It’s National Heart Health Month!
Heart health is something especially important to me as a registered dietitian because it’s largely affected by both diet and lifestyle. With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the US according to the CDC, chances are you have been affected by this disease in one way or another.
For the month of February, I’ve partnered with Heart-Healthy* Mazola® Corn Oil to share meal prepping tips and delicious recipes to eat. The good news is, that you don’t need to overhaul your diet completely. Making simple swaps where you can, can do a world of good for your heart.
A recent survey conducted by OnePoll found that 45% of respondents hope to diversify the types of cuisine they cook. However, a common barrier that has prevented respondents from healthy cooking includes a lack of knowledge on how to do so.
Here are three easy ways to support heart health through diet:
1. Keep a heart-healthy cooking oil on hand like Mazola® Corn Oil: Mazola® Corn Oil is a heart-healthy naturally cholesterol free versatile cooking oil. Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is important to heart health. In fact, even a 1 percent reduction in bad (LDL) cholesterol has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease by 2-3 percent*. The Journal of Clinical Lipidology published a study that found that corn oil, like Heart-Healthy* Mazola® Corn Oil, can help lower cholesterol more than extra virgin olive oil**. Additionally, Mazola® Corn Oil has naturally occurring plant sterols which clinical studies have can help lower your cholesterol by blocking bad cholesterol from being absorbed***. Finally, Mazola® Corn Oil has a high smoke point which means it performs well in a variety of cooking applications, including stir-frying, sautéing, grilling and even baking. Many home cooks may not realize that all cooking oils have a smoke point that, once exceeded, negatively affects the food’s flavor. Mazola® Corn Oil has a high smoke point of 450°F.
2. Replace salt with flavorful spices and herbs: One risk factor of heart disease is high blood pressure and one way to help control it is to cut back on sodium. What many may not realize is that most of the sodium in our diets come from packaged and processed foods that may not even inherently taste “salty”. One easy way to cut back is to cook more meals at home and flavor them with fresh herbs and spices. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams per day and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults, especially for those with high blood pressure. For reference, one teaspoon of salt already meets the limit. Try rosemary for roasting, garlic in sauces and soups and cumin with proteins and veggies.
3. Focus on good fats: Eliminate trans fats and reduce saturated fats to support heart health. Trans fats are found in some packaged and fried foods as well as margarine. These fats raise your bad cholesterol levels and lower your good cholesterol levels. Saturated fats should be limited for heart health. They are found in red meat and high fat dairy. Opt for lean proteins like chicken and fish and low or nonfat dairy including yogurt and cheeses. Additionally, use heart healthy oils for cooking like Mazola® Corn Oil which is naturally cholesterol free.
Get started cooking at home with these easy breakfast, lunch and dinner meal prep recipes
If you are looking for easy heart month make-ahead breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas, then these recipes fit the bill!
For breakfast, enjoy customizable egg cups. Make these ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to three days or freezer to be enjoyed throughout the week. Whether you are a mushroom or bell pepper lover, there are three options to meet all your family member’s palates.
For lunch, try a chicken burrito bowl! Chicken is a lean protein that adds staying power to this dish. It’s also packed with flavorful veggies and made with a base of brown rice which adds fiber and whole grain goodness.
Finally, try taco-stuffed bell peppers for an easy, colorful and flavorful weeknight dinner. Perfectly balanced with energizing carbohydrates, satisfying lean proteins and heart healthy fats, this recipe checks all your boxes for a delicious dinner.
Get the recipes below and be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make them!
This post is sponsored by Mazola® Corn Oil.
Very limited and preliminary scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1 tablespoon (16 grams) of Mazola® Corn Oil daily may reduce the risk of heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in Mazola® Corn Oil. FDA concludes that there is little scientific evidence supporting this claim. To achieve this possible benefit, Mazola® Corn Oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day. One serving of this product contains 14 grams of Mazola® Corn Oil.Corn oil is cholesterol-free food that contain 14g of total fat per serving. See nutrition information on product label or at Mazola.com for fat and saturated fat content.
*See www.mazola.com for more information.
**Maki K, Lawless A, Kelley K, Kaden V, Geiger C, Dicklin M. Corn oil improves the plasma lipoprotein lipid profile compared with extra-virgin olive oil consumption in men and women with elevated cholesterol; results from a randomized feeding trial. J Clin Lipidol. Article in press. Accessed December 10, 2014. Study sponsored in part by ACH Food Companies, Inc.
***USDA and USDHHS 2010; FDA 2000, 2010; Wu et al. 2009; Demonty et al. 2008, Ellegard et al. 2008; Mensink et al. 2010.
Customizable Egg Cups – 3 ways
Base:
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup egg whites
- 1/4 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- Pepper to taste
Combo 1 – Mushroom and Spinach:
- 1/2 cup mushroom, chopped
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- 2 tbsp yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp Mazola® Corn Oil
Combo 2 – Tomato Basil
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup basil chopped
- 2 tbsp yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp Mazola® Corn Oil
Combo 3 – Bell Pepper:
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 2 tbsp yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp Mazola® Corn Oil
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line a muffin tin with 12 liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together base ingredients and divide into three bowls.
For each combo, warm Mazola® Corn Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté combo ingredients until cooked and tender, about 5 minutes. Add combo ingredients to each of the three bowls and stir to combine. Divide egg veggie mixtures evenly into the lined muffin tin wells, filling each well about three-fourths full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until set.
Enjoy for breakfast throughout the week and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Chicken Burrito Bowl
- 8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp Mazola® Corn Oil
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- Fresh cilantro to taste
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1/4 cup guacamole
- 1 cup brown rice
Warm one tablespoon of Mazola® Corn Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
In a large mixing bowl, toss chicken together with lime juice and seasonings. Transfer to the skillet and cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and divide between two servings bowls.
Warm another tablespoon of Mazola® Corn Oil in the skillet and keep over medium-high heat. Add red onion and bell pepper to the skillet and sauté until cooked and tender, about 5 minutes. Divide between two serving bowls.
Cook brown rice according to package instructions and divide between both serving bowls
Divide remaining ingredients between both serving bowls.
Taco-Stuffed Peppers
- 3 medium bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
- 2 tbsp Mazola® Corn Oil
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
- 9 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped
Marinade:
- 1/3 cup Mazola® Corn Oil
- 1 lime, juice and zested
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Whisk together marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl and place chicken in the bowl. Place bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow chicken to marinate.
While chicken in marinating, place halved bell peppers on a lined baking sheet and brush with one tablespoon of Mazola® Corn Oil.
Bake peppers for 20 minutes to soften.
Cook quinoa according to package instructions and set aside.
Heat one tablespoon of Mazola® Corn Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until golden about 5 minutes, then add garlic and sauté 30 seconds longer. Add in chicken and continue cooking until no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in tomatoes, black beans, quinoa and corn. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Divide mixture among bell peppers and top with cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with fresh cilantro.
