The American Heart Association Certified Check: The American Heart Association is a private organization that is a great resource for information about heart health. Their team independently reviews food products and provides a heart-healthy check if they meet their standards. The standards vary by food (i.e. grains have different standards than meats), but if it has a check, the food is one that the American Heart Association has classified as a good choice. 

The Whole Grain Council is another independent organization that promotes foods with whole grains through its whole grain stamp program. While each stamp has a similar design, individual stamps vary by product with the percentage of whole grains and the grams per serving. Look for products that are made with 100% whole grains for the most nutrition. Other products that are “made with” whole grains can still be good choices, but they likely have some refined flours in the product as well as whole grains.

High fiber claims may come in a variety of forms (there isn’t a standard logo) and may use different phrasing such as “High fiber” or “Good source of fiber.” To be a high-fiber food, foods must contain 20% of the daily value of fiber or 5g of fiber per serving. To be a “good source of fiber,” foods must contain 10% of your daily fiber goal or 2.5g of fiber per serving. Fiber may be naturally occurring added to a product.

“No salt” or “No salt added” claims may also come in a variety of forms. Products that do not have added salt during processing can be great choices for heart health. Other salt-related claims that you might see are “low-sodium” or “reduced sodium.” “Low sodium” foods have less than 5% of the daily value of sodium (140 mg). “Reduced Sodium” foods have at least 25% less sodium than the original product, but these foods may still be high in sodium.

No Label. Fruits and vegetables are among the healthiest foods for heart health. Even though they don’t come with a label, aim for several servings of these foods (with little salt, saturated fat, or sugar added) each day.