Sarah Di Lorenzo: Put your heart into choosing healthy foods, and what you should never put on your plate

Heart disease remains Australia’s leading cause of death in Australia and yet so much of the risk is sitting on our plates and is entirely within our control. What really needs to be understood is what ultra-processed foods are actually doing to your heart, and which everyday foods will, instead, genuinely protect it.

I want to share some interesting facts with you. The classic heart attack, an acute myocardial infarction, was so rare in the early 1900s that when it was first properly described in 1912 by American cardiologist James Herrick, most doctors dismissed his findings.

So many things have changed since then — the popularity of refined sugar exploded, refined flour replaced whole grains, meal patterns changed where home cooking declined, more takeaway and bigger portion sizes grew, and people shifted from fresh local seasonal food to shelf stable industrialised food supply and ultra-processed foods. Plus, around the 1950s tobacco-use surged.

Ultra-processed foods are a big part of the problem. There was a major European Society of Cardiology statement published this year in the European Heart Journal that warned that people who eat the most ultra-processed foods face significantly higher risks of heart disease, irregular heart rhythms, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even cardiovascular death.

There was also research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 2026 Annual Scientific Session, drawn from a major US atherosclerosis study, which found ultra-processed food consumption was linked to a significantly increased risk of serious heart problems and the effect held regardless of overall calorie intake.

Separately, a large US population study published in The American Journal of Medicine this year found adults with the highest intake of ultra-processed foods had a 47 per cent higher risk of heart attack or stroke, with results holding even after accounting for age, smoking and income.

Why? It’s more than just sugar, salt and fat. As one Asia-Pacific cardiology researcher explained, ultra-processed foods are characterised by high sugar, high salt, and other non-nutritive components, exhibiting low nutritional density yet high caloric content and this is a combination that drives inflammation, raises blood pressure, and pushes cholesterol in the wrong direction all at once.

Even more concerning, research from the American College of Cardiology found ultra-processed foods may contribute to cardiovascular risk through mechanisms beyond excess calories or poor overall diet quality — so this means it’s not simply about swapping to a “lighter” packaged product.

Practically, this definition covers sugary drinks, packaged snacks, processed deli meats, flavoured cereals, instant noodles, and most shelf-stable ready meals.

A good rule to live by is if the ingredients list reads like a science experiment, your heart doesn’t want it. My advice isn’t perfection, it is reduction. Start to embrace cooking more meals at home from whole ingredients, even simple ones, this really does measurably shifts your risk.

OILY FISH

Foods that protect your heart include oily fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel that supply omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation and support healthy triglyceride levels. My recommendation is to aim for two to three servings a week.

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Extra virgin olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, is consistently linked to lower cardiovascular risk thanks to its monounsaturated fats and polyphenols. Aim for a minimum of two tablespoons per day, cover your meals, add to smoothies or you could even just have an olive oil shot if you were up for it.

LEAFY GREENS

Load up on leafy greens, try to have 3 cups per day, eat half a cup of berries daily and lots of colourful vegetables for their fibre and antioxidant content, which supports healthy blood vessels and stable blood pressure.

LEGUMES

Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, and beans really are heart health powerhouses, delivering fibre and plant protein while helping lower LDL cholesterol, plus they are so affordable and versatile. One of my easy hacks is to add half a cup to my salads at lunch.

NUTS

Nuts, particularly walnuts and almonds, around 30 grams a day, are linked to improved HDL-to-LDL ratios.

STAPLES

And don’t underestimate garlic, oats, and whole grains, all of which support healthy cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar through different mechanisms. Stable blood sugar matters enormously for long-term heart health. Always make sure you are getting your blood tests done annually to stay on top of your health.

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight, just start making swaps. Start with swapping bottled dressing for homemade olive oil and vinegar.

Choose rolled oats over instant. Roast your own chicken instead of buying processed deli meat, and add real fruit to plain yoghurt rather than reaching for the sweetened tub. Change the size of your plate, start cooking at home more, snack on fruit and nuts plus start exercising — even just walking daily for 30 minutes.

These small, repeatable swaps compound over months and years into meaningfully lower cardiovascular risk.

Your heart doesn’t need a perfect diet. It needs consistency, real food, and fewer products designed in a lab rather than a kitchen.