My Favorite Hearty-Healthy Foods and Recipes

I followed my heart, and it led me to the fridge.

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I Followed My Heart, and It Led Me to the Fridge Victoria Heydt, Editorial Project Manager February holds a special place in my heart for a number of reasons: 1.) Because more than half of my immediate family was born in February. 2.) It's Heart Awareness Month—a month when everyone can focus a little bit more on their cardiovascular health.   For those of you who don't know me, I have a heart condition called Marfan Syndrome. A condition I was born with (or maybe it was Maybelline). As a result, I've had the lovely pleasure of experiencing multiple open-heart surgeries. (Apparently, the first wasn't fun enough, so we tried again. And… again. And… yet again. This is a terrible game, by the way.)   Because of my own experiences, and those of some of my nearest and dearest, this moment to spread awareness of preventable heart disease is important to me.   According to the American Heart Association, "A healthy diet and lifestyle are the keys to preventing and managing cardiovascular disease." They recommend eating: — A wide variety of fruits and veggies — Whole grains — Healthy proteins such as nuts, seafood, fish, legumes, and low–fat or nonfat dairy products — Foods/recipes with minimal added sugars — Minimal processed foods — Little or no salt (I'm honestly not good at this one) — Limited or no alcohol (I like these nonalcoholic beverages) Personally, I tend to stick with a more Mediterranean way of eating, focusing on plant-based meals, seafood, and nuts—making sure I use healthier fats like olive oil and canola oil. I also make it a point to plan my meals for the week and prep ahead so that when I need to eat quickly, I'm not tempted to stop at Bojangles down the street from my house. (Who am I kidding. I'm still tempted. But, having prepared food in my fridge helps curb that urge.)   What heart-healthy foods and recipes do you enjoy making? Let us know on Facebook and Instagram @thespruceeats.   Victoria Heydt Editorial Project Manager, The Spruce Eats READ MORE Take Care of Your Ticker Baked Garlic Salmon Slow Cooker Lentils Shrimp Scampi Zucchini Noodles Pesto and Spinach Quinoa The Spruce Eats on YouTube What's in Rainbow Plant Life's Vegan-Friendly Fridge?! Watch & Learn Did somebody forward you this email? Sign Up for The Spruce Eats Newsletter! Have feedback? Send us an email at contact@thespruceeats.com, subject line: Newsletter Feedback. Follow us:   You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to The Spruce Eats newsletter. Unsubscribe © 2022 Dotdash.com — All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. A DOTDASH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005