We don’t often think about the link between what we eat and our health. But if we plan to focus on a few ingredients that we know will benefit our health, it really is not hard to do. I suggest you put a list of foods on your fridge you want to incorporate into your diet on a regular basis.
Here are some foods to include on that list that are good for your heart:
- Nuts, such as almonds and walnuts
- Fish that are high in Omega-3s, such as salmon and tuna
- Berries
- Flaxseeds
- Dark beans, such as black and kidney
- Red, yellow, and orange veggies
- Oatmeal
- Tomatoes
- Dark Chocolate (70% cacao or more)
And to give you a head start, I have included a recipe using 5 or these ingredients in the one meal below.
Southwest Black Bean Soup
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp coconut oil
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 ½ oz) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
¾ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
6 Tbsp plain yogurt
In a large saucepan, sauté the pepper, celery, and onion in the coconut oil until tender. Add the beans, broth, tomatoes, chilies, and cumin. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Serve in bowls and top with plain yogurt.
Inspired by: tasteofhome.com
Dessert portion of the meal:
One cup of raw organic almonds
Olive Oil
1 cup dark chocolate chips (70% cocoa)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Cinnamon
Spread almonds out onto a lined cookie sheet. Pour a little olive oil onto your hands and coat almonds. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
While almonds cool, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a bowl using your microwave oven. Make sure to stir often and don’t overcook.
Mix almonds into melted chocolate. Drop by the spoonful onto lined baking sheet. Put in the fridge to harden.
