Heart Healthy Meals

Here it is! I promised, and I provide ;-) Its been a hectic week.

Avoid: Trans fat (hydrogenated oil)

Limit: Saturated fats/ Cholesterol.
#1-Meat
Remember, a serving size of meat is the size of a deck of cards. Here are some guidelines, and meats are listed from worst to "best".
Pork- Choose pork tenderloin and chops above bacon, sausage, pepperoni. If you are seriously trying to decrease your cholesterol, give them all the boot.
Beef- Choose grass fed before grain fed (typically what you find at the store). Choose lean steaks and ground meat above roasts and fatty hamburger.
Turkey/chicken- White meat over dark

#2- Oil
You only need to use oils sparingly. The worst oils are margarines made with hydrogenated oils. Fatty oils: vegetable oil, coconut oil, palm oil. These are higher in sat. fat, but better than trans fat. Canola oil is an ok choice.
Best to use: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), sunflower/safflower oil, grapeseed oil. Using these can decrease cholesterol and LDL levels. yay!

What Lowers Cholesterol? Unsaturated oils (EVOO, grapeseed oil), whole grains, nuts, seeds, fresh fruits and veggies (fiber). Antioxidants may not play a direct role, but they are great for healing the body from past damage.

Breakfast ideas- Make oatmeal with water, and add ground flax seed, wheat germ, and fresh berries to the mix. We do this with whole grain cream of wheat as well. Molasses is a great sweetener- high in iron.

Meal #1- Spaghetti
You really probably don't need a recipe for this. Here goes:
Boil Whole Wheat Spaghetti in a pot with 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tbs EVOO
Use tomato based sauce with only a few, simple ingredients. Alfredo is now reserved for very special occasions- it's pretty bad for the heart. Tomatoes are full of lycopene, a special nutrient that helps with cholesterol AND actually getting enough of it in a mans diet decreases his risk of prostate cancer. Kill 2 birds with one stone ;-) Adding FRESH garlic to the sauce at the end of heating would be a great way to get garlic in- It has been proven to Decrease bad cholesterol. Skip the Parmesan, but sprinkle with a tsp of wheat germ.
Serve along side a small side salad with vinaigrette. Garlic bread would be great- Whole wheat bread, rubbed with a garlic clove, brushed with EVOO, lightly salted and broiled.
Enjoy with a nice glass of Red Wine (red wine is FULL of antioxidants)

Meal #2- Vegetable stir-fry
Prepare brown rice by boiling in water with 1 tsp salt and 1 clove crushed garlic.
Heat 2 TBS EVOO in skillet/wok on medium high. When hot, add some diced onion, to your fancy. When translucent, add chopped veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, celery, summer squash, zucchini, snap peas, baby corn- Whatever you have and sounds good. Broccoli is especially good for cholesterol). Cook for a few minutes, and add one clove crushed or diced garlic, grated ginger, 1 TBS flax seed and sauce- We like to use teriyaki or a mixture of soy sauce and seasonings. Saute together until veggies are crisp/tender.
Serve over rice with toasted seeds (we use sunflower). You could certainly add chicken breast to the recipe if you must have meat, cook it before the veggies.

Meal #3- Baked Fish
Tilapia is a nice, light, low fat fish. While my husband won't eat it, I love it and I know its a great way to get Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet- A great tool for combating not only cholesterol, but many harmful things in your diet.
If you have very small tilapia fillets, you may want to cook 2 per person. But remember, a deck of cards is all the meat you should get in a meal.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare the tilapia by sprinkling with salt/pepper/garlic powder, to your taste. I recommend a bit more pepper than you might think (and I dont like pepper). In a food processor or coffee grinder, process pecans until finely chopped. Sprinkle both sides of tilapia with nuts. Coat the bottom of a shallow baking dish with EVOO. Lay tilapia fillets down in a single layer. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. I sometimes take a pad of smart balance 50/50 at the end and spread it on top of the fish- Then broil for 2-3 minutes more, watching that the fish does not brown too much. Serve with roasted veggies and wild rice.

Enjoy! It doesn't sound so hard, right? I know these recipes are a bit vague, but they are meant more to show the types of things you can do with common meals you already make. Use EVOO instead of grease, more veggies and less meat, keep it simple, and add good things like nuts, seeds, berries, flax seed, and wheat germ. Every little bit helps!!



Here's to living- Happier, Healthier, more FRUGAL lives!
~~FrugalMegan~~