Posted by
I’ve recently been diagnosed with heart disease.I’m only 21 and in college. So I need to go from a “what can I grab and go?” fast food diet to a heart-healthy diet asap.
My partner is all for eating healthier, but that doesn’t change the fact that we are both short on cooking time.
Are there any quick/easy meals or tips on how to have a heart-healthy diet on the go? -Kelsey
First, we’re so sorry to hear about your diagnosis! We’re totally NOT doctors, but generally-speaking, heart-healthy diets focus on lowering the amounts of fat and salt you eat.
Your easiest bet is to focus eating on whole food — not like the store, but unprocessed food basics like rice, veggies, fruits, and grains. What’s really weird about eating heart-healthy food is that it’ll actually save you a TON of money and time — whole food is really easy and cheap once you get the hang of it… and so much better for your heart!
Covert cooking: how do I sneak healthy food into my family’s diet?
How can I stealthily convert my husband's diet and my teenaged picky sister's diet to get them to eat healthy without knowing. You know… baby... Read more
Our best suggestion is probably just to get a rice cooker — that gives you a ton of super easy options like rice and beans, or rice with frozen veggies and soy sauce. Super cheap, super good for your heart, and super easy.
Speaking of super easy: we have a whole archive of what we call “Megan simple” recipes. See, our editor Megan can’t cook FOR SHIT, and recipes for her have to be beyond easy. Check these posts for some easy recipe ideas. This post may also be helpful: You can afford better food: 10+ ways to get more out of your grocery budget.
But we’d love to open this up to Homies: any suggestion for super easy recipes that are also heart-healthy?
I went through something similar a little over a year ago. Cardiologist recommended a Mediterranean or Paleo diet. He also advised me to avoid all processed food due to the preservatives and high sodium content. So I was totally lost, no clue where to start and freaked out. I’m 39 so I consider myself young for heart disease. I joined emeals – best move ever and really affordable. I picked the clean meal plan and started food prepping every Sunday and Wed evening. The most helpful thing for sometime with time restrictions is food prep. I’m also not a big veggie person so I had to experiment before I found thimgs that work. Some of the easiest things are obviously salads, load them with organic chicken and seafood. Also quiche. I make them on the weekend, load them with veggies and eat them all week. I also reduced “bad” things as opposed to cutting them out. I knew I wouldn’t be successful if I cut sugar for example cold turkey. Mind, Body, Green and 100 days of whole foods are both good resources also. As an aside I’ve lost 60lbs and my bp regulated itself. Skin cleared up, and I can actually sleep through the night now. You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel eliminating all the craps! Best of luck to you!!!
pick a day or evening for meal preps: get zip lock bags, chop veggies for stir fry, separate into one or two servings per bag, so you just empty bag into steamer or pan for sauté. load fruits and veggies in zip lock freezer bags for instant morning smoothy drinks, get a blender or ninja, keep lots of fresh fruit on hand for a quick snack. So many recipes for slow cookers also. Learn to roast lots of you favorite veggies, use for salad toppings, rice topping, or blend w/a little coconut milk for creamy soup to go! so much easy stuff, get some healthy tips at http://www.whole30 or http://www.whole9 …just eat real food! skip as much dairy, as you can. eat wheat berries, and load up on dark leafy greens, consider a vegetarian or paleo diet. Very good for curing inflammation and heart decease as well as diabetes, etc. Good Luck, and get to working out 30 mins everyday! Check everything with your doctor