Article: Guiltless Carbs For Heart Health Conscious Foodies

What has salt? Part of the struggle we had with cooking for my dad after his heart attack was just knowing what has sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fats in them. We had never tracked that before. It was overwhelming. Do you have the same mental burden? Fear not! Here is a quick list of items that have low sodium and guilt free!

Rice

Ex: White Rice

Key Nutrition Facts (1 cup) - Sodium: ~2mg / Sat Fat: 0.1g/ Cholesterol: 0mg

That's right! Rice has very little sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Pst. This also goes for salt-free crunchy rice cakes too! And it fills you up quite nicely. Eat up!

Pasta Noodles

Ex: Bow Tie Pasta

Key Nutrition Facts (2 oz) - Sodium: ~0mg / Sat Fat: 0g/ Cholesterol: 0mg

Talk about guilt-free. Yes! Most pastas I've seen have very very low sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol. Pick a tasty sauce and have all the pasta you want!

Legumes

Ex: Unsalted Garbanzo Beans

Key Nutrition Facts: Sodium: ~10mg / Sat Fat: 0g/ Cholesterol: 0mg

Look for the "no salt added" or "unsalted" packaging if you're looking for bean cans or you can just soak packaged beans. Black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans. Oh my! Hummus it up!

Oats

Ex: Rolled Oats 

Key Nutrition Facts (1/2 cup): Sodium: ~10mg / Sat Fat: 0g/ Cholesterol: 0mg

Love your rolled oats in the morning? Guess what, so does your heart! Breakfast is saved!

Clear Noodles

Ex: Annie Chun's Pad Thai Noodles

Key Nutrition Facts (2 oz): Sodium: ~0mg / Sat Fat: 0g/ Cholesterol: 0mg

Other Examples:

You have to be a little careful when you're browsing the Asian supermarkets. But I've found that many of the clear noodle varieties seem to have a lot less sodium than the others. I was relieved to hear this since my dad loves noodles (like me)!

---

Footnotes/Disclosures

*The nutritional information provided in recipes on this website are estimates and is for informational purposes only. Actual nutrition facts may vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use, as well as the portion sizes. For accurate nutritional information, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist. Thank you for understanding!

** Some of the links on this blog are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. This is at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products and services that I have personally used and believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for supporting Healthy Heart Foodie!

*** This article was written from the perspective of my own experience with my dad. My dad suffered from heart failure and coronary artery disease requiring bypass surgery. If you suffer from other medical conditions such as diabetes, there may be other considerations.

**** I am not a health-care professional and the information in this website is not meant to be medical advice. Please consult your doctor for medical guidance.

---