Summary of Your 5-Day Heart-Healthy Meal Plan—Built by a Dietitian:
According to the American Heart Association, plaque buildup in your arteries begins when you’re young and can lead to hypertension, stroke, and coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. and the number one killer among women. Eating a heart-healthy meal plan and understanding high cholesterol and blood pressure can help mitigate your risk for heart disease. Foods to focus on include a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy sources of protein, vegetable oils, and limited intake of added sugars and salt. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol, should be high to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg and readings that consistently clock in at 130/80 mmHg or higher are considered to be high blood pressure. To help with heart health, here is a five-day meal plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that includes recipes for Apple Pie Parfaits, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, Parmesan Rosemary Popcorn, Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Salsa Verde, Crunchy Breakfast Salad with Eggs, Quick Chicken Burger with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli, and Turkey and Two-Bean Chili.
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topped with blueberries and almonds for a healthy snack. 1/2 cup Greek yogurt topped with 1/4 cup blueberries and 1 tbsp almonds Dinner: Fish Tacos Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald Fish tacos are a great way to get your heart-healthy omega-3s. Enjoy them with a side of roasted sweet potatoes and a glass of milk. Fish tacos 2 small sweet potatoes, roasted in 1 tsp olive oil 1 cup 1% milk Get the recipe for Fish Tacos. Day 4 Breakfast: Avocado Toast Photo Courtesy of Kristen Massad Avocado toast is a great way to start the day and get your heart-healthy fats. Get the recipe for Avocado Toast. Mid-Morning Snack: Apple slices with peanut butter Apples and peanut butter make a classic combination for a mid-morning snack. 1 medium apple, sliced and topped with 1 tbsp peanut butter Lunch: Greek Salad Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald A delicious Greek salad topped with grilled chicken and a side of fruit. Greek salad 1 grilled chicken breast 1/2 cup sliced strawberries Get the recipe for Greek Salad. Afternoon Snack: Veggies & hummus An easy and delicious snack to prepare is a veggie tray with hummus. 1/4 cup hummus 1 cup cut up vegetables like celery, bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots Dinner: Baked Salmon With Roasted Veggies Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and roasted veggies are a great side dish. Baked Salmon 2 cups roasted vegetables of your choice Get the recipe for Baked Salmon With Roasted Veggies. Day 5 Breakfast: Oatmeal With Fruit Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald Start your day with a bowl of oatmeal and some fresh fruit. Oatmeal 1/2 cup fresh blueberries Get the recipe for Oatmeal With Fruit. Mid-Morning Snack: Hard-boiled egg A hard-boiled egg is a great snack to keep you going until lunch. 1 hard-boiled egg Lunch: Mediterranean Tuna Salad Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald A delicious Mediterranean tuna salad and a side of fruit for dessert. Mediterranean tuna salad 1 cup grapes Get the recipe for Mediterranean Tuna Salad. Afternoon Snack: Trail Mix Trail mix is a great snack to have on hand for when you need a quick pick-me-up. Get the recipe for Afternoon Trail Mix. Dinner: Grilled Chicken With Veggies Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald Grilled chicken with a side of roasted veggies and a side of fruit for dessert. Grilled chicken 1 cup roasted vegetables of your choice 1 banana Get the recipe for Grilled Chicken With Veggies.
Heart-Healthy Eating: A 5-Day Meal Plan to Support Your Heart Health
According to the American Heart Association, plaque buildup in your arteries begins when you’re young and progresses slowly into adulthood. As you get older, this can lead to hypertension, stroke, and coronary heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and the number one killer among women. However, what you eat can help mitigate your risk for heart disease while simultaneously lowering your blood cholesterol and better regulating your blood pressure. Having a heart-healthy meal plan to cater to your heart health can be a great first step to turning things around for the better. With only a few days left in American Heart Month, we wanted to empower you with knowledge and resources that can enable easy, quality recipes and eating choices with your heart health in mind—particularly for busy weekdays. Here’s why high cholesterol and blood pressure can lead to health issues, which foods you should focus on to support your heart health, and a five-day heart-healthy meal plan to help make weekday meal prep a breeze. Read on, and for more heart-healthy eating tips, be sure to also check out These 5 Eating Habits Can Save Your Heart, Says Cardiologist.
Heart-healthy eating basics
The American Heart Association notes that a heart-healthy meal plan should include:
- A wide variety of fruit and veggies.
- Whole grains and products made from mostly whole grains.
- Healthy sources of protein including plants like beans, peas, lentils, and nuts; fish and seafood; low-fat and nonfat dairy, and lean and unprocessed meat and poultry.
- Vegetable oils (excluding tropical oils, like coconut and palm kernel).
- Minimized intake of added sugars.
- Foods prepared with little or no salt.
- Limited or no intake of alcohol.
Understanding high cholesterol
Although your body needs cholesterol to build cells and help make vitamins and other hormones, too much cholesterol can lead to plaque buildup, which can result in a number of health issues, including heart disease. Cholesterol comes from two sources: First, your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs. The rest then comes from many animal-based foods like poultry, some milk and dairy foods, meats, and eggs. Eating too much of these types of food, especially those high in saturated fat, causes your liver to make more cholesterol than you otherwise would. For some people, the additional production of cholesterol can lead to high cholesterol levels.
There are several types of cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or LDL cholesterol, also known as the “bad” cholesterol, should ideally be at or below 100 mg/dL. High levels can lead to heart disease and stroke. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol or HDL cholesterol, also known as the “good” cholesterol, should be high which can help reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Cholesterol can combine with other substances to create a hard deposit on the inside of the arteries, which is known as plaque buildup. This leads to the narrowing of the arteries and makes them less flexible, a condition known as atherosclerosis. If a blood clot forms and blocks these narrower arteries, that is when you can have a heart attack or stroke.
Understanding your blood pressure
Normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg, and the fluctuation of these numbers throughout the day is to be expected. The top or “systolic” number measures the pressure your heart applies to your arteries’ walls. The bottom or “diastolic” number measures the pressure exerted on your arteries’ walls between heartbeats. When the systolic number equals or exceeds 130 and the diastolic number equals or exceeds 80, your readings would be in the hypertensive range. In other words, blood pressure readings that consistently clock in at 130/80 mmHg or higher are considered to be high blood pressure. In addition to negatively impacting your circulatory system, high blood pressure can leave you vulnerable to other serious health problems, including stroke, heart attack, and heart disease. Though physical activity and other lifestyle choices (i.e., not smoking) play a large part in keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range, diet is also critical to this aim. When it comes to eating for your blood pressure, the diet is the same as a heart-healthy one with plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats or plant-based proteins, healthy fats, and non- or low-fat dairy. Flavoring your food with herbs and spices, eating enough potassium, and minimizing foods with salt are also recommended. RELATED: 21 Best Foods That Lower Blood Pressure
Heart-healthy meal plan: 5 days of meals for heart health
To help you get on track with the best weekday eating routine able to support your cardiovascular health, here’s a five-day meal plan for heart health that includes suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks!
Day 1
Breakfast: Apple Pie Parfaits Photo courtesy of Mittera Make these delicious parfaits for breakfast and any extras can be eaten as a snack or even dessert. Get the recipe for Apple Pie Parfaits. Mid-Morning Snack: Cheese & crackers Whole grains and cheese provide nutrients like calcium and fiber, which are under-consumed by most folks. 6-8 whole wheat crackers 1 oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese Lunch: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald Grill the chicken in advance or use leftover grilled chicken to create this healthier version of a Caesar’s Salad. Pair with a whole grain bread and fruit for dessert. Grilled Caesar Salad 1 small whole wheat roll with 1 tsp butter 1 orange Get the recipe for Healthier Grilled Caesar Salad. Afternoon Snack: Parmesan Rosemary Popcorn Photo Courtesy of Kristen Massad Popcorn is a whole grain and a fun, crunchy snack to pick you up during that afternoon slump. Get the recipe for Parmesan Rosemary Popcorn. Dinner: Grilled Mahi-Mahi With Salsa Verde Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald Use an indoor grill pan or even saute pan to cook these mahi mahi filets during the colder months. Compliment the fish with a side of roasted veggies, potatoes and a little fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth. Grilled Mahi-Mahi 1 cup roasted baby carrots Half a baked potato topped with 1 tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt and chopped cilantro 1 cup sliced honeydew melon Get the recipe for Grilled Mahi-Mahi With Salsa Verde.
Day 2
Breakfast: Crunchy Breakfast Salad With Eggs Carlene Thomas/Eat This, Not That! A heart-healthy diet is filled with fruits
