5 Heart-healthy favorites to love all month long

February is American Heart Month, so we’re sending Valentines to some of the friendliest foods for the heart. Support your cardiovascular health by adding these five foods to your diet this February and all year round. Your heart will thank you.

Beets: Looks like a heart, works for your heart. Beets are rich in nitrates that the body converts to nitric oxide, a compound that helps relax and widen blood vessels for smoother blood flow and healthier blood pressure. Recent research reinforces that diets high in fruits and vegetables like beets can help lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risk, especially in people with hypertension. Eating more fruits and vegetables in general has also been shown to lower blood pressure and improve overall heart and kidney health in long-term studies of adults with high blood pressure. Beets also contain betalains, phytochemicals with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that support cardiovascular function.

Tomatoes: You say tomato, we say “let's eat!” Tomatoes are a wonderful source of lycopene, potassium, flavonoids, and vitamin C – all nutrients that may help keep your ticker ticking. Emerging evidence, including a 2026 umbrella review of systematic studies, shows that tomato-derived lycopene may help lower blood pressure and modestly improve overall cardiovascular risk, with benefits seen at typical dietary intakes equivalent to one or two raw tomatoes per day. Try our recipe for Shakshuka, a spicy tomato sauce with poached egg whites, which uses tomato paste, possibly the most bioavailable source of lycopene in the diet.

Apples: Could an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Newer research suggests it might genuinely help your heart. A 2022 systematic review found that apples and apple-derived products can improve several cardiovascular risk factors, with the most consistent benefits showing up in cholesterol-related markers. Apples also provide soluble fiber (like pectin) plus polyphenols such as quercetin, a combination linked with better LDL management and healthier blood vessel function.

Cocoa:  No wonder Valentine's Day and chocolate go hand in hand. Cocoa is packed with heart-healthy antioxidants like catechin and epicatechin and also contains a little fiber. According to findings from a large 2022 clinical trial, cocoa flavanols may support cardiovascular health by helping improve blood vessel function and reducing the risk of certain cardiovascular outcomes. Choose dark chocolate varieties with at least 70% cocoa to treat your heart decadently right.

Strawberries: Strawberries aren’t just sweet — they’re packed with vitamin C, manganese, fiber, and heart-supportive antioxidants. Recent research, shows that regular strawberry consumption may help lower LDL cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and improve markers of cardiometabolic health linked with a reduced risk of heart disease. Dark chocolate-covered strawberries, anyone?

Published February 1st, 2026