Recipes for a Healthy Heart

Eating at home is one of the best ways to live healthy, since most foods at restaurants contain high amounts of cholesterol, fat and sodium. Although many recipes incorporate food for a healthy heart, many of your favorite dishes may be modified to create a healthier option. Adding more fruits, vegetables and fiber to your diet offers benefits for heart health, as well as cleansing the body of toxins and buildup through vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Soups

Delicious and hearty, soups fill you up quickly with a low amount of calories. Whether you add a soup to a lunch or dinner or have it on its own, soups contain nutritious vegetables and whole grains for a healthy heart. A high fiber soup is most beneficial, and easy to make any day of the week.
To make a fiber-rich bean and pasta soup, combine 4 cups reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth with 1 cup each of chopped celery and carrots, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasonings and set on a simmer for 10 minutes. Next, separate a 14 1/2 ounce can of white beans into two bowls, mashing one serving of them. Add the half serving of whole beans, serving of mashed beans and large can of chopped tomatoes to the simmering broth. Add pasta of your choice to the broth, and simmer for an additional five minutes, or until soft. Finally, add three ounces of fresh spinach to the pot and cook for two minutes. Serve with warm bread or toast for a hearty meal.

Salad

Salads are often used as an appetizer to a meal; however, a healthy heart recipe that contains low-fat ingredients makes it ideal to eat anytime. A pink grapefruit and spinach salad offer the body vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that benefit the entire body. To make the salad, place two cups of fresh baby spinach leaves to a plate or bowl and top with peeled pink grapefruit sections. Top off the salad with red onion slices and 2 tablespoons of heart-healthy walnuts and raspberries.
Create a low-fat vinaigrette by combining one part of extra virgin olive oil with three parts citrus juice. Shake thoroughly and top the salad.

Easy Dinners

Baking protein in the oven allows you to have flavor while cutting back on fat and cholesterol of fried foods. One family favorite is fried chicken, which is often unhealthy and filled with grease or sodium when fried in oil. Baking chicken cuts back on artery clogging grease while still providing flavor and texture of the real thing. To make, place two egg whites in a bowl and 2 cups of Panko and 2 teaspoons of paprika in another. Panko, which is Japanese for "breadcrumbs," offers a healthier and crunchier alternative to the traditional breadcrumbs.
Dip four chicken breasts into the egg whites, followed by the Panko and place on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.