Nutrition

Nutrition after a stroke

There are many risk factors for high blood pressure and stroke including age, race, and family history. Some of the risk factors are factors we can control, including maintaining a healthy weight, limiting sodium and fat intake, regular physical activity, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.

Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise after a stroke is very important.

  • If you have trouble swallowing, you may need softer food and/or thickened liquids.
  • Refer to your speech therapist’s discharge instructions or talk with your physician.

General healthy eating habits

  • Eat 3 to 6 servings of whole-grain, high-fiber breads and cereals daily.
  • Eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, including a variety of fruits and vegetables. Choose fruits and vegetables with a wide variety of colors, including green, white, red, yellow, orange, and purple.
  • Drink 5 to 8 glasses of water a day.
  • Choose a diet low in saturated fat and moderate in total fat. Eat less animal fat. If you eat meat, eat white meat at least four times more often than red meat.
  • Keep foods safe, at the appropriate temperatures, and wash hands and preparation surfaces often.
  • If you’re trying to maintain or lose weight, eat smaller portions. Don’t upsize your meals at fast-food restaurants.
  • Reduce the amount of sugar and other refined carbohydrates in your diet. Drink fewer high-sugar sodas and eat less white bread, junk food, and candy.
  • Choose and prepare foods with less salt, especially if you have any heart problems or a family history of heart disease. Consider the DASH diet.
  • For tips on healthy eating, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Choose My Plate website.

General healthy exercise habits

  • Daily exercise is very important.
  • Ask your rehabilitation team for a home exercise program suitable for your needs after discharge.
  • Your rehabilitation team can help you develop a schedule for your exercise program, set achievable goals and track your progress.
  • Think about coming back for a tune-up with your rehabilitation team every 6 months to a year.

General healthy weight habits

  • Stay at a healthy weight.
  • Your healthcare provider may calculate your body mass index (BMI), a measure of body mass based on your height and weight. A BMI of 25 to 30 means you are overweight, and a BMI over 30 is a sign of obesity.

Avoiding salt

In order to decrease your sodium intake, you need to know where it is coming from. The majority of the salt in our diet comes from processed foods and from eating out in restaurants.

To decrease your overall sodium intake:

  • Avoid foods with greater than 300 mg sodium per serving.
  • Avoid canned, smoked, or pickled foods.
  • Choose lower-sodium cheeses and deli meats.
  • Limit intake of high-sodium snack foods such as chips, pretzels, or salted nuts.
  • Limit intake of high-sodium condiments such as ketchup, salsa, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and salad dressings.
  • Avoid pre-made food mixes such as dried and canned soups, frozen dinners, frozen vegetables in sauces, frozen pizzas, gravy mixes, or mixes for instant cakes, pancakes, or breads.
  • Do not use table salt to season foods. Instead use salt-free seasoning blends and marinades, lemon juice, and herbs to season foods.

Understanding the details

Use the nutrition facts label on foods to make the healthiest choices for your body. Here are some of the major areas of information provided.

  • Serving size: All of the information provided on the label is based off of one serving size.
  • Calories: Calorie needs are based on each individual. Choose foods with enough calories to meet your needs, knowing that excess may lead to weight gain.
  • Saturated and trans fats: These types of fats are considered unhealthy for the heart. Look for foods with less than 3 grams of saturated fat per serving, and try to avoid all trans fats, such as partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oil.
  • Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats: These types of fats are considered heart-healthy. Unsaturated fats do not have to be listed on the nutrition facts label, but are found in oils (except for hydrogenated oil), nuts, avocado, and fatty fish.
  • Sodium: Choose foods with less than 300 mg sodium per serving. Sodium limits may vary based on you and your health care provider’s recommendations, but a good goal is to aim for less than 2,000 mg sodium a day.
  • Total carbohydrate and sugars: People with elevated triglycerides or diabetes should monitor their carbohydrate and sugar intake. Aim for goods with less than 15 grams sugar per serving.
  • Dietary fiber: Adults should aim for 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day. Foods with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving should help you meet this goal. Increase the fiber in your diet slowly while also increasing your water intake.

Food group recommendations after a stroke

Food group recommendations broken out by food group, better choices, and choices to limit or avoid.
Food group Better choices Choices to limit or avoid
Dairy Nonfat or 1 percent milk, low-fat or fat-free cheese, low-fat or fat-free yogurt, hard cheese Whole or 2 percent milk, cream, half and half, cream cheese, sour cream
Meat and protein Lean cuts of beef and pork, skinless poultry, dried beans and peas, nuts and nut butters, egg whites and substitutes Higher-fat cuts, bacon, sausage, salami, bologna, hot dogs, poultry with skin, whole eggs and egg yolks
Fruits and vegetables Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables without added fat or salt; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit; fruit juices Fried fruits and vegetables, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables with sauces, sauerkraut and pickled vegetables, canned or dried soups, French fries, onion rings
Breads and cereals Whole-grain bread and pasta, low-sodium crackers, cooked cereals, brown rice Breads or crackers topped with salt; cereals with more than 300mg sodium/serving; biscuits, cornbread, and other quick breads; high-fat bakery products
Other Olive oil, soft or liquid margarines, vegetable oil spreads, unsalted seeds and nuts, avocado Butter, stick margarine, shortening, tropical oils (coconut, palm), salts, soy sauce

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