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Oats have been shown to decrease cholesterol but these other foods also battle heart disease.

In today’s Western society it’s much easier, and not to mention quicker, to spend a few bucks at the McDonald’s across the street than it is to make a satisfying dinner. In a world of Big Macs, KFC and Häagen-Dazs ice cream, who really wants to eat their spinach and celery sticks? As a result, however, our fat-filled diets have brought about an epidemic of heart disease, which has become North America’s No. 1 killer. Fortunately, over the years scientists and nutritionists have studied the foods that are good for the heart, and some of these might come as a surprise. So, here’s a list of the best heart foods that you should include in your diet, and maybe it will help you avoid a trip to the doctor’s.

Oats

Oats belong to a larger category of foods referred to as whole grains. Whole grains contain the entire kernel as opposed to refined grains that have been processed to remove the bran and the germ. While this process allows certain grains to last longer on store shelves, it also removes much of the good stuff like B vitamins, vitamin E, fiber, and antioxidants. Oats, in particular, as found in your morning oatmeal, contain a soluble fiber known as beta-glucan that decreases the total cholesterol in your blood as well as your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is important because it is the LDL or “bad” cholesterol that’s responsible for heart attacks. Some studies that required people’s diets to be supplemented with oat bran showed a decrease in total cholesterol by as much as 18% while others have found a drop in LDL cholesterol by as much as 9%.

Read more: Best Heart Foods

It’s loaded with the stuff needed to help our bodies cope with high stress — and maintain weight.

Spinach is the perfect way to green-up your winter menu. When it’s really cold outside, it’s natural to crave carbs, but if you want to minimize weight gain in the frigid months, consider a Popeye boost.

Unlike many leafy greens, spinach is sweet and easy to use in any recipe, which is why it’s so popular. Last year, the United States Department of Agriculture reported more than 60,000 acres of spinach were harvested. As we move deeper into winter hibernation, we have to get our vegetable intake from wherever possible and spinach is an inexpensive option you can keep in the freezer. I recently discovered an organic, frozen-vegetable company called Green Organic Vegetables Inc. that is available all across Canada.

Read more: One of the health benefits of spinach is it can help you relax

Cream of Asparagus and Spinach Soup: Dairy free, quick and easy, delicious vegetarian soup recipe, lovely as a light supper with artisan bread and hummus, or as the first course of a company dinner.

Read more here: Cream of Asparagus and Spinach Soup

Gross Alert! Fecal Bacteria Found in Bagged Salad Greens-

Even prewashed, nay, triple-washed bags of salad mixes aren’t so clean after all. Consumer Reports tested 208 bags of salad greens from 16 different brands and found that 39 percent of the samples had traces of fecal contamination. Researchers also found that mixes containing spinach had higher levels of bacteria and that greens tested at least six days before their “use by” date had lower levels of contaminants. Luckily, no traces of deadly pathogens like E. coli or salmonella were found. But still, the thought of cow poo on my baby arugula is totally gross.