(Family Features) Healthy eating doesn’t have to be difficult or require you to take favorite meals off your family’s menu. In fact, making smart choices when cooking at home can give you more control over the types of tasty, heart-healthy dishes you put on the table.
High cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for heart disease and stroke, with about 38% of American adults diagnosed with high cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. These cooking tips can help you prepare heart-healthy meals that could help improve cholesterol levels by reducing excess saturated fat and trans fat.
Cook Fresh Vegetables the Heart-Healthy Way
Roasting, steaming, grilling, or baking can help bring out the natural flavors of vegetables. Adding herbs and spices can also help make veggies tastier, including combinations like basil with tomatoes, oregano with zucchini, dill with green beans, or rosemary with peas and cauliflower.
Reduce Saturated Fat in Meat and Poultry
The amount of saturated fat in meats can vary widely, depending on the cut and how it’s prepared. Opt for poultry and fish over red meat and look for lean cuts of meat with minimal visible fat, which should be trimmed away before cooking. Also limit processed meats such as sausage, bologna, salami, and hot dogs, which are often high in calories, saturated fat, and sodium.
Use Liquid Vegetable Oils in Place of Solid Fats
Some fats are better for you than others. Liquid vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower, soybean, and olive oil can often be used instead of solid fats, such as butter, lard, or shortening. If you must use margarine, try the soft or liquid kind.
Find more heart-healthy recipes and tips for lowering cholesterol at heart.org/cholesterol.
Frozen Yogurt Bark
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 8
1 1/2 cups 2% low-fat plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped, unsalted almonds
1/2 cup chopped mango
1/4 cup blackberries or raspberries
1/2 cup blueberries
In a medium bowl, mix yogurt and honey.
Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Use a spatula or knife to spread yogurt over the entire bottom of the dish.
Pour chopped nuts over yogurt. Use fingers to slightly press into the yogurt. Top yogurt with mango, blackberries, and blueberries and slightly press into yogurt.
Cover with plastic wrap or foil and place in the freezer overnight.
To serve: Lift parchment paper from the baking dish onto a cutting board. Use hands to break bark into pieces.
Source: American Heart Association
