trans fat: Less than 0.5 gram
◊ Whole Grain Content: 51% or more
♥ Naturally occurring beneficial nutrients such as 10% or more of Vitamin A, C, Calcium, Iron, Protein, or dietary fibers.
Remember that not all red hearts you see are from the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark. According to the AHA website, you’ll instantly know the food’s certification. How? You’ll spot the checkmark inside a red heart.
Many restaurants adopted similar symbols to help diners manage calories and nutrition choices. Have you ever noticed the AHA symbols? If yes, do tell me in the comments section.
As always, thank you for reading. Please follow CDC recommendations by wearing masks, social distancing, and not gathering in large groups.
