Eating For Heart Health

The food choices we make have a significant impact on our health and the way we feel – not only today but for our future health. A healthful diet rich in nutrients is our best defense against heart disease. Good nutrition combined with regular exercise can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight and keep chronic diseases at bay.

Try incorporating these heart healthful foods into your diet:

• Beans – High in minerals, fiber and protein, beans will keep you fuller longer while improving your cholesterol. Try red, black, garbanzo, pinto or other types of beans for a boost in protein without the saturated fat often found in meat.
• Steel Cut Oats – This “power food” is an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. Steel cut oats are denser than regular oats because of the way they are processed, allowing them to keep more fiber and protein.  
• Dark Green Leafy Vegetables – Green vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, and bok choy have fiber to keep you full while also providing an excellent source of Vitamins A and C. They also provide carotenoids, flavonoids and other antioxidants to keep not only your heart healthy, but help fight cancer, too.
• Olive Oil – Substitute foods high in saturated fat such as butter and coconut oil for this heart healthy alternative. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which is considered a healthy dietary fat. You can find these heart healthy fats in canola oil, avocados and nuts, too. Healthier fats are still high in calories so use them in moderation. 
• Salmon – Cold-water fish, like Salmon, Arctic Char, Sardines, and others, are an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and protein. The American Heart Association recommends incorporating salmon and other omega-3 rich fish into your diet twice a week for heart health.

Remember, you do not have to give up your sweet treats and salty snacks completely. Consider your food and beverage intake like your budget for the day. If you have lunch meat, skip the soup. If you have some pizza, have one or two small slices plus a big salad (with homemade, low-salt vinaigrette). If you want some cheese, consider a reduced fat variety, cut a small chunk and put the rest away. If you want butter on your toast and cream in your coffee, opt for berries instead of ice cream later. It’s all about moderation and awareness.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be tasteless. Try one of these heart healthy and delicious recipes below, provided by Heart.org the next time you cook dinner.

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Recipe #1: Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Any leftover vegetables can be added into the slow cooker to enhance this minestrone soup—think parsnips, cabbage, potatoes, turnips, kale, and more. The more, the merrier when it comes to this soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion (peeled, finely chopped)
• 2 cups peeled and sliced carrots (around 4 medium carrots)
• 2 cups sliced celery (around 5 to 6 celery stalks)
• 2 cups chopped green beans (trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 tablespoon salt-free Italian seasoning blend
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1, (28-ounce) no salt added, diced tomatoes
• 1, (15.5-ounce) can no salt added kidney beans (drained)
• 1, (15.5-ounce) can no salt added garbanzo beans (chickpeas) (drained)
• 3 cups no-sodium, or, low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 zucchini (finely chopped)
• 1 cup frozen, chopped spinach (thawed)
• 1 cup whole wheat ditalini pasta (or medium shells)
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

Nutrition Facts:

• 6 Servings
• Serving size: 2 cups 
• 306 Calories per serving
• 0.3 g Sat. Fat per serving
• 244 mg Sodium per serving 

Quick Tips:

• Cooking Tip: While ditalini pasta is the one most commonly used for minestrone soup, any small pasta will do, like macaroni or orzo.
• Keep it Healthy: Enjoy your soup on the thicker side? Pureeing 1 to 2 cups of the soup and then adding it back into the mix is a great way to thicken soup without adding any calories.
• Tip: When storing soup leftovers, make sure to store the pasta separately from the soup. Otherwise, the pasta will soak up all the liquid.

Directions:

1. Prepare the vegetables: peel and finely chop the onion; peel and slice carrots; chop the celery; and trim and cut green beans into 1-inch pieces.
2. Add all the chopped vegetables into the bowl of 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Stir in Italian blend, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Top vegetables with canned tomatoes, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, chicken broth, and bay leaves. Do not stir. (This makes sure the vegetables, which need the most cooking time, are closest to the heat source of the slow cooker.) Cover with lid and cook 5 hours on high or 10 hours on low.
3. Thirty minutes before serving, use tongs to remove bay leaves, discarding them. Stir soup with a spoon. Finely chop zucchini and add to the slow cooker bowl, along with the spinach. Cover and let cook on high heat, if not already on the setting.
4. Prepare the ditalini pasta according to package directions. Drain and add oil into pasta so it doesn't stick together.
5. When the soup is finished cooking, ladle into bowls, topping with a few spoonfuls of pasta and (optional) parsley.

Recipe copyright © 2016 American Heart Association. This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association's Simple Cooking with Heart ® Program.

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Broiled Salmon with Olive Pesto

An aromatic pesto accented with black olives and citrus makes the flavor profile of this dish more sophisticated than your average broiled salmon. Not only is it packed with salmon’s heart-healthy omega-3s, it’s also super fast to cook.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup loosely packed, fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp sliced black olives
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbsp light mayonnaise
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves (minced)
• 4 salmon fillets (about 4 ounces each), rinsed, patted dry

Nutrition Facts

• 4 Servings
• 205 Calories per serving
• 1.5 g Sat. Fat per serving
• 149 mg Sodium per serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler. Lightly spray the broiler pan with cooking spray.
2. In a food processor or blender, process the remaining ingredients except the fish for 15 to 20 seconds, or until slightly chunky.
3. Place the fish on the broiler pan. Using a pastry brush or spoon, spread the basil mixture over both sides of the fish.
4. Broil the fish about 4 inches from the heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Turn over the fish. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the desired doneness. 

This recipe is reprinted from AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION HEALTHY FATS, LOW-CHOLESTEROL COOKBOOK, Fifth Edition. Copyright ©2015 by American Heart Association. Cover photo by Lucy Schaeffer. Published by Harmony Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Available from booksellers everywhere.