Here is another delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan recipe. This spicy Mexican-inspired quinoa and beans bowl is a quick to prepare, heart-healthy, and nutrition-rich meal that can be made ahead for take-to-work lunches or you can mix up a big batch for a family dinner. You could even top it with an over-easy egg and make it a breakfast (although it won’t be vegan with that egg on it!).
And, before I forget – if you join up for our email newsletter before October 1, you will get a special offer on the Go Gluten Free or the Get Started Coaching Packages! Join today!
We recommend making four servings at once – that way you use up the whole avocado – and can cook 3/4 cup of dry quinoa which should give you about 2 1/4 cups cooked.
I love every single word in the name of this dish! Color me excited to make this one!
If you want a deal, I can offer you this: Get Cooking Today With HelloFresh And Get 50% Off!
HelloFresh categorizes this meal as a breakfast according to the recipe card. I think this would make a divine breakfast but it is just a little too much work for me to do while on my first cup of coffee. Don’t get me wrong, I love a hot breakfast. In fact, I have a hot breakfast pretty much every day! I can cook a veggie omelet with one eye closed and one hand on that coffee mug; but this recipe was just a bit too involved for that level of attention (or rather that lack of attention…).
As the video shows, there are not that many steps but there is some multi-tasking. Once again, I turned to my non-stick pan so my plums did not get any delicious carmelization action… and my onions did not get charred. I think I was a wee bit heavy-handed with the oil (which you may notice in the video!).
What would I change? Well, per the recipe card, this recipe calls for 5 teaspoons of olive oil for 2 servings. I love me some healthy oils but this was too much for me. Reducing the oil could easily be done by omitting from arugula and not coating the flatbreads and I think the recipe would be just as good without this much oil. I also found this dish to be flavorful enough without the honey drizzle – which was fun to do – but omitting honey would reduce the sugar which comes in at 21 grams. For my taste buds, the extra sweetness is not needed and doesn’t add any extra nutrition.
What did I love? Once again – this is a meal of delicious flavors that I would never have thought to put together. I love that HelloFresh is introducing me to new flavor combinations! I got excited a while back mixing blackberries and blue cheese (uh, yeah, so good!) but plums and red onion? No way! Totally works. I also love the small amounts of leftover ingredients. This time I had some pomegranate balsamic vinegar and almonds that got tossed onto the next days lunch salad… and there was leftover arugula which hubs and I ate on the side with the flatbreads.
Things I learned:
Non-stick pans – once again – are not always the best option
There is a world of flatbreads outside of my stand-by FlatOut wraps
I really have to double-check that my video shots are centered before I film!
Here’s that info again if you want to take advantage of the discount I can offer you to try out HelloFresh! Get Cooking Today With HelloFresh And Get 50% Off!
HelloFresh provided a Meal Delivery Box containing three meals to me free of charge. This is #sponsored and I was so impressed that I have joined their #affiliate program. As always, all opinions in my reviews are mine and I if love it or hate it, I’ll let you know.
“Getting what you want is simple, but not easy.” – Mel Robbins.
I believe this is true when applied to nutrition. I think many of us know WHAT to do – nutrition is really simple once you get away from the hype of the media and uneducated bloggers. We just struggle with ACTUALLY DOING IT – it isn’t easy!
To further my mission of “heart healthy nutrition made easy,” I bring you a way to fit a healthy breakfast into your meal planning. I love the ease of the week when I take the time to do meal preparation on the weekends. In fact, my husband and I have only eaten out about 8 times since the year began five months ago. That was not our goal; but is a happy unanticipated consequence of having a plan in place.
One of the best perks of meal prep is having a hot breakfast for very little work. I’ve been accomplishing this with overnight oats and with pre-chopped vegetables for omelets or “scrambles” if I’m in a hurry. Mason jars are AMAZING for keeping my chopped onion and mushrooms (cleaned with a paper towel, not water) fresh through the week!
However, in my work with my patients lately, I have been hard pressed to find an overnight oats recipe online that works for all of my patients – especially those working on blood sugar control. Once you add oats, dairy, and fruit together, you’ve got a small jar carbohydrate delight that is just an overload for the morning meal.
Note – carbohydrates are NOT bad. Carbohydrates are AWESOME! However, many people tend to eat tooooo many of them. So, please DO NOT ban or severely limit carbohydrates; but many of us could do with reigning in our portion sizes a bit.
Without further ado – my basic overnight oats recipe is below. This serving provides 215 calories and 30 grams of carbohydrates per jar. Feel free to add more fruit and nuts and other assorted yumminess to fit your needs and preferences.
Oh and by the way, Mel Robbins 20 minute video is so worth the time!
Click the recipe title for a printer-friendly version!
The chia seeds act as a thickener (in addition to be a great heart healthy food!) but they are expensive so you can try leaving them out or substituting ground flaxseed.
For those counting carbohydrates to manage blood sugar: Don’t forget to add your carb grams for any fruit or sweeteners you add!
I returned to work today and the majority of people are focusing on meal planning as their current focus with their renewed enthusiasm of a new year. Meal planning and preparing foods ahead of time is a wonderful way to have a successful week in terms of meeting your nutrition goals. Two quotes come to mind:
Ben Franklin is purported to have said: He who fails to plan, plans to fail.
Mel Robbins kind of said (forgive me Mel, I paraphrase your Ted talk): You can have anything you want – it’s simple; but it’s not easy.
By the way, I really encourage you to invest 20 minutes in watching Mel’s Ted talk. I watch it every time I need a motivation boost.
In the interest of helping others who struggle with meal planning, I decided to share my meal plan for this week and links to recipes where possible. I warn you though, this takes time and effort. Expect to spend a good 4 hours in the kitchen… but then relax because your food for the week is DONE!
Sunday:
B = egg white omelet with mushrooms, onions, spinach, shredded cheddar cheese(veggies chopped on Sunday for the week), L = green salad (veggies chopped on Sunday for the week) with Asian Sesame dressing with chicken salad (canned chicken, olive oil mayonnaise, red onion, celery, red grapes, black pepper); Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado over brown rice, vegetable soup (garlic, onion, tomato, zucchini, low sodium chicken broth, black pepper, red pepper flakes, basil).
Monday:
B = overnight oats (made for week) with oatmeal, unsweetened almond milk, chia seeds, peanut butter powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract with banana sliced into it in the morning, L = Zesty Lime Shrimp on romaine, D = Mexican Sweet Potato Casserole, broccoli, Snacks = yogurt, crackers.
Tuesday:
B = omelet, L = tofu sandwich (chipotle baked tofu, lettuce tomato, whole wheat bread), vegetable soup, D = Mexican Sweet Potato Casserole, brussels sprouts.
Wednesday:
B = omelet, L = green salad with chicken salad, vegetable soup, D = pork chop, edamame pesto pasta (copied from a recipe book so can’t link sorry!) with grape tomatoes, sauteed squash and mushrooms.
Thursday:
B = oatmeal, L = tofu sandwich, vegetable soup, D = pork chop, leftover pasta, green salad.
Friday:
B = omelet, L = green salad with chicken salad, D = Mexican Sweet Potato Casserole (from frozen), broccoli.
Saturday:
B = omelet, L = sandwich, crackers, D = a leftovers meal with whatever remains!
My snacks aren’t planned day by day but they include celery/carrots with hummus or peanut butter; yogurt with grape nuts; or crackers with cheese.
There is nothing more disappointing than taking the time to pack a heart healthy lunch and finding it a soggy mess by lunchtime. Last month, I shared my tips to pack a heart healthy lunch that will stay fresh until it’s time to eat on First Coast Living, a local new show (video since taken down unfortunately).
My segment was inspired by an article that stated that even the 40% of children who are bringing lunches from home still fell short nutritionally. The 626 children (3rd-4th graders) had too many sweet and salty pre-packaged foods and too little fruits, vegetables, and dairy foods. Only 27% of the lunches had even three of the five food groups! More than half (59%) contained sandwiches. Armed with this information, I set out to find tips for improving the nutrition in our lunches without sacrificing on the yummy-factor.
The basics of a heart-healthy lunch are to (1) stock up on fiber and color by including whole fruits, vegetables, plant proteins, and whole grains, (2) keep the sodium and saturated/trans fats low by turning away from packaged or processed foods as well as high-fat meats and dairy foods, and (3) pack enough food to keep you satisfied and energized throughout the day.
My tips are simple – “focus on five” and plan/prepare ahead!
Focus on Five
Aim for all five food groups in your lunch bag!
A small amount of lean meats, a boiled egg, or plant proteins (beans, nuts, seeds) to get your protein, iron, and B12 (in animal products)
A small amount of whole grains (bread, crackers, etc.) for carbohydrates, fiber, and energy
Load up on whole fruits and vegetables (or ones packaged without added sugar or salt) for vitamins, minerals, and fiber
Include some reduced fat dairy foods (milk, cheese, yogurt) for calcium and vitamin D
Aim for at least five colors!
The trick with this tip is that in order to get five or more colors we have to turn to fruits and vegetables… because, yes, skittles do not count! Different colors have different vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (those wonderful little plant compounds that we are learning do so much for our health). If you eat the same colors every day, you may be missing out on some key nutrients.
Plan/Prep in Advance
Use the Focus on Five strategy to figure out what you will pack during the upcoming week and get your shopping done.
When you get home, do any chopping and washing as well as portioning out foods before you put them away. If you spend one hour chopping vegetables and portioning crackers into single serving baggies, you are well-positioned to meet your health goals during the week when our prep-time is typically more limited.
Pack lunches (and your pre-chopped foods) in a way that keeps them fresh. Mason jars are one of the best things I’ve found for maintaining freshness because the seal on these jars is air-tight. I showcased three options on the segment: a mason jar salad, a bento box, and a deconstructed sandwich. The trick to keeping your lunch fresh is layering! Always layer your dressing (if a salad) on the bottom and then the foods that will hold up to the dressing. Carrots are a good choice because they can sit in dressing for days without changing. Next, layer your wet ingredients (tomato, cucumber, lettuce). Always make sure your lettuce is nowhere near the dressing or it will wilt. Finally layer your proteins, cheese, and (if a sandwich) bread on top. I have used lettuce on Friday that I rinsed, spun, and chopped on Sunday. This picture is the salad I made for the segment on Sunday, which I ate on Thursday!
Mason Jar Salad – one week later!
Just be mindful of food safety and if it looks wilty, wet, or is mushy – toss it!
The Difference?
I compared my bento box to a very popular pre-packaged lunch any my bento box has 26% fewer calories, 33% less saturated fat, and 3 times more fiber for $0.87 less per meal.
I also compared my salad to a popular sandwich and salad restaurant and my salad had 44% fewer calories, 65% less total fat, 63% less sodium, and 150% more fiber!
Following these tips will save you time, ease the pressure on your wallet, and greatly improve the healthfulness of your delicious and easy lunches.
Vitamin D is one of those vitamins that keeps popping up in the media as beneficial for our health and it’s a vitamin that many of us are lacking. I created a recipe high in vitamin D using Atlantic cod, orange juice, bran cereal flakes, and chipotle. The result was a divine vitamin-D rich Orange Chipotle Cod recipe.
904 Fitness Magazine gave me this challenge to go along with a vitamin D article that is in the May edition. As a dietitian, I love turning to food before supplements so I accepted the challenge!
Facts about Vitamin D
According to the CDC, 31% of non-Hispanic blacks, 12% of Mexican Americans, and 3% of non-Hispanic whites have vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D is called the “sunshine vitamin” because substances in our skin are activated by the UV rays to produce vitamin D. This partially explains why vitamin D deficiency is higher in those with darker skin (which protects against UV rays) as well as those who live in climates with less sunshine or who spend more time indoors.
The recommended amount of Vitamin D for adults between 19-70 is 600 IU (international units) per day. A deficiency may cause bone issues such as bone pain, muscle pain or spasms, osteomalacia (soft bones), and rickets in children.
Since many people supplement, I’ll also give you the tolerable upper limit, which is 4,000 IU per day. Research is ongoing that is looking at the effects of large amounts of Vitamin D so these recommendations may change in the future. A toxicity may cause bone loss and kidney stones – you cannot overload on vitamin D from sunlight.
Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption and bone health. It’s being researched for its impact on heart disease, cancer, immune function, type 2 diabetes, blood pressure, and many other things.
I’m a light-skinned white dietitian who lives at the beach in Florida and even I had low enough levels of vitamin D that my physician put me on supplements! So, it is difficult to get your D when you rely on sunshine and foods.
Here’s why it is difficult to get enough vitamin D (600 IU) from foods… unless you are willing to swallow cod liver oil or can afford to eat salmon every day!
Food
Amount
IU (average)
Source
Cod liver oil
1 tablespoon
1,360
Natural
Swordfish
3 ounces
560
Natural
Portabella mushrooms (with UV exposure)
1 cup
450
Natural
Salmon/mackerel (fatty fish)
3 ounces
425
Natural
Tuna (light, canned)
3 ounces
200
Natural
Fortified orange juice
1 cup
115
Fortified
Fortified milk
1 cup
115
Fortified
Fortified yogurt
6 ounces
80
Fortified
Fortified cereal
1 cup
70
Fortified
Sardines (canned in oil, drained)
2 pieces
50
Natural
Egg yolk
1 large
30
Natural
Portabella mushrooms (no UV exposure)
1 cup
10
Natural
Note that the fortified foods give an average for the IU of vitamin D and the actual amount can vary quite widely based on the level of fortification. When I was looking for cereals for my recipe, I found cereals with 0% to 25% of the daily value of vitamin D! It’s important to look at the labels for the fortified foods you choose. Also, notice that mushrooms contain much more vitamin D if they have been exposed to UV light. Since the packaged mushrooms in my store didn’t mention UV light on their labels, I asked my grocer about the mushrooms in the store and he had no idea if they were UV-exposed.
I turned to fish and fortified foods to make a “D”-vine Orange Chipotle Cod dish that has 32% of the daily value (~ 200 IU) of vitamin D and packs a nice little spicy kick. This recipe is also heart-healthy with low calories, low saturated fat, no trans fat, and low sodium. It is a little higher in cholesterol than I’d like; but still within heart healthy recommendations.
Chipotle in Adobo: 1 chipotle pepper, de-seeded and chopped plus 1 Tablespoon sauce
1 cup vitamin D fortified orange juice
1/4 cup vitamin D fortified plain non-fat yogurt
Fish
2 large eggs
2 cups vitamin D rich (25% DV) bran flakes cereal
4 6-ounce Atlantic Cod filets
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions
Preheat oven to 450° F. Line baking sheet with tin foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
When preparing chipotle peppers, or any hot pepper for that matter, remember that the heat is mostly in the seeds. Chipotles pack a spicy punch so remove these little seeds before chopping to reduce the kick in the sauce.
Deseeding Chipotle Peppers
Begin sauce. Pour 1 cup orange juice, chipotle pepper, and chipotle sauce into small saucepan and heat until mixture just begins to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking until mixture thickens, approximately 35 minutes. Set aside when done.
The thicker drops show that the sauce has begun to thicken – it will continue to thicken after removed from the heat.
In a shallow bowl, crack eggs and stir to combine yolk and white. Pour bran cereal into another shallow bowl and use measuring cup or the back of a spoon to crush the cereal into small pieces.
The smaller the flakes, the better the coating!
Rinse fish filets, draw through the egg and then press gently into the cereal to coat the fish with cereal. Place fish on foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with each filet. Sprinkle any remaining cereal on top of fish.
Having everything prepared and close together makes coating the fish much easier
Bake fish in oven for 20 minutes or until done and flesh flakes easily with a fork.
When orange-chipotle sauce has cooled, combine the sauce with the yogurt and stir to combine.
To serve, top each fish filet with approximately 1/4 cup of sauce.
Nutrition Information per serving (1 fish filet topped with 1/4 cup sauce): 315 calories, 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat, 0 trans fat), 174 milligrams cholesterol, 375 milligrams sodium, 26 grams carbohydrate (3 grams fiber), 37 grams protein, and 32% DV of vitamin D.
Served with brown rice mixed with chopped mushrooms and spinach – enjoy!
Imagine this. You are in the grocery store and you need to buy some beans. In one hand, you hold a can of beans. In the other hand, you hold a bag of dried beans. Which one do you buy?
You probably consider a few things before you decide.
The first consideration may be convenience. The canned beans are ready to go. You can throw those in the microwave and have hot, cooked beans in just a couple of minutes. The dried beans will take much more time because you have to soak them for many hours and then cook them for another couple of hours. Do you have time for this? Do you know how to cook dried beans? Will you forget and then have to come up with a Plan B dinner?
The second consideration may be nutrition. Beans are a nutrition-packed food! If you cook dried beans, then in 1/2 cup of black beans you get 7 grams of protein, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of fiber, and 10% daily value of iron with only 115 calories, 1/2 gram of fat, and no cholesterol or sodium! If you choose the canned beans, much of this stays the same; but you get more sodium. If you choose regular black beans, that 1/2 cup can have 500 milligrams of sodium and reduced sodium black beans can have 240 milligrams of sodium. Some canned products are also packaged in cans that have BPA.
Many people don’t consider cost because those other two things are more important. A 15 ounce can of beans gives you approximately 1 3/4 cups of beans for $1.00 to $3.00. A 16 ounce bag of dried beans contains 3 1/4 cups of dried beans which gives you about 9 cups of cooked beans for about $1.00 to $2.00. If you do the work of cooking dried beans, you get about five times a much for your money!
I used dried beans most of the time and save canned beans for when I don’t want to rely on myself to remember to cook dried beans the day before I need them or I decided on having beans for dinner on the day I grocery shop. I went in search of dried bean recipes that eliminated the need to cook the beans the day before. After reviewing a few recipes for cooking times and methods and a few trial runs, here is what I ended up with.
1/2 teaspoon each: Hot Shot (red/black pepper blend) and red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon of each ground spice: turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, and chipotle chile pepper
Ingredients – Yes, those are pinto beans from Hatch, New Mexico courtesy of a great neighbor!
Directions
1. Layer all ingredients except spices in crockpot in order listed above.
2. Cook on high heat for one hour and then reduce to low heat for five hours. If home, stir occasionally making sure beans and quinoa stay covered by liquid.
Serving suggestion: Stir in plain Greek yogurt (not vegan!) to cool it down or top with chopped chipotle peppers and hot sauce to kick it up a notch! I added homemade cornbread muffins on the side (also not vegan) following this recipe and sliced tomatoes.
Delicious, Easy, and Healthy Vegan CrockPot Quinoa Chili
Yes, shrimp scampi can be heart healthy! With a few adjustments, this dish becomes low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and yet is still chock full of flavor.
I believe a traditional scampi would include lemon and butter; but I used what I had on hand from the wonderful UNF Ogier Gardens. I ended up with a scampi that has okra and kale. Since these are traditional southern ingredients, I named this southern scampi.
This recipe is one the came together as I cooked it and so the ingredients are estimations. I did not measure ahead of time and I ended up with 3 servings (an odd number for a recipe, I know!) and leftover spaghetti. If you want more or less of an ingredient or don’t think the consistency is right (too watery or too dry), please make adjustments to the amounts listed.
Yummy Southern Shrimp Scampi
Southern Shrimp Scampi
(Makes 3 servings)
Ingredients
1/2 package of spaghetti (I used Dreamfields but recommend whole wheat)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons minced garlic
6 okra pods, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1/2 cup white wine, divided
3 large Dino (lacinato) kale leaves, stems removed, cut into 1-inch square pieces
3 button mushrooms, sliced
15 medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, each one cut into 3 pieces
Garlic powder, to taste
Italian seasoning, to taste
Pecorino-Romano cheese, grated, to taste
Directions:
Begin spaghetti by boiling water. Add spaghetti and cook to desired tenderness. Drain and set aside until sauce is prepared.
While pasta water is coming to a boil, begin sauce by heating oil in saucepan. When heated, add garlic and sauté 1 minute – do not let it brown.
Add okra and cook, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes. Add half of vegetable broth and white wine and simmer, stirring frequently until okra begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add kale and mushrooms and cook until kale begins to wilt.
Add shrimp and the remaining vegetable broth and white wine. Simmer and stir frequently until shrimp is pink and cooked through.
Sprinkle liberally with garlic powder, Italian seasoning and stir to combine.
To serve: top 3/4 cup of spaghetti with 1/3 of southern shrimp scampi sauce, sprinkle with a small amount of pecorino-romano cheese. Serve hot.
Per Serving: 310 calories, 7 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 4 milligrams cholesterol, 290 milligrams sodium, 38 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 14 grams protein
Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear about any adjustments you make!
Updated 01/30/2025 to included reducing added sugars and ultra-processed foods to “the basics of heart-healthy eating.”
The Basics of Heart-Healthy Eating.
You may hear about magical foods or failproof techniques that are touted as the way to improve heart health. Yah… no. If they existed, then heart disease would not have remained the number one killer of Americans for over 100 years. WHAT? Yes, heart disease first topped the charts back in 1921 (1).
If you know me (Hi, I’m Alexia, a dietitian and heart attack survivor!), then you know I like to simplify nutrition. While nutrition can become incredibly complex and nuanced, most people benefit from big-picture, easier-to-implement steps. To that end, here is my take on the basics of heart-healthy eating.
Of note: I do mention weight in this article. I am a strong believer that people can be healthy at many body sizes – and confident and beautiful (2). I promote and respect every individual’s choice regarding their weight. I believe we should continue to work towards doing better with providing non-biased health care. More on the weight and heart disease below.
Increase Fiber.
Dietary fiber plays many roles to help with heart disease. It helps with managing cholesterol, blood sugar, and with satisfying appetite, which can lead to reducing weight, which can lead to reducing blood pressure.
Many people would benefit from increasing dietary fiber intake. Unless, of course, you have health conditions or other concerns that limit your fiber intake. If you need to limit fiber, talk to a qualified nutritionist and skip on down to the next basic of heart-healthy eating.
Since we eat foods, not fiber: dietary fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes (beans and peas).
Okay, true. There is also fiber in nuts, however, you would need to eat a lot of them to significantly contribute to your fiber intake, and they are the most calorie dense of the choices. In other words, one measured cup of dry roasted mixed nuts comes in at 9 grams of fiber and a whopping 595 calories (4). Absolutely include nuts in your diet for heart health… just not because of the fiber content!
Bottom line:
Eat at least one of type of food with fiber with every meal and snack.
Choose non-starchy vegetables for most of those food choices to load up on fiber without loading up on calories.
Which type of foods you choose depends on your preferences, health, and goals.
You have lots of choices for foods to include, so… no excuses! And I say this because according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a distressingly low 10% of women and 3% of men are eating enough the recommended amount of fiber (5).
You don’t eat grains, fine! Eat a starchy veggie.
You don’t eat vegetables, fine! Eat some beans. (Well, kinda “fine” on the veggies, I mean, eat some, yeah?).
You don’t eat beans, fine! Eat some fruit.
Need help including more foods with fiber or navigating all the confusing information on food packaging?
Change Up Your Fats.
The type of dietary fat you eat can have an impact on heart health. This happens because the type of fats you eat helps to reduce LDL (bad) and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. This has a positive impact on heart health.
Notice I didn’t say reduce your fat intake? (Unless, of course, you have a condition that requires eating a low-fat diet, then reducing dietary fat intake is also important.)
That’s because fats are delicious (#noshame), needed for some types of cooking, and needed for your body to absorb fat-soluble nutrients. Eating a fat-free salad? You are missing out on absorbing some of that salad’s nutrition!
Reducing saturated fat, on its own, has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol.
Increasing unsaturated fat, on its own, has been shown to decrease LDL and increase HDL cholesterol.In incredibly simplified terms, HDL’s job is to help get rid of LDL (6). Boom.
Doubling down by replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can reduce LDL and increase HDL all with one dietary swap. It’s as easy as replacing butter with avocado oil for sautéing.
In addition, specific unsaturated fats, omega-3’s can reduce triglycerides and blood pressure. Your body cannot put together omega-3 fats (or omega-6s), so getting foods with these types of fats in your diet is important.
Eat more meatless/plant-based meals and use lower fat dairy foods to reduce saturated fats.
Enjoy nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados often including cooking with oils made from these foods to boost unsaturated fats. Just be mindful of portion sizes due to being high in calories and/or sodium – I’m looking at you delicious salty olives.
Add a meal with a food high in omega-3′ fats once or twice a week.
I didn’t mention trans fats because they were banned from our food supply in 2018 and food manufacturers were given until 2021 to get them out of their foods (9). So, you likely won’t see trans fats in most foods you buy now.
But it’s worth checking the back of your pantry to make sure older foods you may have do not have trans fats on the label (or partially hydrogenated oils listed in the ingredients). And, um, it’s 2025 as I write this, so yeah, check those use by and expiration dates too.
Need help with a virtual pantry and kitchen cleanout?
Do you remember from your early biology classes that water follows salt. I remember really struggling with osmosis. Who knew it would actually be relevant when I grew up?
So, water follows salt. If your salt intake is high, your body holds water to keep all things in balance. More water in your blood vessels makes your blood pressure go up, and that is a risk factor for heart disease.
Most of the salt in the Standard American Diet (yes, the acronym is SAD, which fits) comes from packaged foods, including canned foods. We know salt enhances flavors. It is also a preservative and a binder in foods, and it keeps the foods holding water too, which keeps them *insert the m-word here* so this tracks.
Check food labels to choose brands with less sodium.
Rinse canned foods when you can.
Choose more whole/unpackaged foods.
And salt really does wonders to improve foods flavor, so use it. Just stop shaking the shaker after a few shakes, whether used at the table or while cooking.
One very interesting piece of info is that not everyone is salt-sensitive. That means reducing salt in the diet will not impact blood pressure for those who are salt-resistant. Even so, reducing sodium is a positive food choice for many (10).
Of note, there are instances and conditions that may require limiting or consuming a specific amount of salt. In those cases, this info does not appy.
Need help making sure your meals are still delicious without salt?
Decrease Added Sugars.
Just like salt, most of the added sugar in our food isn’t added by us. It’s added by food manufacturers. And just like salt, sugar makes foods delicious. That’s likely why we are also eating too much added sugar in our foods.
Well, that and its “hiding” in many foods that aren’t especially sweet.
The recommendation from the American Heart Association recommends 6% of intake of added sugars, or 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men (13). The Dietary Guidelines allow for 12 teaspoons (if you eat 2,000 calories a day) (5). One study based on 100,000 people over 9 years found the highest risk of heart disease hits around 24 teaspoons of added sugar (14).
And, of course, as always, people managing specific health conditions or others may need to have different recommendations.
So, drumroll please… We eat 17 teaspoons of added sugars on average (15).
Sugar contributes to heart disease as it can increase blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, and make it more difficult to manage diabetes/prediabetes.
Bottom line:
Do your best to reduce added sugars down to the recommendations.
Continue to enjoy foods with natural sugars.
Yes, you can eat fruit (and unsweetened dairy foods). Foods with natural sugars have other nutrients (fiber, protein, fat) which slows digestion, and the research doesn’t show that these increase heart disease risk.
Need help on finding the added sugars in your foods?
Reduce Ultra-Processed Foods.
In the hurry up, stay busy, no time to relax kind of culture that many of Americans live in, processed foods make it easier to get food on the table. #noshame. They are also generally less expensive. With a store-brand dozen of eggs now costing over $4.00, we all could use a little help with our food budgets.
While processed foods have been around for 1.5 million years. After all, cooking with fire is a form of processing. The 1800s saw the inventions of the tin can for foods and pasteurization (17). Then the 1900s saw a big boost in demand for processed foods, with Swanson’s frozen meals hitting the market in the 1920s and fast food starting to hit its stride in the 1950s (18).
Fast forward and we have gone from minimally processing foods (cooking, canning, salting, smoking, freezing, etc.) to the ultra-processed powdered meal replacement drinks of today.
Did I mention there is no food shaming allowed here?
So, yes. Ultra-processed foods can have a place in an otherwise generally healthy dietary approach. And yes, it’s going to be in moderation. Nutrition is not so unforgiving (for most of us!) that eating a small amount of these foods will wreck health. What matters is what we do most of the time.
That being said food exists on a spectrum of processing, and while processing can improve nutrition with fortification, they have been starting to get linked to many negative health outcomes. For example, increasing inflammation and reducing gut health. In terms of heart health, these foods can raise triglycerides, blood pressure, and body weight (20).
Bottom line:
Work to reduce ultra-processed foods that are of low nutrition quality as your time and budget allow. For heart health, assessing foods for the nutrients mentioned in this article may be a good start.
Look for processed foods that positively impact nutrition. For example, adding vitamins or fiber.
Eat whole and minimally processed foods when you can.
On the flip side, it’s also entirely possible to eat a diet of whole/minimally processed foods that have a negative impact on heart health. Food choices matter. And a healthy diet can include ultra-processed foods. After all, store-bought bread and flavored yogurt are both ultra-processed food under the NOVA classification system (21).
PS – Research is ongoing to learn more about if it is the quality of ultra-processed foods (high sugar, salt, fat, etc.) or the actual processing of the foods that matter most for health.
Need help with meal planning and/or prepping to reduce ultra-processed foods?
Bonus Basics of Heart-Healthy Eating.
For some extra steps to add to your basics of heart-healthy eating, you may also add more berries, nuts, avocado, and plant sterols and stanols (22) to your food choices.
Credible information is important. And putting that information into action is where the magic happens.
Small changes done consistently over time add up to big results. So just pick one or two changes to make right now. When you’ve got that down, add another 1-2 changes.
Work with Alexia on your heart health.
She can work with people in multiple states in the USA and accepts some health insurance plans through her partnership with Nourish. Learn more and start the scheduling process to see if your insurance is accepted and get an estimate of your out-of-pocket costs. (Note that Nourish handles the health insurance stuff, not Alexia!)
If she can’t work with you, you can choose another dietitian who can, or reach out for help getting connected with the right RD for you.
Planning a heart-healthy balanced meal can be a challenge. To help with the concept of balance, I bring you a Five Food Group (FFG) Friday meal.
I’ve based these FFG meals on the Choose My Plate model, which is the US Government’s initiative to promote healthy eating habits. MyPlate is an easy-to-understand visual of a healthy plate of food incorporating the five food groups: protein, grains, fruit, vegetables, and dairy.
Add balance to your meals with Choose My Plate
The rationale behind including all five food groups on the plate is that each food group provides different nutrients, all of which our body needs in order for us to be at our best. This is a very heart-healthy way of eating since it includes a nice amount of fiber by incorporating three food groups with fiber (fruits, vegetables, and grains). Making heart-smart choices for protein and dairy by choosing lean or reduced fat foods and including heart-healthy unsaturated fats kick the heart-healthiness of MyPlate up a notch.
It is not, however, always easy to get all five of those food groups on every plate. I counsel my clients to eat the food groups they miss at their main meals as their snacks. For example, if they have cereal with a banana for breakfast (grains, dairy, fruit), then to include a protein and vegetable snack (celery with peanut butter). That way, over the course of the day, all food groups end up in balance.
I am bringing you FFG Fridays to help with the difficult challenge of building a plate with all the food groups.
Introducing the FFG Omelet Sandwich – Huevos Delicioso!
Huevos Delicioso – A Five Food Group Friday Meal
This hearty breakfast is made from egg whites (protein), mushrooms, onions, salsa (vegetables), reduced fat cheddar cheese (dairy), a Flat Out fold-it (grain), and avocado (fruit).
Using egg whites and reduced fat cheddar make the dish more heart healthy by reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, while the avocado adds a nice amount of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
To make this yummy dish, use a non-stick pan to sauté 2-3 medium mushrooms and a thin slice of onion (both chopped) in a spritz of canola oil until soft then remove from pan. Add another spritz of canola oil and slowly pour in 1/2 cup of egg whites – if you pour down the side of the pan, you will reduce the places were the egg sticks. Once the egg starts to cook and set, add the cooked mushrooms and onions and sprinkle 1/8 cup shredded cheddar on one half of the egg only. I also add some ground pepper and garlic powder at this point. Use a spatula to loosen one edge and flip one half of the egg on top of the other to make the omelet. Slide out of the pan onto your Flat Out and top with 2 Tbsp salsa and 1/4 sliced avocado.
Per serving: 320 calories, 12 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 835 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 26 g protein.
Suggestion: This dish may be a little high in sodium for some people due to the salsa. To reduce the sodium, use sliced tomatoes instead of salsa.
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