Superfoods for Your Heart

James Worrell

This fruit, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, has proven heart-health benefits. "It has monounsaturated fats and also a decent amount of soluble fiber—half an avocado supplies about 7 grams of fiber," says Joy Bauer, R.D., author of Food Cures: Treat Common Health Concerns, Look Younger & Live Longer (Rodale Press). It's especially valuable for the type of monounsaturated fat it contains: cholesterol-lowering oleic acid, the same one found in olive oil. Avocados also have potassium, a mineral that helps blunt the spike in blood pressure that sodium triggers.

• Mash an avocado into guacamole.
• Top black bean soup with a few avocado slices.
• Make a Southwest turkey burger with avocado and salsa.