composite of hot dogs, fries, hamburger, and milk

Choose which foods are healthiest for your heart.

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The Heart-Smart Menu Quiz

Think you know which is best for you? Take the quiz now to find out

AARP

En español

Published February 06, 2018

18 Questions

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What’s worse for your ticker: a hot dog or a hamburger? What’s healthier: a spinach salad or one made from kale? AARP has teamed up with the experts at the American Heart Association to uncover amazingly simple swaps that will boost your health — effortlessly.

Think you know which is best for you? Take the AARP-AHA menu quiz now to find out.

The Heart-Smart Menu Quiz

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 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Avocado toast",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Peanut butter toast",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "While both buoy your consumption of heart-healthy fats, half an avocado has fewer calories and less total saturated and polyunsaturated fats than two tablespoons of peanut butter. And according to the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, avocados also boast more fiber and potassium than PB.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Greek yogurt",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Regular yogurt",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "The good news: Yogurt is great for your heart regardless of your preferred consistency. A 2013 study in Nutrition Research found that yogurt consumption was associated with lower triglyceride and glucose levels, and systolic blood pressure. But Greek yogurt has the added dietary bonus of having almost twice as much protein as its traditional counterpart, plus half the sugar. The AHA recommends choosing plain or low-sugar yogurt varieties over those high in added sugars.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Red wine",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "White wine",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Either",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "This one is easy. Red, right? Right. Maybe. A 2015 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that while moderate red wine consumption did reduce lipid (fat) levels, both red and white wine consumers showed improvement in glucose regulation. But excessive alcohol consumption has been linked to high blood pressure, stroke, obesity and heart failure. If you drink, do so in moderation (no more than one drink a day for women and two for men).\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Chicken",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Fish",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Choosing white meat over red meat is already a step in the right direction when it comes to your heart health. But choosing fish twice a week will provide you with the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids — EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) — that have been associated with an increase in HDL (good) cholesterol, a reduced risk of coronary atherosclerosis, and lower triglyceride levels, blood pressure and heart rate.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Coffee",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Tea",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Both have their advantages, and both are much better choices than sugar-sweetened drinks. A 2010 study in the medical journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, a journal of the American Heart Association, found that heavy black-tea drinkers (six or more cups a day) experienced a 36 percent reduced risk of heart disease when compared with people who drank less than a cup of tea per day. But if you’re a committed java junkie, there’s no reason to ditch your latte just yet. Coffee drinkers who had two to four cups a day also saw a 20 percent decrease in heart disease.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Soup",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Salad",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "While starting your meal with either a broth-based soup or a garden salad has been shown to increase satiety equally — making you less likely to indulge later on in your meal — the raw vegetables in a salad can often have more fiber than their stewed counterparts and contain less sodium. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams per day and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 milligrams per day for most adults.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Hamburger",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Hot dog",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "The official American Heart Association stance on your barbecue menu is that you should try and find a nice grilled chicken breast or lean turkey burger and give your poor heart a break. But AARP knows you’re not always your own grill master. If the menu is limited to old-school classics, you’re better off choosing the burger (a small one). While an average burger does pack a bit more of a caloric punch than a hot dog, it’s also packed with more protein and doesn’t contain those pesky nitrates hot dogs have. Sodium nitrate may increase your risk of heart disease by causing damage to blood vessels.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Potato chips",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "French fries",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "The heart-healthy angel on your shoulder is whispering to skip them both and opt for the baked sweet potato instead (full of fiber, potassium, and A, B and C vitamins) or, better yet, a side salad. But if you’re dining out and the menu has nothing but fried white potatoes to choose from, go with the french fries. A 100-gram serving (about 1/2 cup) of fries will set you back 323 calories, 15 grams of fat and 189 milligrams of sodium, while the same 100-gram serving of chips contains a whopping 532 calories, 34 grams of fat and 527 milligrams of sodium.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Whole milk",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Skim milk",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "While whole milk has made a comeback recently, it’s still a significant source of saturated fat, with one glass delivering almost a quarter of your recommended daily allowance. The American Heart Association recommends limiting animal fat products, including dairy fat, and instead opting for alternatives like plant-based fats.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Diet soda",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Sparkling water",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "While your inclination might be to assume that all calorie-, sugar- and fat-free beverages are fair game, it’s simply not the case. A 10-year study of diet soda drinkers found that frequent imbibers were more likely to experience a stroke or heart attack or to have died from a cardiac-related illness than people who didn’t regularly indulge in artificially sweetened beverages.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Bacon",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Sausage",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "If you’re looking for your ticker’s permission to eat cured breakfast meats, you’re not going to get it. Regular consumption of bacon or sausage can increase your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. But if you’re at brunch and looking for the lesser of two evils, go with the bacon. In a per-slice or per-link comparison, bacon is significantly lower in fat, calories and sodium. (Just go with a small amount.)\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Cake",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Pie",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "It’s dessert — it’s not supposed to be good for you. Your cardiologist would be happier knowing you went to town on the fruit platter than on lemon meringue. But in a comparison between standard-issue chocolate cake and generic apple pie, pie is slightly lighter — with 100 fewer calories, mostly thanks to the lower sugar content.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Pancakes",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Omelet",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Is there anything more indulgent than brunch? It’s two meals in one, so no wonder the portions on those syrup-slathered plates are so big. Based on the nutrition provided by a popular restaurant chain, a three-egg vegetable omelet packed 400 more calories than a traditional buttermilk stack (sans syrup and butter) and three times as much saturated fat. Order the pancakes, skip the butter and go easy on the syrup. If it’s eggs you’re craving, opt for protein-packed egg whites and ask the chef to go easy on the griddle oil.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Strawberries",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Bananas",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "If you’re looking to add a little fruit action to your cereal or smoothie, you can’t really go wrong. But berries get bonus points when it comes to heart health. They’re rich in polyphenols, which are associated with the improvements in LDL (bad) cholesterol oxidation, lipid levels and glucose metabolism. (And, unlike other items in this quiz, you generally can’t have too many fruits and vegetables.)\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Brown rice",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Quinoa",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Congratulations! If you’re debating the benefits of brown rice and quinoa, you’re already pretty excellent at this healthy eating business. Both are better choices for you than white rice or regular pasta, and they're chock-full of fiber and B vitamins. But quinoa is higher in protein, iron and magnesium.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Kale",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Spinach",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Both are great for you — and packed with iron, calcium, vitamins A and C, and folate. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives spinach an 86.43 out of 100 on its nutrient-density score (meaning how many nutrients it packs per calorie), while kale comes in with a still-potent but somewhat lower score of 49.07. (If you’re the competitive type, opt for watercress when you can. It's the most potent plant on the planet, with a score of 100.) But it gets tricky if you’re on blood thinners. All three of these foods are high in vitamin K, which may be problematic with certain blood thinners. Ask your doctor before you binge on these leafy greens.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Dark chocolate",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Milk chocolate",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Either",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Another trick question: A 2017 study out of Denmark found that people who eat a small amount of chocolate each week were at a reduced risk of developing atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat). While some dark chocolate is lower in sugar and higher in heart-healthy flavonoids (look for packages labeled 70 percent cacao or higher), the participants in the study who enjoyed milk chocolate experienced the same reduced risk of A-fib.\n",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which is better for your heart health?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Butter",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Margarine",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "When it comes to spreadable fat and the health of your heart, soft-tub margarine (as long as it is free of hydrogenated vegetable oils, or trans fats) is still recommended over the use of butter or margarine that contains trans fats. Plant-based margarine that contains polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats may even help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol. If you’re aiming to be super heart-healthy, opt for olive oil over a spreadable fat.\n",
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} ]

Quiz Progress

0 Correct

0 Incorrect