3 Heart Healthy Mexican Dinners You will Love! 

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College of DuPage Nursing Student Joshua Davick found the following recipes that are delicious,  heart-healthy, have just 5 grams or less of saturated fat per serving:

Refried Bean Tostadas with Pico De Gallo

This is a vegetarian take on a delicious Mexican favorite that you can easily enjoy any night of the week.

Total Time: 15 minutes

Level: Moderate

Yield: 4 servings at 92¢ each

 Ingredients

8 corn tortillas

2 tsp of canola oil

4 plum tomatoes

1 small jalapeno

½ small red onion

2 tbsp. of fresh lime juice

Kosher Salt

Pepper

¼ cup of fresh cilantro

1 can of refried beans

Shredded romaine lettuce

Directions

  1. Heat oven 425 degrees F. Brush the tortillas with canola oil. Place on baking sheets and bake until just crisp, about 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a paper towel–lined wire rack to cool and harden.
  2. Meanwhile, transfer the refried beans to a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high until heated through, 1 minute, stirring halfway through. In a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, jalapeño, onion, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Fold in the cilantro. Top the tostadas with the beans, tomato mixture, and lettuce, if desired.
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15 Words You Should Avoid on a Restaurant Menu 

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John Gilpatrick wrote for Tivity Health’s Silver Sneakers newsletter that the average menu is filled with nutritional landmines.

One study found that meals at non-chain restaurants have an average of 1,200 calories—more than half what most people should consume daily.

That’s because, despite increasing public awareness of the nutritional booby traps hiding on menus everywhere, the restaurant experience is still centered around sending customers home full and happy. That means bread and butter, loaded this and fried that. And pie. Because who can say no to pie?

On the positive side, restaurants are now offering more healthy options than ever. You just need to know where to look. You also need to beware of the biggest health trap of all: portion size.

“Portions at restaurants are also significantly larger than they should be,” says Rebecca Noren, R.D., a dietitian and culinary marketing manager for Chef Ming Tsai. “They range anywhere from 100 percent to 500 percent larger than they were 30 to 40 years ago.”

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What’s Cooking at MyPlate2Yours 

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Salmon with Mango Salsa

Lynn Dugan  at  MyPlate2Yours  shared that this 30-minute start-to-finish recipe looks and tastes like you ordered it at a fancy restaurant!

NUTRITION TIP:  Fish is a great source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Health experts recognize that the US diet does not include enough omega-3. Since our bodies cannot produce these fatty acids, we need them in the foods we eat (other good sources include flaxseed, walnuts and soybeans). Salmon is rich in omega-3 and Salmon with Mango Salsa  is delicious!

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

4, 6 ounce salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salsa:

1/2 cup diced mango (1 small)

1/2 cup diced kiwi (2 whole)

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

  •  Mix honey, soy sauce, oil and pepper in a ziplock bag. Add fish. Marinade for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt, to taste.  Refrigerate.
  • Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium high. Cook fish, 5 minutes and flip for an additional 5 minutes, until fish is cooked through.
  •  Serve salmon with salsa on top of each filet. Enjoy!

Misty Copeland’s Pasta-Free Zoodles Primavera 

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My Fitness Pal shared that in her book, “Ballerina Body,” Misty Copeland, the first African-American female principal dancer for American Ballet Theater, knows that you don’t have to sacrifice taste for health. Living her passion, she approaches her daily meals just like she approaches dancing. In the chapter entitled “Meal Choreography,” she breaks down meal-planning suggestions for 21 days. The noodles in this recipe, made entirely of zucchini, are just one way Misty manages to pack ample servings of veggies into her meals everyday.

ZOODLES PRIMAVERA

This dish allows you to satisfy your pasta cravings but substitutes delicious vegetables — zucchini, spinach and broccoli — for the pasta. With the addition of Italian seasoning, garlic and Parmesan cheese, I don’t think you’ll miss the spaghetti!

Ingredients

  • 4 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 2 cups spinach, tightly packed
  • 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian spices (typically a medley of basil, oregano, rosemary, onion powder and garlic powder — available in a jar)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Special equipment: Spiralizer

Directions

To create the “zoodles,” insert the zucchini into the spiralizer, one at a time, much like you’d sharpen a pencil. (Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions.) Set aside the vegetable noodles.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, spinach, mushrooms and bell pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on medium, stirring frequently, for 5–7 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.

Add the spiralized zucchini and dried Italian spices. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Top with the cheese and serve.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4 |  Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe  

Per serving: Calories: 232; Total Fat: 19g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 11g; Cholesterol: 11mg; Sodium: 225mg; Carbohydrate: 11g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 7g; Protein: 8g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 715mg; Iron: 7%; Vitamin A: 41%; Vitamin C: 93%; Calcium: 20%

When you eat and how frequently may benefit heart health 

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What times someone eats during the day and how frequently may play a role in having a healthy weight and heart.According to an American Heart Association scientific statement published Wednesday, eating breakfast, avoiding late-night eating and mindful meal-planning are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, blood vessel diseases and stroke.

However, current research doesn’t dictate the best approach.

“There’s conflicting evidence about meal frequency,” said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., writing group chair and associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University in New York City. She said studies have shown the benefit of intermittent fasting and eating smaller, frequent meals throughout the day.

Fasting every other day helped people lose weight in the short-term, but its long-term effects haven’t been studied, according to the statement. And there’s no guarantee that such fasting can be sustained.

“I can see scenarios where intermittent fasting can backfire,” said Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., a statement co-author and nutrition professor at Penn State University. For example, people who fast one day could eat more than twice as much the next day, she said. She also questioned what would happen if someone who fasted regularly for lengthy periods of time – weeks or even months – then started eating regularly every day.

Because there’s not a lot of information about how people could practice intermittent fasting, Kris-Etherton cautioned against using it as a weight loss or weight management strategy until further information is available.

Eating frequent meals has also been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease risk factors, says St-Onge. One study of men showed that those who ate more than four times a day had a lower risk of obesity than those eating three or fewer times a day. But other studies have found the opposite, with a greater risk of weight gain over time in those reporting eating more frequently. Read more 

Chicken Vegetable Creole 

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Nellie’s Kale Stew 

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Mushroom Quiche 

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Chicken and Dumplings 

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Slow Cooked Cranberry Barbecue Chicken 

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