Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., FAHA, senior scientist and director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Team at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, is chair of the writing group for the American Heart Asociation scientific statement, “2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health”.

copyright American Heart Association 2021

"There's no reason to give up favorite foods or family traditions, or adhere to a heart-healthy diet that you don't really enjoy. There's enough flexibility and enough choices that are available that you can actually customize it to what works for you. In some cases, it can be religious observance, so our cultural background, in some cases, it can be situational, where you are at various times. It's just a matter of putting a little thought in it at the beginning figuring out whether it's a matter of identifying different foods or modifying the foods to make them healthier or being more conscious about how frequently those foods are consumed or what the portion size is. But it should be possible to personalize a heart-healthy diet and very much enjoy it."