When it comes to eating smart for your heart, stop thinking about short-term fixes and simplify life with a straightforward approach that will serve you well for years to come.

Smart eating goes beyond analyzing every bite you lift【C1】_____your mouth. “In the past we used to believe that【C2】__amounts of individual nutrients were the【C3】__to good health,” says Linda Van Horn, chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee. “But now we have a【C4】__understanding of healthy eating and the kinds of food necessary to【C5】__not only heart disease but disease【C6】_____general,” she adds.

Scientists now【C7】_____on the broader picture of the balance of food eaten【C8】__several days or a week 【C9】__than on the number of milligrams of this or that【C10】__t each meal. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains, for example, provide nutrients and plant-based compounds【C11】__for good health. “The more we learn, the more【C12】__we are by the wealth of essential substances they【C13】__,” Van Horn continues, “and how they【C14】_____ with each other to keep us healthy.”

You’ll automatically be【C15】_____the right heart-healthy track if vegetables, fruits and whole grains make 【C16】__three quarters of the food on your dinner plate.【C17】_____in the remaining one quarter with lean meat or chicken, fish or eggs.

The foods you choose to eat as well as those you choose to【C18】_____clearly contribute to your well-being. Without a【C19】__, each of the small decisions you make in this realm can make a big【C20】_____on your health in the years to come.

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