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Heart-healthy recipes don’t have to be bland or boring. You can enjoy delicious dishes that are packed with wholesome ingredients that will keep your heart strong, your tastebuds happy, and your tummy satisfied. From breakfast to lunch, dinner to dessert, and even some snacks in between, these 25 heart healthy meals are good and good-for-you!
Disclosure: This was a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Heart Truth® several years back. All opinions are 100% mine.
Every February during American Heart Month, I am reminded of the importance of cardiac health, but honestly, it is something on my mind on a daily basis. That is why I partnered with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) The Heart Truth program to help raise awareness of the prevalence of heart disease amongst women. We’re also sharing what you can do to reduce your risk factors for heart disease.
I will share my personal story and advice from the heart, along with some recipe ideas for a heart-healthy diet.
Heart Healthy is Important for Everyone
I remember that morning at work. I was away from my desk and cell phone for a while. When I saw multiple missed calls and a voicemail from my dad’s wife, I knew something was wrong. My dad had a heart attack. He nearly died. He was 49.
That was 2004, and luckily he is still with us today. But shortly after his heart attack, I had another shock. When updating my family history with my doctor, she recommended I have my cholesterol checked.
The results came back and it was over 250. I was 25 years old, ate a fairly healthy diet, and worked out regularly. Truly, I did not look like someone who would have one of the risk factors for heart disease.
I blamed it on the fact that I had just spent two months in Europe for work, and definitely enjoyed my share of pastries and gelato and other indulgences. While there, I was not working out as much as I usually had, and had gained a few pounds.
So I cleaned up my diet, started getting more physical activity again, lost weight, and two months later, my cholesterol had not changed. So yes, other than while pregnant and nursing, I have been on cholesterol medication since I was in my mid-twenties.
Heart Disease Prevention
Genetics may not be on my side, but there are things I can do to control my other risk factors. And since this disease, and especially awareness of risk factors and steps to lead a heart-healthy life, is near and dear to MY heart (literally and figuratively), I want to share it with you. Especially since heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States.
Obviously, like many others, I have no control over my family history. But there are things that we can all do to reduce our risk and improve our cadiovascular health:
- Live an active lifestyle to keep blood pressure and weight under control and reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
- Don’t smoke.
- Keep alcohol consumption in moderation.
- Control stress and anxiety.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet.
Know your risk factors, talk to your doctor, and take action to protect your heart health and inspire others to take action.
What is a heart-healthy diet?
- Eat more fruits and vegetables – besides being low in calories, produce provides an abundance of vitamins and minerals, many of which are known to protect the heart. These can be fresh, frozen, or canned, but watch the sodium levels in vegetables from a can and added sugar in packaged fruit.
- Increase fiber intake from whole grains – fiber regulates blood pressure, can lower “bad” cholesterol, fills you up, and helps move fats through your system. So be sure most of your grains are fiber-rich whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, and whole-wheat bread (if you are not gluten free. If you are, choose whole grain gluten free bread).
- Be smart about fats – eliminate trans fats, reduce saturated fats, and focus on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from plant sources like olive oil, nuts and nut butter, seeds, and avocados. Also try to eat more source sof omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, flaxseeds, and walnuts.
- Choose good protein sources – fish and poultry are your best options for animal proteins, but if you choose other meats, be sure to choose lean cuts to avoid adding extra saturated fat to your diet. Legumes like beans, peas, and lentils as well as eggs are other good choices for protein.
- Dairy is good in moderation – the calcium in dairy products is good for your heart, but you’ll want to limit intake of full-fat dairy which can be high in saturated fat, or choose non-fat or lowfat options.
- Reduce sodium – watch the salt you add, but especially the sodium levels in packaged and process foods. Instead, add flavor with herbs, spices, vinegar, and citrus.
- Watch your portion sizes – remember, all things in moderation!
25 Heart Healthy Meals, Snacks, and Desserts
Enjoying wholesome and nutritious meals that are good for your cardiovascular system shouldn’t be hard or bland or boring. In fact, some of the most flavorful ingredients are the best for your heart health, and you’ll find many of them in these dishes!
25 Delicious Heart Healthy Recipes
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, and Dessert - these are all opportunities to add more heart-healthy foods to your diet. By making wholesome, nutritious choices, you can eat delicious meals while keeping your cardiovascular system in shape.
Heart Healthy Breakfast Recipes
Start your day the heart-healthy way with plenty of fruit, oatmeal, healthy fats, and even some sneaky veggies!
Make-Ahead Freezer Oatmeal Cups
A warm bowl of oatmeal is one of the best ways to start your day with the benefit of being good for healthy cholesterol levels. And making it with your favorite fruit, nuts, or other toppings doesn't have to take a lot of time on busy mornings with this easy meal prep recipe. Most of the work is done in advance, and you just have to heat and eat!
GLUTEN FREE if using certified gluten free oats.
Mini Healthy Carrot Zucchini Muffins
These muffins have been winning raves for years. Kids love that they are super yummy. Parents love that they are made with whole grains, veggies, and only a bit of honey or maple syrup to sweeten them up.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION is to make Gluten Free Carrot Zucchini Muffins.
Mini Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
Chocolate for breakfast is definitely an option for a healthy start to the day when it's packed with fruit, fiber, and flax seeds to provide omega-3s. Make them right in your blender with overripe bananas.
GLUTEN FREE if using certified gluten free oats.
Avocado Toast
Just because it is trendy doesn't mean it isn't good for you. Avocadoes are loaded with heart-healthy unsaturated fats, and you can add fiber with a good whole grain bread. You can even add more nutrition with toppings like veggies, garlic, eggs, or a sprinkle of some superfood seeds.
GLUTEN FREE if using your favorite gluten free bread.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie Bowl
It takes just five minutes to make a creamy and delicious breakfast that tastes like your favorite sandwich. And the combo of fruit, Greek yogurt, and peanut butter is wholesome and satisfying.
Healthy Lunch Recipes for Work or Home
With a little planning, you can meal prep lunches that you can grab easily whether you are at work or at home and still stick to your heart-healthy diet.
Barbecue Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad
A healthy combination of your favorite flavors that is perfect to make ahead for lunches all week. Quinoa is a tasty whole grain that adds a punch of extra protein. Pile it all on top of some nice leafy greens.
GLUTEN FREE
Shrimp Rice Paper Rolls
Skip the fried and greasy takeout for these fresh rolls filled with succulent shrimp and crisp veggies. Your wallet and your ticker will thank you.
GLUTEN FREE if made with gluten free soy sauce or tamari.
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
Make this easy lean chicken dish in your Instant Pot or close cooker and you have tons of meal prep options to pack in more veggies or whole grains, form brown rice or quinoa ramen noodles to zoodles or cauliflower rice.
GLUTEN FREE if made with gluten free soy sauce or tamari.
Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Soup
A comforting bowl of soup is good for the heart and the soul. And this one is super easy because it uses leftover rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. It is filled with lean protein and tons of veggies.
GLUTEN FREE
Avocado, Turkey & Hummus Wrap
So easy to make ahead and bring along with you anywhere. And when you fill it with simple, wholesome ingredients, it's a lunch you can feel good about, from the lean turkey to the fiber in the hummus, as well as the lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers. Make sure you use a whole grain wrap.
GLUTEN FREE if made with gluten free tortillas or wraps.
Heart-Healthy Recipes for Dinner
Deliciously healthy dinners don't have to take much effort. And there is no shortage in the flavor department with these recipes.
Maple Sesame Glazed Salmon
With all of its healthy omega-3s, salmon is one of the best things you can eat for your heart healthy. And the flavor-packed marinade will convert even non-fish-lovers. I'm one of them, and I still devour this dish.
GLUTEN FREE if made with gluten free soy sauce or tamari.
Pineapple Black Bean Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Hearty, healthy comfort food packed with lean turkey, fiber-rich black beans, and lycopene from the tomatoes. A bowl of this chili will make you feel good inside and out.
GLUTEN FREE
Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
Spinach is one of the best foods you can eat for your heart. Add protein-rich eggs, avocado with good fats, and, and antioxidant-rich fruit, and you get a salad that is as good for you as it is delicious and beautiful.
GLUTEN FREE
Garlic Herb Oven Roasted Chicken
Enjoy a juicy chicken dinner in under an hour. And the antioxidant power of all that garlic has been shown to be beneficial for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
GLUTEN FREE
Instant Pot Lentil Curry
Easy and creamy with amazing Indian flavors, but it's not too spicy. You'll love this one pot recipe that's completely hands free. And those lentils provide fiber, folic acid, and potassium to protect your heart, plus the spice boosts blood flow.
GLUTEN FREE
Healthy Snack Recipes that are Good For Your Heart
Resist the call of the vending machine when you have go-to snacks like these. Then you can avoid extra sugar, salt, and bad fats.
Peanut Butter Banana Bites
These fun and easy snacks can be customized with your favorite nut or seed butter and granola. It's a delicious way to get a good dose of potassium, and you can choose granola with all of your favorite superfoods.
GLUTEN FREE if using gluten free granola.
Maple Walnut Sweet Potato Hummus
Anything that gets you eating more fruit and veggies is good, but especially when your dip is actually made with veggies like this sweet and savory hummus. It's a seriously delicious way to pack in tons of nutrition.
GLUTEN FREE
No-Bake Apricot Chia Energy Bars
These portable bars are sweet, chewy, and have only six ingredients. They are nut-free, but still pack in the fiber and protein you need from pumpkin and chia seeds. Dates are another great source of potassium and apricots are loaded with vitamins.
GLUTEN FREE
Healthy Green Pina Colada Smoothie
Gorgeous bright color and fabulous tropical flavor make these smoothies irresistible. And it's the best way to sneak in the heart-protecting vitamins and minerals of dark leafy greens any time of the day.
GLUTEN FREE
Dark Chocolate Granola
Satisfy your chocolate cravings with a dose of fiber and healthy fats from oats, nuts, and flaxseeds along with those antioxidants. Scoop it over some lowfat yogurt for protein and calcium too.
GLUTEN FREE if using certified gluten free oats.
Heart-Healthy Dessert Recipes
Life isn't complete without dessert. Yes, there are sweet treats you can enjoy while keeping your heart in tip top shape.
Triple Berry Coconut Chia Pudding Parfaits
These treats are so good for you, but most importantly, they are absolutely delicious. This healthy dessert recipe is nutritious and can be vegan and paleo depending on your choice of sweetener. And chia seeds are a nutritional powerhouse with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, iron, and calcium.
GLUTEN FREE
Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
Everybody loves chocolate dipped strawberries, but when they are stuffed with lightly sweetened cream cheese, they become a treat that nobody can resist. Use dark chocolate for the health benefits, and the polyphenols in the strawberries help protect the heart.
GLUTEN FREE
Funky Monkey Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
A deliciously healthy smoothie recipe that tastes like dessert with the ultimate flavor trifecta of banana, chocolate, and peanut butter. And all of those ingredients help keep your cardiovascular system in shape while you feel like you are indulging in a sweet milkshake.
GLUTEN FREE
Homemade Dark Chocolate
The flavonoids in chocolate help increase blood flow to the heart as well which helps to prevent blood clots and hardening of the arteries. Eating a small amount of dark chocolate a few times a week has also been shown to lower blood pressure. And it makes you happy, which is also totally healthy.
GLUTEN FREE
Apple Nachos with Vegan Caramel Sauce
With layers of sweet crisp apple slices, smooth vegan caramel, dark chocolate, walnuts, and coconut, it’s like eating a delicious candy apple. Only this is packed with antioxidants that'll keep your heart happy.
GLUTEN FREE
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February might have most people thinking about their making hearts happy for Valentine’s Day. But since it is American Heart Month, make sure you think about the heart health of everyone you love – your partner, your children, your mom and dad, your friends and other loved ones.
Give a gift from the heart by doing something good for their health and yours. Cook your mom one of these heart healthy meals from the recipes listed above. Go for a long walk with your sister. Make plans to join a gym or exercise class with some friends. Get your kids in the kitchen to cook heart healthy recipes. And if you just can’t resist candy, treat yourself to a small bit of good quality dark chocolate.
I hope this gives you inspiration and motivation to take charge of your heart health.
I hope you’ll leave a comment or share this pin on Pinterest!
After my heart attack a week ago I have been searching for recipes that will be delicious and also heart healthy. There is a yummy looking tidbit shown in the breakfast section that doesn’t have a link. It is the fourth picture down and looks like they might be frozen. I really want to try it.
Thanks!
I hope you are on the road to recovery! Sending all my best wishes. I was actually going to be updating this post to make sure it was in good shape, so I am glad you let me know. Those are make ahead oatmeal cups you can keep in the freezer and heat up anytime you want them – https://cupcakesandkalechips.com/diy-freezer-oatmeal-cups/
Healthy foods for dieting are very important nowadays and your content is really helpful for me. Now I think I can make some recipe for me as well. Great work. Thanks
These all look great! thanks so much for sharing at #merrymonday !
Brianne, I loved this post!! Thanks for sharing about your dad, your health and what you do!!
YES to these. Wonderful recipes!
What a wonderful round up!
Can’t go wrong with healthy food that looks that good!
Officially hungry now!! Love all of these ideas!
Well you can enjoy them all and know you are still being good to your heart!
Thanks Brianne for sharing my recipe, these are some wonderful tasty recipes.
Thanks Celeste! Yes tasty AND healthy!