These days, you must be mindful about picking heart-healthy foods when going for a grocery run. Accessing highly processed and unhealthy foods is often easier and more affordable than most realize. Many products lining store shelves aren't good for your heart, so you must do your due diligence and choose foods that support your health.

But how can you ensure you're getting the right foods, and what are AHA heart check marks, anyway? Here are a few tips to follow when shopping.

Start with Fresh Foods

Before you head to the frozen section and snack aisle, stick to the fresh food section. In most stores, fresh produce and whole foods are on the outer aisles. That's where you'll find whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats and other fresh foods that aren't heavily processed.

Stock up on those essentials first. While you don't have to home-cook everything, leaning on fresh foods is the best way to prioritize heart health.

Look for the Heart Check Marks

When you're browsing the grocery aisles, you might see a small heart checkmark. They're on many products, but what are AHA heart check marks?

These symbols indicate products that the American Heart Association recommends for better heart health. The symbol means the product has beneficial nutrients and limited sodium. It also makes it easy to find foods that have less saturated and trans fats.

When you have multiple options, always go for foods with that heart check mark.

Go for Whole Grains

Always go for whole-grain options when picking up sandwich bread or dinner rolls. Avoid anything with "multi-grains" or enriched flour. Whole-grain bread products are chock-full of nutrients and fiber. They can help you lower your cholesterol, manage your blood sugar levels and more.

Read Nutrition Labels

Nutritional labels exist for a reason, but many people ignore them! If you want to shop smart, make a habit of scrutinizing the labels of everything you buy. What should you look for? Aim for products with the lowest amounts of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars.

Author Resource:-

Alester Brown writes about heart health & cholesterol topics. She advises people on the highest quality clinically-proven foods to help lower your cholesterol. You can find her thoughts at heart health blog.