Heart healthy meal plan: One-pot pasta fagioli, veggie flatbread, overnight oats and more
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This week’s menu is full of heart-smart meals. The good news: You’ve already got a head start against heart disease by cooking most meals at home. Those who cook more meals at home are more likely to eat less saturated fat, sugar, and salt–substances that contribute to your heart disease risk. Eating at home more frequently also boosts your intake of protective ingredients like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
The meals throughout this week feature heart-protective foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and seafood. With meals ranging from cod with a coconut-cashew topping to a roasted veggie flatbread to spaghetti, your heart, and belly will be content.
What to Eat This Week, May 13, 2024
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Monday
Breakfast: Morning Glory Overnight Oats
Lunch: Cucumber Cottage Cheese Toast
Dinner: One-Pot Pasta Fagioli
Snack of choice
Tuesday
Breakfast: Broiled Grapefruit with Yogurt, Nuts and Honey
Lunch: Buffalo Chicken Salad
Dinner: Roasted Vegetable and Herbed Goat Cheese Flatbread with Hot Honey Drizzle
Snack of choice
Wednesday
Breakfast: Morning Glory Overnight Oats
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Herb-Crusted White Fish with Asparagus and Brussels Sprouts
Snack of choice
Thursday
Breakfast: Broiled Grapefruit with Yogurt, Nuts and Honey
Lunch: Cucumber Cottage Cheese Toast
Dinner: Leftovers
Snack of choice
Friday
Breakfast: Morning Glory Overnight Oats
Lunch: Buffalo Chicken Salad
Dinner: Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Piccata
Snack of choice
Breakfast
Both breakfasts contain heart-healthy foods, such as nuts, seeds, fruit, and oats. Oats stand out for beta glucan–a type of soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol levels. The broiled grapefruit is tastiest when served warm, but it comes together quickly.
Morning Glory Overnight Oats by Babs Costello
Broiled Grapefruit with Yogurt, Nuts and Honey
Section ½ grapefruit, sprinkle with cinnamon, and drizzle with honey. Broil until the topping bubbles and the grapefruit begins to caramelize. Then top your grapefruit with plain or lower-sugar Greek yogurt and nuts or seeds (such as pumpkin or hemp seeds).
Lunch
Replacing processed lunch meat with cottage cheese or rotisserie chicken are easy steps you can take to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Cucumber Cottage Cheese Toast by Melissa Ben-Ishay
This tasty high-protein toast is creamy and crunchy at the same time. Add plenty of fresh herbs to amplify the flavor and heart health benefits.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Mix ½ cup rotisserie chicken meat with 1 ½ teaspoons mayonnaise, 1 ½ teaspoons Greek yogurt, and hot sauce to taste. Scoop mixture over chopped romaine lettuce and diced cucumbers. Serve with whole grain crackers (such as Triscuits).
Dinner
This week’s dinner lineup includes lean proteins, like chicken, fish and beans. We’ve also included crowd pleasers, like pasta and a veggie-rich flatbread that are sure to make it to your recipe collection.
One-Pot Pasta Fagioli by Casey Barber
Pasta fagioli is a classic and comforting dish, loaded with veggies and beans--two food groups that are heart-healthy. And this version is made in one big pot for minimal clean-up.
Roasted Vegetable and Herbed Goat Cheese Flatbread with Hot Honey Drizzle by Katie Stilo
Between the herbed goat cheese and the hot honey drizzle, this veggie-packed flatbread is bursting with flavor. Although the recipe gives instructions for roasting your veggies during dinner prep, prepping them in advance will make this a lightning-fast meal. To make a heart-healthier flatbread, use a whole grain pita or naan for the base, and serve it with a chickpea salad. To make the salad, toss canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, with chopped tomatoes, cucumber, and a bottled vinaigrette.
Herb-Crusted White Fish with Asparagus and Brussels Sprouts by Kevin Curry
White fish is flaky and mild, and it's especially good for people who don't love the taste of fish. This one-sheet meal combines herb-crusted halibut with asparagus and Brussels sprouts, so you're getting plenty of healthy fats and fiber on one plate.
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Piccata by Laura Vitale
Chicken piccata is typically cooked in 4 to 6 tablespoons of butter. This version slashes the butter to just one tablespoon, and it replaces white flour with almond meal–a nutrient-rich, grain-free alternative. Enjoy it with roasted broccoli and baby potatoes
Snacks
Snacks that contain whole food sources of protein and fiber offer a winning formula that keeps you full for hours. Here are a few ideas:
Baby carrots and roasted chickpeas.
Orange with nuts.
Grape tomatoes with mozzarella cheese balls.
Snap peas with avocado dip. To make the dip, mash ⅓ avocado with ¼ cup defrosted frozen peas. Add a squirt of fresh lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Frozen blueberries (thawed) with ricotta cheese.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
