I decided to collect these 20 tasty heart healthy recipes after I noticed something interesting happen since I published 10 Foods to Boost Heart Health. Researching and writing about those foods has me eating more of them than ever before. To refresh your memory, the 10 foods are:
- Nuts & Seeds
- Beans & Legumes
- Greens
- Olive Oil
- Fish
- Tofu (and other whole soy foods)
- Berries
- Oats
- Green & Black Tea
- And a touch of Dark Chocolate
I keep that list in the forefront of my brain as I make all the little decisions about what to eat each day. It’s what motivates me to put salted cashews instead of salted pretzels into my shopping cart. It’s what reminds me to add tofu to the fried rice I make at lunch, to pour myself a cup of green tea instead of a second cup of coffee, to add a spoonful of hemp seeds to my smoothie, to stop at the market to buy oats when I’m out, and to take the extra five minutes to sauté kale to go with dinner.
These are just the sort of changes that truly add up to better health, that can improve cholesterol levels, and honestly, can just make you feel better than if you’d made other choices. It’s with all of this in mind, this I curated 20 recipes that include one or more of the 10 heart-healthy foods. Most of the recipes include two and several feature four from the list. Here goes:
20 Tasty Heart Healthy Recipes
BREAKFAST
Wild Blueberry Parfait with Maple Seed Brittle (berries, nuts, seeds)
Make-Your-Own Microwave Oatmeal (oats, nuts, berries)
Everyday Open-Faced Egg Sandwich (greens, olive oil)
Blueberry Brain-Boosting Smoothie (berries, nuts, greens)
LUNCH SALADS (that are good for dinner, too)
Vegetarian Chinese Chicken(less) Salad (tofu & nuts/peanuts)
Tuna, Chickpea & Farro Salad (fish, legumes, leafy greens, olive oil)
Kale and Crispy Chickpea Caesar (leafy greens, olive oil, legumes)
Strawberry Arugula Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts (greens, berries, olive oil, nuts)
DINNER
Sweet Potato Bowls with Glossy Green Sauce (beans, olive oil, greens)
Linguine with Almost Vegan Alfredo (nuts, olive oil)
Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos with Indian Spices (lentils, olive oil)
Easy Pasta Nicoise (fish, olive oil/olives)
Slow Roasted Salmon with Herb Sauce (fish, olive oil, greens)
Instant Pot Balsamic Chicken (greens, olive oil)
Chopped Salad with Chicken & Lemon Oregano Dressing (nuts, greens, olive oil)
SWEETS & SNACKS
Yogurt Parfait on a Plate (berries, oats, nuts)
Homemade Strawberry Milk (strawberries!)
Homemade Trail Mix (nuts, seeds, oats, dark chocolate)
Chocolate Hemp Amazebars (nuts, seeds, oats, dark chocolate)
Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies (dark chocolate, legumes, nuts)
