Maybe heart disease runs in your family, or you’ve recently been told you have high cholesterol. Or perhaps you or a loved one recently suffered a heart attack and are now trying to eat healthier. Whatever the reason is, you’ve found yourself here looking for heart-healthy dinner recipes you can try.
According to the U.S. Department of Health, some of the foods you’ll want to incorporate into a diet that is good for your heart are fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean proteins, and healthy fats (like omega-3s).
They also recommend you significantly lower your consumption of saturated fats, which are usually found in high-fat dairy, red meat, processed meats, and high-sodium items like processed and packaged foods.
“A heart-healthy dinner will have some specific components to it, like being low in saturated fat, full of colorful vegetables, lower in sodium, and has a source of lean protein,” says Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, registered dietitian and author of The First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility. “Including foods that are sources of potassium, calcium, and magnesium may offer some benefit as well.”
To help you get started with some heart-healthy eating, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite healthy dinner recipes that meet these guidelines. And for more healthy heart tips, check out The Best Foods to Eat For Your Heart.