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February is American Heart Month, a month that helps to serve as a reminder for all that committing to a healthy lifestyle is important, and that making healthy eating choices will lead to a lifetime of good heart health. Healthy eating habits start at home and will help you and your family get on the path of good health and heart disease prevention. Here are a few tips for how you and your family can get started.

• Replace sugary drinks with water. Keep a large pitcher of ice-cold water with lemon in the fridge and serve as a beverage with each meal. Invest in a water filter and get your family into the routine of drinking water with every meal. For more flavor, add fresh fruit to the pitcher.
• Read your labels. It’s important to read nutrition labels and be able to identify problematic ingredients. Nutrition labels are a reliable source of information; learning about food labeling will help you become more food savvy and knowledgeable. Want to learn more? Nutrition label information is available online for free and on the FDA’s website: www.fda.gov.
• Add veggies to your plate. Add a larger portion of vegetables to your plate than protein. Typically, vegetables are just considered sides to a main entree, but you can change that mindset and make vegetables the focus. This is another great way to help your family get into the routine of eating healthy.
• Try a Meatless Monday. Having a Meatless Monday is also a great way to change up the meal routine for your family and help reduce risk of chronic conditions, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Try having a Meatless Monday each week to help your family learn to love eating vegetables.
• Go with whole grain. Whole grains are a great source of dietary fiber that helps in maintaining a healthy weight, as well as lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Whole grains that will be a benefit to your family’s heart health include barley, buckwheat, oats and brown rice.
• Eat fish. Fish such as salmon and herring are great sources of vitamin B12, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. Eating fish twice a week will help aid in heart disease prevention.