Eating Smart

The conventional wisdom about what’s good for you and what’s bad has changed over the years. Here’s what the experts now say:

BUTTER OR MARGARINE?

WHAT WE USED TO THINK Butter packs a heart attack in every teaspoon. Switch to margarine

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW Turning vegetable oil into sticks of margarine makes it just as bad

WHAT TO DO Go for margarine in a tub or squeeze bottle. Or switch to a butter substitute, such as Benecol that can boost good cholesterol

THE SCORE

Benecol [3 hearts] Tub Margarine [2 hearts] Butter [1 heart] Stick Margarine [1 heart]

OTHER DAIRY

Butter is bad because it’s made from saturated-fat-laden cream. But other milk-based products can also threaten the heart. Unless they’re labeled low fat or nonfat, stay away from desserts and other foods that come from milk

SKIM MILK [4 hearts] LOW-FAT MILK [3 hearts] FROZEN YOGURT [2 hearts] WHOLE MILK [1 heart] ICE CREAM [1 black heart]

OFF THE FORBIDDEN LIST

WHAT WE USED TO THINK Eggs are so full of cholesterol they might as well be poison. Stay away

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW Cholesterol in food doesn’t necessarily raise blood-cholesterol levels

WHAT TO DO If you’ve got cholesterol problems, avoid eggs. If not, they are fine in moderation

THE SCORE [2 hearts]

PASS THE SALT

WHAT WE USED TO THINK It will send your blood pressure sky high. Always choose low-sodium foods, and don’t touch the shaker

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW It ain’t necessarily so, unless you’re already prone to high blood pressure

WHAT TO DO A low-sodium diet won’t hurt and may help. But don’t be paranoid about pretzels

THE SCORE [2 hearts]

RED WINE

WHAT WE USED TO THINK Alcohol is bad for you, no exceptions

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW A substance called resveratrol, found in grape skins, may reduce levels of bad cholesterol

WHAT TO DO Alcohol in excess is still bad for you but a glass of wine with dinner is probably fine for nonalcoholics

THE SCORE [2 hearts]

SALMON OR SHRIMP?

WHAT WE USED TO THINK Shrimp is relatively high in cholesterol, so salmon is healthier

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW Cholesterol is a red herring. But salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may actually protect against heart disease

WHAT TO DO Shrimp is O.K. for most people, but salmon is among the best nonvegetarian foods on the market

THE SCORE

Salmon [4 hearts] Shrimp [2 hearts]

OTHER FISH

Salmon has omega-3 acids, and so do plenty of other fish. But not all sea and lake dwellers are equally blessed. A partial rundown:

MACKEREL [3 hearts] AMERICAN EEL [2 hearts] TUNA [2 hearts] ATLANTIC HERRING [2 hearts] NORWEGIAN SARDINES [2 hearts] RAINBOW TROUT [2 hearts] LAKE WHITEFISH [1 heart]

MEAT VS. POULTRY

WHAT WE USED TO THINK Red meat is higher in cholesterol than chicken, so stick with the birds

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW Saturated fat is the real problem. Chicken is still better, especially if you avoid fatty skin and dark meat

WHAT TO DO Order the chicken (but not fried)

THE SCORE

Chicken [2 hearts] Beef [1 heart]

OTHER MEATS

In general, the leaner the meat, the better–and wild game tends to be the leanest

BUFFALO [4 hearts] VENISON [4 hearts] LEAN PORK CHOPS [3 hearts] TURKEY [2 hearts] LAMB [2 hearts] VEAL [2 hearts] HAM [1 heart] BACON [1 heart]

PEANUT BUTTER

WHAT WE USED TO THINK Has lots of protein, so it’s good for you

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW The kind sold in most supermarkets is full of trans-fatty acids, which are bad for the heart

WHAT TO DO Eat “natural” peanut butter, the kind in which the oil rises to the top

THE SCORE [3 hearts]

OTHER NUTS

Nuts are a good-news, bad-news food. The bad news is that they’re full of oils that aren’t great for the heart; the good news is that they contain vitamin E

CASHEWS [2 hearts] ALMONDS [2 hearts] MACADAMIA NUTS [1 heart]

COFFEE OR TEA?

WHAT WE USED TO THINK Coffee raises blood pressure, may cause cardiovascular disease. Tea is harmless

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW Coffee turns out to be pretty harmless too-yet doesn’t provide any benefit either. But black, green and oolong (not herbal) teas are high in flavonoids, which may protect the heart

WHAT TO DO Take a tea break

THE SCORE

Tea [3 hearts] Coffee [1 heart]

OLIVE OIL

WHAT WE USED TO THINK It’s a form of fat, therefore fattening. Avoid it

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW Your body needs some fat, and since it’s mostly monounsaturated, olive oil is easy on cholesterol levels

WHAT TO DO Don’t guzzle the stuff, but it’s fine for cooking and drizzling on salads

THE SCORE [3 hearts]

OTHER OILS

Oils containing poly- or monounsaturated fat (like olive oil) are good; lots of saturated fat is bad

CANOLA OIL [3 hearts] CORN OIL [2 hearts] SUNFLOWER OIL [2 hearts] PALM OIL [black heart]

THE GREENER, THE BETTER

WHAT WE USED TO THINK Iceberg lettuce and romaine are both green, leafy vegetables, so both are good for you

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW Iceberg is barely green. It isn’t bad for you, but it’s hardly more nutritious than water. Romaine and other dark-green leafy vegetables, however, contain flavonoids

WHAT TO DO Try to get a little color into your salad bowl

THE SCORE

Romaine [4 hearts] Iceberg [1 heart]

ONIONS AND GARLIC

WHAT WE USED TO THINK No nutritional value, give bad breath

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW Onions contain flavonoids and garlic has polyphenols, so both could protect your heart

WHAT TO DO Get your date to eat some too

THE SCORE [3 hearts]

OTHER VEGETABLES

The general rule is that dark-green vegetables are good for your heart, pale vegetables are neutral. Orange and red can be good too, in some cases

SPINACH [4 hearts] BROCCOLI [4 hearts] CARROTS [3 hearts] TOMATOES [3 hearts] CELERY [1 heart] CUCUMBERS [1 heart]

SNACKS

WHAT WE USED TO THINK It’s all junk food. Eat fruit, or go without

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW All junk food is not created equal

WHAT TO DO Pretzels are O.K., but avoid sugar-filled fat-free cookies

THE SCORE Fruit [4 hearts] Baked chips [2 hearts] Fat-free pretzels [2 hearts] Fat-free cookies [1 heart]

CEREALS AND GRAINS

WHAT WE USED TO THINK Filling, but they don’t help the heart

WHAT DOCTORS SAY NOW They replace higher-fat foods, and when fortified by B vitamins, they help scour potentially harmful homocysteine from the blood

WHAT TO DO Eat plenty, especially the whole-grain kind; the extra fiber could help stave off colon cancer

THE SCORE [3 hearts]