A Heart-Healthy Meal Plan
Nutrition plays an important role in keeping our hearts healthy at any age, with extra significance through our senior years.
We asked a number of our dietitians for their top five heart-healthy meals, and some recipes. Here are their recommendations. Why not try a new one every month or make a healthy eating meal plan out of them?
Top five heart-healthy meals
Dietitian Meg:
- Overnight oats, recipe below – or you can try the Easy Breakfast Oats
- Lentil and bean bolognaise with salad
- Tofu stir-fry
- Salmon and roast vegetables
- Tuna Mediterranean pasta salad.
Dietitian Emily:
- Salad with tinned beans and tuna and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Pan-fried salmon with baked veggies (or you could try our Oven Baked Salmon and Vegetables)
- Chicken and cashew stir fry with veggies and steamed rice.
- Porridge made with rolled oats, served with crushed walnuts and berries.
- An easy option: two slices of wholemeal or multi-grain toast, cholesterol-lowering spread such as Flora Pro-Activ, and a tin of baked beans, preferably salt-reduced.
Dietitian Lauren:
- Grilled salmon with mixed vegetables, such as broccoli, carrot and zucchini, and steamed potato.
- Grilled chicken breast with mixed salad including avocado, mixed nuts and lentils.
- Lean beef strips stir fried with mixed vegetables and brown rice. Make a sauce with soy, garlic, ginger and sesame oil.
- Porridge made from rolled oats and low-fat milk with chia seeds, walnut and sliced banana.
- Multi-grain salad rolls with avocado, diced chicken and hummus.
Recipes for Heart Health
Dietitian Meg’s recipe: Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup oats – use Carmen’s cholesterol lowering oats.
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon LSA (linseed, sunflower, almond meal)
- 2/3 cup Heart Smart Milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon organic peanut butter
- 1 cup berries (can be frozen)
Method:
- Place oats, chia seeds, LSA, milk and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Mix and cover, then place in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, add peanut butter and berries.
- Enjoy!
Dietitian Emily’s recipe: Easy heart-healthy pasta salad
Ingredients:
- 1 cup wholemeal pasta, cooked
- 1/2 tomato, chopped
- 1/4 avocado
- 1 cup leafy greens, such as baby spinach
- Small tin, approximately 95g, salmon or tuna
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Squeeze of lemon juice – optional
Method:
- Combine cooked wholemeal pasta, tomato, avocado, leafy greens and salmon or tuna in a bowl.
- Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
- Optional – add a squeeze of lemon juice for extra flavour.
Dietitian Lauren’s recipe: Oven Baked Salmon and Vegetables Recipe