Absolutely. If you’re looking for foods that can support healthy circulation and cardiovascular health, the strongest evidence favors an overall eating pattern rather than one “miracle” food. The American Heart Association’s updated 2026 guidance emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy proteins, unsaturated fats, minimally processed foods, and lower sodium and added sugar.
At 98, however, nutrition has an additional priority: you want enough protein, calories, fluids, vitamins, and minerals to maintain muscle and strength—not simply to restrict foods. Your individual needs can also be affected by medications and conditions such as kidney or heart disease.
1. Leafy green vegetables 🥬
Examples:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Collard greens
- Swiss chard
- Romaine lettuce
- Broccoli
These provide fiber, potassium, folate, magnesium, and other plant compounds that fit very well into a cardiovascular-friendly diet.
Try them cooked with a little olive oil, added to soup, or mixed into eggs.
2. Berries 🫐
Examples:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
Berries provide fiber and polyphenols while being naturally low in sodium and saturated fat. They make an excellent addition to breakfast or a snack.
A simple combination is berries + plain yogurt + a small handful of walnuts.
3. Oats and other whole grains 🌾
Examples:
- Oatmeal
- Barley
- Brown rice
- Whole-grain bread
- Quinoa
Whole grains provide dietary fiber, which can help support healthy cholesterol levels and overall cardiovascular health. The AHA specifically recommends choosing foods made mostly from whole grains rather than refined grains.
For breakfast, oatmeal topped with berries and walnuts is an especially heart-friendly combination.
4. Beans and lentils 🫘
Examples:
- Lentils
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Kidney beans
- Navy beans
These provide fiber and plant protein and can be used instead of some higher-saturated-fat meats.
For someone who is 98, soft preparations such as lentil soup, bean soup, or hummus can also be easier to eat.
The AHA’s 2026 guidance specifically highlights legumes—including beans, peas and lentils—as healthy protein sources.
5. Fatty fish 🐟
Examples:
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Trout
- Mackerel
These fish provide omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Fish is commonly included in Mediterranean-style cardiovascular diets, which emphasize healthy plant foods and lean protein.
A practical goal is to include fish regularly rather than relying on supplements.
6. Walnuts and other nuts 🌰
Examples:
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Pistachios
- Pecans
Nuts provide unsaturated fats, protein, fiber and minerals. The important point is portion size because nuts are calorie-dense.
A small handful of unsalted nuts is generally a better choice than salted nuts.
7. Extra-virgin olive oil 🫒
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat. Replacing butter or other sources of saturated fat with unsaturated fats is consistent with current cardiovascular guidance.
You can drizzle a small amount over:
- Vegetables
- Beans
- Fish
- Whole-grain toast
- Salads
8. Tomatoes 🍅
Tomatoes are an easy way to add vegetables to meals. Fresh tomatoes, unsalted canned tomatoes, tomato soup made with little sodium, and tomato-based vegetable dishes can all fit into a heart-healthy eating pattern.
9. Avocado 🥑
Avocado provides monounsaturated fat and fiber. It can replace butter, mayonnaise, or other less-heart-friendly spreads.
Try mashed avocado on whole-grain toast with tomato.
10. Citrus fruits 🍊
Examples:
- Oranges
- Grapefruit
- Tangerines
- Lemons
They provide vitamin C, fiber and other nutrients.
Important: grapefruit can interact with some medications, including certain cholesterol and blood-pressure medicines. If you take prescription medications, ask your pharmacist whether grapefruit is safe for you.
A simple daily pattern
Rather than eating the same foods every day, you could think about your meals like this:
Breakfast:
Oatmeal + blueberries/strawberries + walnuts
Lunch:
Lentil or bean soup + leafy-green salad + whole-grain bread
Snack:
Fruit + unsalted nuts or plain yogurt
Dinner:
Salmon or another fish + cooked vegetables + brown rice/barley + olive oil
Drink:
Water or another appropriate unsweetened beverage, unless your doctor has given you a fluid restriction.
This resembles the Mediterranean-style pattern that has been associated with better cardiovascular outcomes.
Foods to eat less often
For circulation and heart health, pay particular attention to:
- Bacon, sausage and other processed meats
- Very salty packaged foods
- Fried foods
- Foods high in saturated fat
- Sugary drinks
- Candy and pastries
- Refined grains such as many white-bread and highly refined products
- Highly processed foods
The AHA’s current guidance specifically recommends minimizing added sugars and sodium and choosing minimally processed foods over ultraprocessed foods.
Sodium deserves special attention at an advanced age: higher sodium intake can contribute to high blood pressure, and blood pressure tends to become more important to manage with age.
One important point at age 98
Don’t interpret “heart healthy” as “eat as little as possible.” Maintaining adequate nutrition and muscle is extremely important. If appetite is small, softer nutrient-dense foods—such as oatmeal, yogurt, eggs, beans, fish, nut butter, avocado and soups—can make it easier to obtain enough nutrition.
And if you have swelling in one leg, sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, or a suddenly cold/pale/blue limb, don’t try to treat that with food; seek urgent medical attention.
If you tell me what foods you currently eat every day and what you drink, I can explain what each food is doing for your circulation and suggest a complete breakfast-to-dinner plan appropriate for someone in their 90s.