Nuts

Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet may be good for your heart. Nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients. And they're a great snack food — inexpensive, easy to store and easy to pack when you're on the go.

Research suggests that eating nuts may:

• Lower your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which play a major role in the buildup of deposits called plaques in your arteries
• Improve the health of the lining of your arteries
• Lower levels of inflammation linked to heart disease
• Reduce the risk of developing blood clots, which can lead to a heart attack and death