What foods should I avoid on the BHF diet for a healthier heart?

December 10, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the British Heart Foundation, over 7.6 million people in the UK live with a heart or circulatory disease. Adopting a heart-healthy diet is one of the most effective ways to lower your risk, which means knowing which foods to avoid or significantly limit.

Quick Summary

To maintain a heart-healthy diet, it is crucial to significantly limit processed meats, high-fat dairy, and sugary foods, focusing instead on whole foods and unsaturated fats.

Key Points

Limit Saturated Fats: Restrict fatty meats, full-fat dairy, and tropical oils to reduce LDL ('bad') cholesterol levels.
Reduce Sodium: Avoid adding salt to meals and check food labels for high sodium levels, which can lead to high blood pressure.
Cut Added Sugar: Minimize sugary drinks, sweets, and pastries to help maintain a healthy weight and reduce heart disease risk.
Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods: Choose fresh, whole foods over packaged items that are typically high in unhealthy additives.
Prioritize Healthy Swaps: Replace unhealthy items with heart-friendly alternatives like lean protein, low-fat dairy, and healthy unsaturated oils.
Read Food Labels: Use the traffic light labels on food packaging to quickly identify products high in fat, sugar, and salt.
Practice Moderation: The goal is balance, not complete elimination; small, consistent changes are key to long-term heart health.

Understanding the BHF's Heart-Healthy Approach

The BHF diet emphasizes a balanced eating pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, while crucially limiting foods that can negatively impact heart health, particularly those high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. This isn't about completely cutting out everything, but rather about rebalancing your plate and making smarter choices more often. Foods to avoid or significantly limit are typically highly processed or contain high levels of these unhealthy components.

The Enemies of Heart Health: Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are a major focus for reduction on the BHF diet because they can raise LDL ('bad') cholesterol levels, contributing to atherosclerosis, or the hardening and narrowing of arteries. This increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The primary sources to cut back on include:

Processed and fatty meats: This includes sausages, bacon, salami, pâtés, and fatty cuts of red meat like beef and lamb. Aim to reduce your intake of these and choose lean protein sources instead.
High-fat dairy products: Butter, cream, full-fat milk, and hard cheeses are significant sources of saturated fat. Opt for lower-fat versions or plant-based alternatives.
Certain tropical oils: Coconut oil and palm oil are both high in saturated fat. While they are plant-based, they are not heart-healthy options for daily cooking and should be used sparingly.
Baked goods and pastries: Many cakes, biscuits, and pastries are made with butter or palm oil, making them high in saturated fat.

Salt, Sugar, and Ultra-Processed Foods

Beyond saturated fat, the BHF diet highlights other key areas for reduction:

High-sodium products: Excessive salt intake can lead to high blood pressure, a significant risk factor for heart disease. Most of the salt we consume is already in pre-packaged foods. Items to watch out for include soups, bread, canned goods in brine, and salty snacks like crisps. A key tactic is to use herbs and spices for flavour instead of salt.
Foods and drinks with added sugar: Sugary foods and drinks contribute to weight gain, which increases the risk of heart and circulatory diseases. Free sugars are added to many everyday products, including flavoured yoghurts, breakfast cereals, sweets, cakes, and sugary drinks.
Ultra-processed foods: These are typically low in nutrients and high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. Examples include mass-produced bread, ice cream, many ready meals, and fast food. The BHF advises choosing minimally processed foods and cooking more at home to control ingredients.

Comparison Table: Foods to Limit vs. Heart-Healthy Swaps


Food to Limit	Heart-Healthy Swap	Reason for Swap
Sausages and Bacon	Lean chicken breast, fish, beans, lentils	Lower in saturated fat and sodium.
Full-fat milk and cream	Skimmed, 1%, or unsweetened plant-based milk	Significantly reduces saturated fat intake.
Butter and Ghee	Olive oil, rapeseed oil, or sunflower oil spread	Contains healthier unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats.
Salty crisps	Unsalted nuts, plain popcorn, or vegetable sticks	Eliminates excess sodium and provides healthy fats/fibre.
Sugary soft drinks	Water, sugar-free drinks, or herbal tea	Cuts down on empty calories and free sugars.
Cakes and biscuits	Fresh fruit, wholegrain oatcakes	Offers vitamins, fibre, and natural sweetness instead of added sugar.
Fatty red meat	Leaner cuts of red meat (max 70g daily)	Moderation is key to reduce saturated fat.

How to Make Lasting Changes

Changing your diet can be a gradual process. The BHF recommends a series of small, sustainable changes rather than a complete, sudden overhaul. This might involve swapping one sugary snack for a piece of fruit or replacing high-fat mince with a leaner alternative. Focusing on these small victories can help build momentum and create new, healthier habits for life. Reading and understanding food labels is also a powerful tool. The 'traffic light' system can help you quickly identify foods that are high (red), medium (amber), or low (green) in fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt, making healthier choices easier.

Conclusion

Avoiding certain foods high in saturated fat, salt, and added sugar is fundamental to the BHF's diet guidelines for heart health. By consciously reducing your intake of processed meats, high-fat dairy, sugary drinks, and ultra-processed snacks, you can make a profound positive impact on your cardiovascular well-being. The key is balance, moderation, and making informed swaps, prioritizing whole, unprocessed foods. These small, consistent changes build over time to offer long-term protection for your heart and overall health. For further guidance and heart-healthy recipes, consider consulting the official British Heart Foundation resources.

Note: This article provides general dietary information based on BHF guidelines. Always consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, red meat is acceptable in moderation. The BHF recommends limiting red and processed meat intake to no more than 70g per day and choosing leaner cuts when possible.

No, you should not avoid all fats. The focus is on reducing saturated and trans fats while incorporating healthy unsaturated fats from sources like olive oil, nuts, and oily fish.

Eggs are generally fine as part of a heart-healthy diet. Research shows that dietary cholesterol has a minimal impact on blood cholesterol levels for most people. It's more important to focus on reducing saturated fat.

Opt for skimmed, 1%, or semi-skimmed milk over full-fat versions to reduce saturated fat intake. Unsweetened, calcium-fortified plant-based milks are also good options.

To reduce salt, use herbs, spices, lemon juice, or vinegar for flavour instead of salt. Check food labels for high sodium content in packaged foods and reduce your intake of processed items.

The BHF recommends limiting or reducing alcohol consumption, not necessarily forbidding it entirely. Drinking less alcohol can help your liver remove bad cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.

Not all processed foods are equally unhealthy. The key is to limit ultra-processed foods (like sweets, fried foods, and sausages), which are high in fat, salt, and sugar. Minimally processed foods like wholemeal bread and plain yoghurt are still recommended.

Not always. Some manufacturers may replace fat with high levels of sugar, salt, or additives to maintain flavour. It is important to read labels and compare ingredients to ensure you are making a genuinely healthier choice.