Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle

A heart-healthy lifestyle starts with healthy food choices. Eating a variety of foods rich in nutrients like potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and protein and lower in sodium and saturated fat can help keep your blood pressure low and protect against heart disease and stroke.

Eating heart-healthy doesn’t have to be boring or bland. In fact, it can be easy and delicious! Spring is the perfect season to load up on more fruits and vegetables. Keep your meals fresh and flavorful with these inspired, heart-healthy dishes for every occasion. Recipes with an asterisk are low sodium, which means they have 140 mg of sodium or less per serving.

Try these affordable, delicious recipes and helpful healthy eating resources from our partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); and the American Heart Association (AHA).

Healthy Eating Resources

• Healthy Eating on a Budget (USDA)
• Healthy Eating on a Budget Cookbook: 2-Week Sample Menus  [PDF – 1.7M] (USDA)
• MyPlate Seasonal Resources (USDA)
• MyPlate Print Materials (USDA)
• Delicious Heart Healthy Eating (NHLBI)
• Healthy For Good Recipes (AHA)

Healthy Recipes

Appetizers and Sides

• Avocado and Shrimp Spring Roll*
• Quinoa-Stuffed Tomatoes*
• Sweet & Spicy Mustard Dip with Veggie Dippers

Main Dishes

• Beef Kabobs with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce
• Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken
• Teriyaki Salmon with Cauliflower Rice

Soups and Salads

• Grilled Romaine Lettuce With Caesar Dressing
• Minestrone Soup
• Rainbow Fruit Salad*
• Strawberry Jicama Cucumber Salad*
• Vegetable Turkey Soup

Desserts

• Classic Honey Flan*
• Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

*Recipe has 140 mg of sodium or less per serving.

Make a Meal Plan

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan includes foods that are low in sodium, which can increase blood pressure, and high in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which help lower blood pressure. Find sample meal plans at these links:

• In Brief: Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH [PDF – 476K] (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)—Meals range from 1,500 mg to 2,300 mg of sodium. Some meals include recipes.
• Sample menus for the DASH diet (Mayo Clinic)—Find three days of DASH meals low in sodium and rich in potassium and other nutrients that can help lower blood pressure.