Menus for heart-healthy eating: Cut the fat and salt
Heart-healthy eating can be easy if you have a strong start. Use these menus to kick off your heart-healthy diet.
Do you want to adopt a heart-healthy diet, but aren’t sure where to start? One way to begin is to create a daily meal plan that emphasizes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and limits high-fat foods (such as red meat, cheese and baked goods) and high-sodium foods (such as canned or processed foods).
Below are two days’ worth of heart-healthy menus. Use them as examples of heart-healthy eating.
Day 1 menu |
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| Breakfast 1 cup cooked oatmeal, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cinnamon and chopped walnuts 1 banana 1 cup skim milk |
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| Lunch 1 cup low-fat (1 percent or lower) plain yogurt with 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed 1/2 cup peach halves 5 Melba toast crackers 1 cup raw broccoli and cauliflower 2 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese, plain or vegetable flavor (as a spread for crackers or vegetable dip) Sparkling water |
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| Dinner Grilled turkey burger (4 ounces) with a whole-grain bun 1/2 cup green beans with toasted almonds 2 cups mixed salad greens 2 tablespoons low-fat salad dressing 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds 1 cup skim milk 1 small orange |
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| Snack 1 cup skim milk 9 animal crackers |
Day 1 nutrient analysis |
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| Calories | 1,637 |
| Protein | 85 g |
| Carbohydrate | 245 g |
| Total fat | 43 g |
| Saturated fat | 9 g |
| Mono- unsaturated fat |
14 g |
| Cholesterol | 101 mg |
| Sodium | 1,545 mg |
| Fiber | 30 g |
| Potassium | 4,290 mg |
| Calcium | 1,887 mg |
Day 2 menu |
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| Breakfast 2 whole-wheat pancakes, 4-inch diameter, topped with 3/4 cup blueberries 3/4 cup calcium-fortified orange juice 1 cup skim milk |
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| Lunch 1 whole-wheat pita stuffed with 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup sliced tomato, 1/4 cup sliced cucumber, 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese and 1 tablespoon reduced-fat ranch dressing 1 kiwi 1 cup skim milk |
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| Dinner Oriental chicken (5 ounces) with braised pineapple ring 1 cup brown rice with 1 tablespoon chopped dried apricots 1 cup steamed broccoli 4 ounces red wine or concord grape juice |
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| Snack 3 graham cracker squares 1 cup fat-free frozen yogurt |
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| On both days, if you’re thirsty, drink water as a calorie-free way to supplement your diet. | |
Day 2 nutrient analysis |
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| Calories | 1,757 |
| Protein | 89 g |
| Carbohydrate | 288 g |
| Total fat | 22 g |
| Saturated fat | 7 g |
| Mono- unsaturated fat |
6 g |
| Cholesterol | 119 mg |
| Sodium | 1,966 mg |
| Fiber | 29 g |
| Potassium | 3,876 mg |
| Calcium | 1,338 mg |