What is Your Favorite Heart-Healthy food or meal? (ingredient, tomato, Italian)

[Harpaint]

I make meat loaf with ground turkey and turkey sausage and then all the usual ingredients.

I make Lasagna with low fat cheeses, whole wheat noodles, and zuchinni & carrots added. I make big pots of salt free sauce to use for this and other Italian dishes. Substitute turkey for the ground beef in this and other dishes like tamale pie, leaving out the salt and using salt free tomato products.

[Gingercoyote]

Nopalitos (cactus) with browned ground turkey, onions, garlic and rotel tomatoes is delicious.

google mock tuna salad with chickpeas and no mayo, there are some delicious recipes, serve in a lettuce wrap.


We roast most veggies, favorite combos are cauliflower with sweet potato and onion; summer squash with onion, garlic and mushroom.

Roasted cauliflower with franks red hot sauce, we skip the butter, still tastes fantastic.

[TabulaRasa]

Chili, either lean meat or bean only.

Oven-roasted root veggies with balsamic.

Fire roasted corn on the cob.

Shrimp boil with new potatoes and corn on the cob, if you use lower sodium seasoning.

Grilled marinated mushroom skewers.

Gazpacho.

[NextStage]

Also Stuffed Bell Peppers using ground turkey or chicken. Sub out the rice in the stuffing for riced cauliflower or riced broccoli.

FYI for ground turkey or chicken - be sure you're buying the leanest you can. Both come in fat/lean blends just like ground beef. Because it will be dryer you'll need to adjust your recipes with some added veggies for moisture. My first ground turkey meatloaf with very lean turkey could have easily been used as a brick!

[ccm123]

1/ Grilled salmon
2/ Salmon sashimi
3/ Grilled chicken breast with no skin
4/ Lean round or sirloin steak (Round or sirloin are tougher cuts, but very lean. I prefer rib-eye, but too fatty.)
5/ Beans and rice
6/ Salad with chicken or turkey

[ccm123]

1/ Lean beef cuts: round or sirloin
2/ Turkey
3/ Unsalted nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts)
4/ Beans (pinto, black, refried, red), all low sodium
5/ Tofu
6/ Of course, salads and veggies
7/ Fresh fruits

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by aiangel_writer

Dh and I need to change our diets a bit, and go more heart healthy and lower colesterol. I am limited on what I know to prepare so thought this would be a great place to find out what your favorite heart healthy food or meal is...

I am sick of salads

I hope recipe conversions are truly possible

I know there are so many great cooks on here that I will find great foods and ideas....so thank you

What comes to mind for me, right off the top of my head: all veggies, fish and don't forget meatless Lasagna or meatless enchiladas.

[Marie Joseph]

Fatty fish with the good fats-Salmon, mackarel, and tuna are good.

Flax seeds also have benefits and can be added to salads.

Nuts are healthy but don't eat a lot of them as they have a lot of calories.

Opt for fruits and vegetables; these do not have any fat or cholesterol and have beneficial fiber in them.

Buy whole grain bread vs. white bread and look for cereals that are also whole grain. There are some studies that show oat cereals can lower cholesterol.

Exercise helps, even if it's walking a few days a week.

When buying food, pay attention to the amount of saturated fat on the label. Saturated fat is the type that is the "bad" fat.

Morningstar Farms, Boca, and Quorn all make soy-based meat imitators which are way lower in fat. Switching to soy/rice/almond milk also saves a lot of fat intake.

Limit the amount of pork, beef and other fatty meat in your diet. Cheese is also another major offender that most people don't realize.

Don't try to completely eliminate all of the culprits. Allow yourself the "forbidden" foods once in a while as a treat; nothing worse than temptation to mess up an eating plan.

[jade408]

Have you made braised chicken dishes? Skinless dark meat works best for the heartier ones.

I also like to serve saucy items on top of beans or lentils!

1. Moroccan chicken tangine (this is chicken simmered in tomatoes with other flavors. I like olives, dried cherries. And spices are things like cumin, coriander ans some chili flakes. Also cinnamon. I also like to add some chickpeas and serve on rice, couscous or quinoa.

2. Braised chicken with lemon and rosemary. You need some onions, garlic and chicken broth. For me this god great in top of white beans or lentils.

3. Soba noodles! These are made of buckwheat and are packed with fiber. I like to marinate chicken breast in soy sauce or teriyaki sauce, sear and serve with stir fried veggies. The sauce might be sesame oil, lime, ginger, soy and a bit of honey. Or chili paste and soy sauce. Or tahini and soy sauce with chili paste. Or miso.

4. Go southwestern and make pozole, chicken Chile verde, red chile chicken, or chipotle chicken. Serve with black beans. All of these things are basically chicken simmered in veggies and spices. The sauce is tasty and healthy.

5. Try Persian food. It has sweet, bitter, sour and lots of veggies. Lentils and beans are popular as well. You may get inspired.

I also love to make spice rubs, and use those on fish or poultry. I sear this generally.

Also get some miso! Miso is fermented soybean paste. It adds a ton of flavor, and fermented foods are so helpful. You can use it to add flavor to a sauce, as part of a marinade. Be creative.

[jade408]

Rule number one: avoid trans fats like the plague!!!!

one thing that makes me feel like I am eating healthier - I try to make my plate 50% veggies ans eat the veggies first.