Heart Healthy Recipes to Take Your Meals From “Meh” to “Mind-blowing”

Name: Heart Healthy Recipes: Cauliflower Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup cashews (plain, unsalted, unroasted); 2 tbsp coconut oil (cold pressed, virgin, melted); 2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh); 1 green chili (washed, whole); 3 tsp curry powder; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp sea salt; 3 tbsp water; 1 cauliflower (medium head, washed and cut into bite sized chunks)

posted by Shahzadi Devje on June 24, 2019 (last updated Oct 31, 2022)

Medically reviewed by Shahzadi Devje, Registered Dietitian (RD) & Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE)

Heart-healthy eating doesn’t mean skimping on the foods you love. Protect your ticker while enjoying these heart healthy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

3 heart healthy recipes showing chickpea salad on a tray, pineapple mango smoothie bowl and scrambled eggs with salad on a plate

We all know heart disease is a major concern in North America and throughout the world. In many Western countries, heart disease and heart attack rates are at an all-time high. But what we don’t often realize is that heart health starts with our diet.

The foods we eat can either help or hurt our heart health. And because heart diseases like atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) and coronary artery disease (clogging of arteries) cannot always be cured by medication, it is important to understand how diet affects your risk for these conditions.

In this guide, we will answer some of your questions about what it means to eat well for heart health, and share some delicious heart healthy recipes, that you and your family can enjoy.

Heart disease is a complex condition that has a variety of risk factors. Some of these risk factors you can’t change – like your age, gender, and ethnicity.

The good news is that around 80% of premature heart disease can be prevented, by following a healthy and balanced lifestyle. This means you have the power to lower your risk; by eating well, exercising, limiting (or avoiding) alcohol, quitting smoking, and learning how to manage stress.

What foods will clog your arteries?

The answer to this question has been a source of heated debate in recent years. Almost everyone in the scientific and healthcare communities believes that industrially produced trans fats should be eliminated from our diets.

Trans fats are present in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are used in ultra-processed foods, like:

Packaged baked goods – cakes, muffins, donuts, cookies made with shortening and vegetable margarine
Fried fast foods
Processed peanut butter
Non-dairy coffee creamers
Pies
Pizza
Potato chips

There is strong evidence that industrially produced trans fats are linked to heart disease. Fortunately, trans fats have been banned in Canada, and will soon disappear from our food supply.

The big fat controversy is around our understanding of how saturated fats affect the risk of heart disease. Saturated fats are found in animal foods, such as red and processed meat, higher-fat poultry, higher-fat dairy, and animal fats like butter, ghee, lard, and cream. Saturated fats are also found in plant sources that are solid at room temperature, such as coconut oil and palm oil.

From the best available evidence, what we know is that saturated fats lead to an increase in “LDL” or lousy cholesterol. In other words, high “LDL” levels can increase the risk of heart disease. However, a few recent studies suggest that there was no association between eating saturated fats and heart disease.

Let’s dig deeper, and discuss some reasons for this.

There isn’t sufficient research – to make a conclusive judgment. Not to mention, these studies are not of the highest quality. Some also believe that LDL alone may not be the best way to measure risk for heart disease, and we need to learn more about the exact biological mechanisms of how blockages in the arteries form. This idea is not supported by others.

Let’s not forget, not all fats that fall under the umbrella of saturated fat are created equal. Butter and coconut oil, for example, have distinct chemical structures and may be metabolized differently in the body (though both have been shown to increase LDL levels).

The confusion around saturated fats doesn’t mean that “butter is back” or that coconut oil should be used as your main source of fat. In reality, research suggests that consuming unsaturated fats from plant sources (such as olive oil, avocados, and nut and seed oils) rather than saturated fats lowers your risk of heart disease. Despite the controversy, though, the advice to cut back on saturated fat in your diet still stands.

The key thing with fats like butter, lard, ghee, cream, and coconut oil is to eat them mindfully and enjoy them in moderation rather than using them as your ‘go-to’ source of fat. For example, you can use olive oil as your main source of fat when cooking and mix in a little coconut oil to achieve the desired flavour profile for a recipe.

What is the healthiest diet for the heart?

When it comes to heart healthy eating, we would encourage you to shift your thinking from individual nutrients; like saturated fats or cholesterol – to an overall dietary pattern instead. Research looking at the relationship between dietary patterns and heart disease consistently shows that predominantly plant-based diets lower your risk of heart disease.

What about real population groups?

The Blue Zones are regions in the world, where populations live longer, healthier lives – compared to other areas of the world. These regions include Ikaria in Greece, Loma Linda in California, Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan and Nicoya in Costa Rica.

When it comes to their dietary patterns, there is one thing all these Blue Zones have in common: they all follow predominantly plant-based diets and eat animal foods like meat and high-fat dairy in moderation. For example, Ikaria and Sardina in the Blue Zones follow a Mediterranean-style pattern of eating.

Let’s delve deeper into the Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean Diet

It’s one of the most well-researched diets in the area of heart health. The benefits of the Mediterranean diet were discovered when a group of researchers, in the 1950s, conducted the “Seven Countries Study,” to explore the relationship between heart disease, diet, and lifestyle.

The researchers discovered that the people of Crete, Greece, had less heart disease than those in other countries. The residents of this tiny Greek Island followed a Mediterranean-style diet.

infographic depicting the mediterranean diet with a plate of salmon fillet, salad, brown rice, fruits and veg with olive oil and a glass of water on the side

What do you eat on the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet is primarily a plant-based diet that countries in the Mediterranean Sea (such as Greece, Italy, and Spain) follow (it’s also known as the “Mediterranean Diet,” or “Anti-Inflammatory Diet”). It consists of heart healthy recipes that are high in:

fruits and vegetables
nuts and seeds
legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils, split peas)
olive oil
fish

Red meat, dairy products, and high-fat poultry are all eaten in moderation.

You don’t have to eat like a Greek to reap the benefits of this Mediterranean diet. In fact, it’s a pattern can be easily applied to many different cultures.

It’s one of the most well-researched diets in the area of heart health. The benefits of this pattern of eating were discovered when a group of researchers, in the 1950s, completed the “Seven Countries Study,” to explore the relationship between heart disease, diet, and lifestyle. The researchers found the population that lived on the island of Crete, in Greece, had less heart disease – than other countries that they looked at. What was unique about the residents of this small Greek Island was that they followed a Mediterranean-style eating pattern.

What do you eat on the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is primarily a plant-based diet that countries around the Mediterranean Sea (Greece, Italy and Spain) follow. It is a diet that’s rich in:

Fruits and vegetables
Nuts and seeds
Legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils, split peas)
Olive oil
Fish, 2-3 times per week
Higher fat poultry, dairy and red meat in moderation

You don’t have to eat like a Greek to reap the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. In fact, it’s a pattern that can be adapted to many different cultures.

infographic depicting the mediterranean diet - desi style with a plate of fish, salad, brown rice, fruits and veg with olive oil and a glass of water, roti and chai on the side

What is a good heart-healthy meal?

A heart-healthy meal is one that is rich in a variety of whole plant foods and includes higher-fat animal foods in moderation. The plate method is an excellent way to plan a heart-healthy meal that will give you a good balance of all the foods that promote heart health.

To follow the plate model, choose:

¼ plate whole grains:

whole grain bread
whole grain pasta
brown rice
quinoa
bulgur
barley
freekeh
oats
buckwheat
pearl sago
Broken wheat
Millet
Sorghum

¼ plate of protein-rich foods:

Fatty fish like salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, and mackerel
Plant-based proteins including legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas), edamame, tofu and tempeh
Skinless chicken
Red meat can also be part of a heart-healthy diet when enjoyed in moderation. Choose leaner cuts of meat more often.

½ plate of vegetables and fruits:

Enjoy a variety of:

fresh veggies
or frozen fruits and vegetables at every meal

Healthy fats:

Complete your heart healthy recipes with health-promoting fats from foods like:

olive oil
avocados
nuts
seeds

You asked: What are 10 healthy foods for your heart?

It’s difficult to choose just 10 because we’re all unique in our preferences. However, here are some that we consider to be family favourites – that most people would enjoy.

berries
leafy greens
oats
beans
lentils
seeds
nuts
beets
quinoa
salmon

Take-Home Message

When it comes to heart health, the most important thing is to focus on your overall dietary pattern. An eating plan that is rich in a variety of whole plant foods – including higher-fat animal foods in moderation – is best for promoting heart health.

The plate method can be a great way to make sure you’re getting all the heart-healthy foods you need in every meal. So, go ahead and enjoy some delicious heart-healthy meals.

Here’s a list of tasty heart-healthy recipes to get you started. There are meals that the whole family will enjoy.