It’s been proven that exercise and eating right are two steps that can reduce your risk of heart-related illness and disease. Here are three simple heart healthy eating habits that will keep you and your spouse on the right track.
First, it’s important to limit high fat foods such as red meats, cheeses, fried foods and baked goods. I know it’s tough, but if you really care about one another, than this is a big step.
Next, it’s essential that you and your spouse eat more fruits and vegetables. Raw, baked or steamed are best. And, make sure to avoid salt (aka, sodium in processed foods) by eating less canned, prepared and fast foods. Stay away from salty snacks too. Yet another tough step, but an essential one to maintain a healthy heart.
When it comes to lowering your risk of heart-related illness and disease, some foods do it better than others. These “super foods” are often called “heart healthy” foods because they contain high amounts of the special nutrients that have been proven to be beneficial to the heart, including:
* Antioxidants, which are nutrients that help to fight off cancers.
* Fiber, which can lower cholesterol and reduce buildup of plaque in arteries.
* Omega-3 Fatty Acids, which reduce risks of irregular heartbeats that cause heart attacks.
The super foods of heart healthy eating can be found at your local supermarket and include things like:
– Blueberries
– Avocado
– Spinach
– Oatmeal
– Salmon
– Tuna
– Nuts
– Legumes (Dried Beans)
With that said, here are five simple recipes—combining the ingredients above—that are heart healthy and something the entire family will enjoy as a snack or an entree.
Sliced Avocado with Balsamic Cilantro Dressing
Grab 1-2 avocados, pitted and skinned.
Cut avocado lengthwise. Place slices in a heart-shaped pattern on a plate.
Balsamic Cilantro Dressing
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
½ cup Olive oil
2 tbsp. Sugar
2 tbsp. Cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. Garlic, minced
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Whisk all ingredients together. Drizzle over avocado slices and serve.
Salmon with Ginger and Scallions over Noodles
1/4 cup Sake or white wine
1/4 cup Mirin or dry sherry
1/4 cup Soy sauce
2″ piece Ginger, grated
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
6-8 Scallions, chopped
4 – 6-8 oz. Salmon fillets
Whole-Wheat Linguine or spaghetti
Place salmon skin side down in a skillet. In a small bowl combine sake, mirin, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Pour over salmon and sprinkle the scallions over top of the salmon. Place skillet on stove and bring to boil at medium-high heat. Turn heat down and simmer 3-4 minutes. Turn salmon over and continue simmering until salmon is cooked—about 3-4 minutes.
Cook linguine according to package directions. Remove salmon from stove. Break salmon into pieces and discard skin. Serve salmon and sauce over linguine.
Sautéed Spinach
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 Garlic clove, peeled and thin sliced
1 bag (9 -10 oz.) Baby spinach
Heat olive in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant—about 30 seconds. Add spinach leaves and toss gently as the spinach wilts about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Blueberries with Lemon Banana Cream
1/3 cup Ricotta cheese
1 tsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Lemon zest
1 Banana, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp. Milk
2 Tbsp. Honey
1½ cups Blueberries, rinsed and drained
In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients except the blueberries. Puree until very smooth (about 2 minutes). Pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl and fold in the blueberries gently. Serve in bowls with a big spoon!
Your Littlest Can Enjoy This Meal Too!
To include a baby (over 9-10 months old) at the dinner table, take these steps:
Avocado: Skip the dressing and mash/blend the avocado
Salmon: After cooking, rinse a piece of salmon quickly under water, mince with a fork or knife. Be sure to check thoroughly for bones.
Noodles and Spinach: Combine a serving of noodles and spinach together. Puree in a blender or mince with knife.
Blueberries with Lemon Banana Cream: Substitute maple syrup for the honey. Put a serving in the blender and puree it. If you want to skip the blueberries too, serve the banana cream for baby’s dessert.
Cheryl Moellenbeck Tallman
Cheryl Moellenbeck Tallman is the founder of Fresh Baby (www.FreshBaby.com). Since Starting Fresh Baby in 2002, Cheryl Tallman has been honored with many prestigious awards, and is a US Department of Agriculture National Nutrition Education Strategic Partner. As the head of product and content development for her company, Cheryl develops innovative products and authors materials that inspire parents to raise healthier children. She serves as both a parenting and cooking expert for many high-profile online communities. Cheryl's ultimate vision is to make the task of raising a healthy eater easier for all parents.
