Heart Healthy Recipes and Nutrition Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Baltimore Cardiologists

Creamed Potato Skillet

December 2, 2019

Serves 6 | Serving Size: 1 wedge | Total Time: 30 min | Prep: 5 min | Cook: 25 min

This is a really fancy and healthy version of scalloped potatoes that is fit for any holiday or entertaining table with its layered colors and flavors. The topping of corn kernels and cheese makes it feel special. But it is easy enough for every day.

Ingredients:

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, medium-sized
2 carrots
1 red pepper
2 cloves of garlic
¼ of a red onion
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup of fat-free half and half or lowfat milk
¼ tsp black pepper
Pinch garlic powder
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves (or use dried)
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Slice the potatoes and carrots very thin on a Japanese mandolin or in a food processor. You can also do it by hand.

Slice the onion, garlic, and red pepper. Place them in a non-stick skillet or pie pan. Round is preferred. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Mix the half and half with the seasonings and pour over the potatoes. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes then turn the heat down to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add the corn kernels and the cheese the last 10 minutes of baking. Slice in wedges and serve hot.

Chef’s Tips:
The creamed potatoes go really well with fish or poultry. You can make this dish ahead of time and reheat to serve. Cover and reheat in the microwave or oven.

Allergens:
Milk, Other
Reported allergens are based on listed ingredients in the recipe. If you are purchasing commercially packaged products such as pie crusts, cereal, or pasta, you need to read the label for additional allergen information.

Woodholme encourages a healthy diet and proper nutrition as one aspect of maintaining heart health. The nutrition information and recipes are presented for informational purposes only and are not intended to take the place of one-on-one advice from your doctor. Please follow your personal physician’s recommendations if any recipes, ingredients, or advice found here conflict with what your doctor has told you.

Living with the DASH Eating Plan

September 27, 2019

Understanding the DASH eating plan will help you start and follow this plan for life.

Notepad with Diet Plan list text on chopping board.

Controlling Daily Sodium and Calories

To benefit from the proven DASH eating plan, it is important to limit daily sodium levels to 2,300 mg, or 1,500 mg if desired, and to consume the appropriate amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if needed.

Ways to Control Sodium Levels

The key to lowering your sodium intake is to make healthier food choices when you’re shopping, cooking, and eating out.

Tips for Lowering Sodium When Shopping, Cooking, and Eating Out

Shopping	Cooking	Eating Out
Read food labels, and choose items that are lower in sodium and salt, particularly for convenience foods and condiments.* Choose fresh poultry, fish, and lean meats instead of cured food such as bacon and ham. Choose fresh or frozen versus canned fruits and vegetables. Avoid food with added salt, such as pickles, pickled vegetables, olives, and sauerkraut. Avoid instant or flavored rice and pasta.	Don’t add salt when cooking rice, pasta, and hot cereals. Flavor your foods with salt-free seasoning blends, fresh or dried herbs and spices, or fresh lemon or lime juice. Rinse canned foods or foods soaked in brine before using to remove the sodium. Use less table salt to flavor food.	Ask that foods be prepared without added salt or MSG, commonly used in Asian foods. Avoid choosing menu items that have salty ingredients such as bacon, pickles, olives, and cheese. Avoid choosing menu items that include foods that are pickled, cured, smoked, or made with soy sauce or broth. Choose fruit or vegetables as a side dish, instead of chips or fries.

*Examples of convenience foods are frozen dinners, prepackaged foods, and soups; examples of condiments are mustard, ketchup, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, and salad dressings.

Most of the sodium Americans eat comes from processed and prepared foods, such as breads, cold cuts, pizza, poultry, soups, sandwiches and burgers, cheese, pasta and meat dishes, and salty snacks. Therefore, healthier choices when shopping and eating out are particularly important.

Ways to Control Calories

To benefit from the DASH eating plan, it is important to consume the appropriate amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight. To help, read nutrition labels on food, and plan for success with DASH eating plan sample menus and other heart-healthy recipes.

The DASH eating plan can be used to help you lose weight. To lose weight, follow the DASH eating plan and try to reduce your total daily calories gradually. Find out your daily calorie needs or goals with the Body Weight Plannerand calorie chart. Talk with your doctor before beginning any diet or eating plan.

General tips for reducing daily calories include:

Eat smaller portions more frequently throughout the day.
Reduce the amount of meat that you eat while increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, or dry beans.
Substitute low-calorie foods, such as when snacking (choose fruits or vegetables instead of sweets and desserts) or drinking (choose water instead of soda or juice), when possible.

Increasing Daily Potassium

The DASH eating plan is designed to be rich in potassium, with a target of 4,700 mg potassium daily, to enhance the effects of reducing sodium on blood pressure. The following are examples of potassium-rich foods.

Sample Foods and Potassium Levels

Food	Potassium (mg)
Potato, 1 small	738
Plain yogurt, nonfat or low-fat, 8 ounces	530–570
Sweet potato, 1 medium	542
Orange juice, fresh, 1 cup	496
Lima beans, ½ cup	478
Soybeans, cooked, ½ cup	443
Banana, 1 medium	422
Fish (cod, halibut, rockfish, trout, tuna), 3 ounces	200–400
Tomato sauce, ½ cup	405
Prunes, stewed, ½ cup	398
Skim milk, 1 cup	382
Apricots, ¼ cup	378
Pinto beans, cooked, ½ cup	373
Pork tenderloin, 3 ounces	371
Lentils, cooked, ½ cup	365
Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup	360
Split peas, cooked, ½ cup	360
Almonds, roasted, ⅓ cup	310

Meal Planning and Tips

NHLBI meal planning tools and tips can help you follow the DASH eating plan to meet nutritional goals.

Meal Planning Tools

The following tools can help you prepare and choose meals that meet the nutritional goals of the DASH eating plan.

NHLBI In-Brief: Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH: Contains a DASH log for tracking daily food and physical activity levels and a shopping and menu planner.
Weekly DASH menus: Provides sample daily DASH eating plan menus at 1,500 mg or 2,300 mg daily sodium levels. These menus are based on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet, and suggested serving sizes may be adjusted if other daily calorie targets are desired.
Heart-healthy recipes: Provide additional ideas for menu planning.

Tips for Lifelong Success

When changing lifestyle habits, it is normal to slip off track occasionally. Follow these tips to get you back on track.

Ask yourself why you got off track. Find out what triggered your sidetrack, and restart the DASH eating plan.
Don’t worry about a slip. Everyone slips, especially when learning something new. Remember that changing your lifestyle is a long-term process.
Don’t change too much at once. When starting a new lifestyle, try to avoid changing too much at once. Slow changes lead to success.
Break down the process. Break goals into smaller, simpler steps, each of which is attainable.
Write it down. Use the Daily DASH Log to keep track of what you eat and what you’re doing while you are eating. You may find that you eat unhealthy foods while watching television. If so, you could start keeping a healthier substitute snack on hand.
Celebrate success. Instead of eating out to celebrate your accomplishments, try a night at the movies, go shopping, visit the library or bookstore, or watch your favorite TV show.

Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/subscribe/3791
Source Agency: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

CRP – Another Reason to Eat Healthfully

May 28, 2019

C-reactive Protein, or CRP, is One of the Key Markers for Inflammatory Diseases

According to a growing body of evidence, CRP, or high sensitivity C-reactive protein, is one of the key markers for inflammatory diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and arthritis. The good news is that there are things you can do to reduce CRP levels in your blood.

Go Fish

A study of 48 obese men uncovered that treatment with fish oil and cholesterol-lowering medication lowered CRP.¹
Arthritic, inflamed joints have benefited from oils typically found in cold-water fatty fish, including salmon, mackerel, herring and fresh blue fin tuna.²
A study in Denmark of people with rheumatoid arthritis revealed that an average of 4 ounces of fish daily decreased morning stiffness, swollen joints and general pain for people after 6 months following the prescribed meal plan.²
At the University of Washington, a study revealed that people who ate two or more servings of baked or broiled fish every week were 40% less likely to develop arthritis.

Fish oil supplements require caution since they can interact with other medications and can lead to bleeding problems if taken with blood thinner-type medications like aspirin.

Reduce Omega-6 Oils

It is important to limit your intake of omega-6 fatty acids since these are pro-inflammatory, unlike omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory.² Omega-6 fatty acids are found in processed oils from corn, cottonseed and sunflowers, as well as in processed foods (e.g., boxed rice and stuffing mixes, frozen foods and desserts).

Eat Enough Fiber

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with 3,920 adult participants showed that dietary fiber was associated with lower levels of CRP. According to the Journal of Nutrition (2004), fiber was found to be independently associated with CRP, which supports the high fiber recommendations of many health authorities.³

The Bottom Line

Good nutrition and lifestyle basics come into play if you want to keep your CRP levels low:

Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains along with a couple of portions of cold-water fatty fish per week.
Keep saturated fat and trans fatty acid intake low.
Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity on most days.

By Victoria Shanta-Retelny, RD, LD

References

Clin Chem 48:6 977-883. 2002.
Tuft’s Univ Health & Nutri Ltr 21:12 4-5. 2004.
Amer Soc Nutr Sci 1181-1185. 2004.

Just the Facts

Since hypertension is a known precursor to heart disease, it is not a surprise that Harvard physicians uncovered that women with high CRP levels were 4.5 times more likely to have heart attack, stroke and bypass surgery than those with the lowest levels.
Regardless of desirable cholesterol levels, those with higher CRP still experienced heart trouble.
An estimated 25-30 million Americans fall into the low cholesterol/high CRP category.²

Vegetarian Poke Bowl

May 24, 2019

Vegetarian Poke Bowl

Serves 4 | Serving Size: 1 bowl, about 2 cups
Total Time: 55 min | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 45 min

Poke is a raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine, and sometimes as a main course. This recipe is a vegetarian version.

Ingredients for Vegetarian Poke Bowl:

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups assorted greens – we used kale and arugula
1 red beet, trimmed and rinsed clean
1 golden beet, trimmed and rinsed clean
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 cup tomatoes
2 radishes, sliced thin
1 carrot, grated
olive oil spray
balsamic or red wine vinegar

Directions:

Cut the beets in quarters and roast in an oiled pan at 450 degrees until they are soft in the center, about 45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes of roasting the beets, toss the diced zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes in a pan, top with olive oil spray and roast them in the oven. Pull all veggies out of the oven when tender and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Arrange the quinoa and greens as a base on the plate. Top the quinoa with the beets and other roasted veggies. Spray with olive oil spray and top with vinegar.Top everything with sliced radishes and grated carrots.

Chef’s Tips:

This is a great dish to make using farmer’s market ingredients or items from a summer garden. You can vary your assortment of veggies or allow everyone to make their own poke bowl. Serve it as a vegetarian or vegan salad or accompany it with grilled seafood.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 bowl, about 2 cups Servings Per Batch 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 194	Calories from Fat 32
	% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4g	5%
Saturated Fat 0g	1%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg	0
Sodium 86mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 35g	11%
Dietary Fiber 7g	29%
Sugars 9g
Protein 8g	15%
Vitamin A 161%	• Vitamin C 93%
Calcium 8%	• Iron 16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

An Anti-Inflammatory Diet May Improve Your Health

March 30, 2019

Vegetable salad with wheat bread.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

When most people hear the word “inflammation,” they think of the pain, redness, and swelling associated with conditions like arthritis or an infection. They picture something that you can readily observe in the person that is suffering. However, chronic inflammation occurs on the inside of tissues. It may be invisible, but it also may be deadly. After all, it’s linked to heart disease, dementia, diabetes, and cancer (1).

In a recent study of over 68,200 men and women (between the ages of 45 and 83) that were monitored for 16 years, subjects that ate an anti-inflammatory diet had an 18% lower risk of dying from any cause (including cardiovascular disease and cancer) compared to subjects who did not follow the diet as closely. Participants who smoked but also ate an anti-inflammatory diet still reaped some of the benefits in comparison to smokers that did not follow the diet (2).

An anti-inflammatory diet is similar to a Mediterranean diet, which is plant-based and includes foods that help to prevent or reduce cellular inflammation. Fruit, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals as well as healthy fats like canola oil and nuts are considered anti-inflammatory. Moderate consumption of low-fat cheese, beer, and wine are also considered part of an anti-inflammatory diet as well. Processed and unprocessed red meat, organ meat, chips, and soda are considered inflammatory. These foods should be limited in our diets as much as possible (1,2).

The main author of the study, associate professor Dr. Joanna Kaluza at Poland’s Warsaw University of Life Sciences notes, “Our dose-response analysis showed that even partial adherence to the anti-inflammatory diet may provide a health benefit” (2).

So, here are a few simple tips that nutrition and health educators can give to their clients in order to help them follow an anti-inflammatory diet:

Switch from soda to decaffeinated tea or water.
Snack on almonds or other nuts in place of chips, candy, or cookies.
Swap white breads and cereals with 100% whole grain bread, steel cut oats, shredded wheat and other high-fiber grains like farro, quinoa, or bulgur
Include fruits and vegetables at meals. Choose a variety of seasonal, colorful produce daily like kale, broccoli, berries, apples, melon, and spinach.
Add a few servings of fish, beans, or lentils in place of red meat or fried meats
Switch from full-fat to low-fat dairy products
Drink beer or wine in moderation. That’s 1 drink per day for women, and 2 drinks per day for men — or less!
Use liquid oils such as corn, canola, or olive oil in place of butter, lard, or shortening

By Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD

References:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation
J. Kaluza, N. Håkansson, H. R. Harris, N. Orsini, K. Michaëlsson, A. Wolk. Influence of anti-inflammatory diet and smoking on mortality and survival in men and women: two prospective cohort studies. Journal of Internal Medicine, 2018; DOI: 10.1111/joim.12823

Heart Healthy Recipe Substitutions

February 15, 2019

Out of butter? Great! Here are some heart-healthy recipe substitutions from our friends at Food and Health Communications. You may also download the chart in a handy PDF format for your kitchen.

Instead of	Portion	Saturated Fat(g)	Use	Saturated Fat(g)
DAIRY Butter*	1 Tbsp	7.5	Vegetable oil, broth	0.0
Cream	2 Tbsp	7.0	Evaporated skim milk,	0.0
Cream cheese	2 Tbsp	6.5	fat-free half & half Light cream cheese	3.5
Eggnog	1/2 cup	5.5	Fat-free eggnog	0.0
Half and half	2 Tbsp	2.0	Fat-free half and half	0.0
Ice cream	1/2 cup	6.0	Frozen yogurt	1.5
Sour cream	2 Tbsp	3.0	Fat-free sour cream	0.0
Whipped cream	2 Tbsp	3.0	Fat-free whipped cream	0.0
Whole milk	1 cup	5.0	Skim milk	0.0
Totals		45.5		5.0

*For baking recipes, you should use trans-fat-free margarine and reduce the amount by half. Substitute applesauce or baby food prunes. For finishing vegetables, use butter-flavored spray. For mashed potatoes and stuffing, decrease fat by half and use light, trans-fat margarine.

MEAT/POULTRY
Bacon	3 slices	3.0	Turkey bacon*	1.5
Gravy	1/4 cup	14.0	Defatted gravy	1.0
Beef, prime rib**	3 oz	12.0	Beef tenderloin, fat trimmed	3.0
Beef, T-bone	3 oz	7.0	Beef tenderloin, fat trimmed	3.0
Turkey, dark with skin	3 oz	7.0	Turkey breast, no skin	0.7
Sausage	3 oz	9.0	Vegetarian sausage*	0.5
Totals		52.0		9.7

*Read the label, nutrition facts vary by brand.
**Restaurant portions are often triple this amount, so saturated fat could go to 36g per portion!
NOTE: For heart-healthier cooking, you should limit animal protein and emphasize more whole grains, beans, soy protein, fish (baked, not fried), fruits and grains in your meals. Think of meat as a condiment and use less in each serving. A 3 oz. serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards.

MISCELLANEOUS
Coconut	1 oz	6.5	Toasted pecans or almonds	1.5
Hydrogenated shortening *	1 Tbsp	3.0	Vegetable oil or trans-free margarine	0.2
Whole eggs	2	3.0	Egg white or non-fat egg substitute	0.0
Totals		12.5		1.7

*This product is hydrogenated and contains additional trans-fat; read the nutrition facts label.

By: Denice Taylor, RD, LD

« Previous Page

Creamed Potato Skillet

Living with the DASH Eating Plan