You Just Started a Heart-Healthy Diet—Here Are the Recipes to Make First (2024)

FAQs

What is the number 1 heart-healthy diet? ›

Mediterranean Diet

It is a diet low in red meat, sugar, and saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, and flavorful herbs and spices. Fish and seafood consumption is encouraged a couple of times a week, with poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt in moderation.

Heart-Healthy Meal-Prep Tips

Opt for colorful, fiber-rich veggies, like greens, hearty root vegetables or winter squash, bell peppers and tomatoes. In addition to bulking up meals (which will help hold you over through the afternoon), these vegetables contain heart-healthy nutrients like folate and potassium.

The plan should include plenty of lean protein, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Limit high-fat foods such as red meat, cheese and baked goods. Also limit foods that are high in sodium such as sandwiches, pizza, soup and processed foods. Cut back on foods and drinks with added sugar too.

Fish isn't the only good source of protein and heart-healthy fats. Both cardiologists say that nuts, seeds, legumes and beans are as well. “These foods not only are good sources of protein, but can actually lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease too,” Dr. Campanile says.

One of the main fats in peanut butter is oleic acid. When substituted for other fats in your diet, oleic acid helps maintain good cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Managing these levels in your body can lower the risk of heart disease.

Scrambled eggs, whole-grain toast, one cup of milk and sliced apples. Greek yogurt with whole-grain cereal and berries. Whole-grain toast with peanut butter or alternative, sliced apples, one cup of milk. Yogurt parfait with plain yogurt, ground flax seeds or muesli and fresh fruit.

Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without increasing their risk of heart disease. Some studies have shown that this level of egg consumption might even help prevent certain types of stroke and a serious eye condition called macular degeneration that can lead to blindness.

The 3-Day Cardiac Diet sets strict limits on foods you can eat during specific meals. Meals generally consist of a protein source paired with fruits, vegetables, toast, or saltine crackers. Salt and pepper are the only permitted spices. For dessert, vanilla ice cream is allowed once per day during dinner.

Which fruit is best for the heart? ›

Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are jam-packed with nutrients that play a central role in heart health. Berries are also rich in antioxidants like anthocyanins, which protect against oxidative stress and inflammation that can contribute to the development of heart disease.

As long as they're not deep-fried, potatoes can be good for your heart. They're rich in potassium, which can help lower blood pressure, and they're high in fiber, which can lower the risk for heart disease. "They are definitely not a junk food or refined carbohydrate," said Graf.

Water is the drink of choice for heart health. If you're thirsty, drink water.

The 3-Day Cardiac Diet sets strict limits on foods you can eat during specific meals. Meals generally consist of a protein source paired with fruits, vegetables, toast, or saltine crackers. Salt and pepper are the only permitted spices. For dessert, vanilla ice cream is allowed once per day during dinner.

Eating oats can help significantly reduce atherosclerosis risk factors, including high total and LDL (bad) cholesterol ( 24 , 25 ). Oats also contain antioxidants called avenanthramides, which may help inhibit inflammatory proteins called cytokines and adhesion molecules. This may help prevent atherosclerosis ( 24 ).