As good as sodium can taste when you add it to your food as an extra seasoning, too much of it can cause serious problems, such as heart disease and heart failure. That’s why it’s important for people at risk for heart problems to maintain both healthy eating and drinking habits. Many precooked or prepackaged foods contain tons of sodium, much like restaurant meals, making it seem difficult to control how much salt you are consuming. That’s why making your own recipes is a great way to keep your intake up.
We spoke to experts from the medical board Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT, and Tammy Lakatos Shame, RDN, CDN, CFTalso known as The Nutrition Twins and authors of Veggie cure from the Nutrition Twins, to come up with some of the best low-sodium recipes to reduce your risk of heart disease. For more recipes, check out 35+ Healthy Pasta Recipes for Weight Loss.
“While the average Chinese meal comes in with a whopping 2,348 milligrams of sodium in a single takeout package, this DIY version has less than 1/6 of that (365 mg),” say The Nutrition Twins.
An added bonus with this recipe is that the tofu can also help lower your risk of heart disease. Research posted in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people who eat tofu at least once a week lowered their risk of heart disease by 18%.
According to The Nutrition Twins, broccoli promotes heart health in many ways, including potentially helping to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while raising “good” HDL cholesterol. This reduces your overall risk of a heart attack and may protect against cell death after a heart attack.
†Research also shows that eating broccoli is associated with fewer calcifications in the aorta,” says The Nutrition Twins.
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A creamy, crunchy, sweet and savory chicken salad that’s good for your heart may seem too good to be true, but it isn’t!
“Chicken is rich in protein, zinc and niacin, and new research from Israel shows that a diet containing a combination of these nutrients makes blood vessels more flexible and improves heart health,” says The Nutrition Twins.
The Nutrition Twins also say onions contain sulfur compounds and antioxidants that fight inflammation, lower triglycerides and lower cholesterol, all of which help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Meanwhile, the curry powder has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve circulation, and lower cholesterol, adding to the heart-disease-fighting benefits this meal provides.
The Nutrition Twins suggest serving this sandwich open to cut sodium below 400 milligrams.
Get our recipe for Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe With Olive Oil Mayo
“This flavorful lunch or dinner recipe is a shining star when it comes to heart health,” say The Nutrition Twins. “With less than 100 mg of sodium in the whole dish (that’s less than 5% of your maximum daily sodium intake), you’ll struggle to find a meal lower in sodium.”
A study published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism has shown that the omega 3 fatty acids of salmon provide strong protection for the heart. It also improves heart function by lowering triglycerides and blood pressure, while protecting against arrhythmias — an abnormality in the timing or pattern of the heartbeat — and more.
As said by The Nutrition Twins, research has shown that fish eaters are less likely to have heart attacks than non-fish eaters. Antioxidant-rich cumin helps “mop up” free radicals and protects cells in the body, including the heart and blood vessels, from oxidation and harmful inflammation. Cumin has also been shown to keep the heart healthy by: lower cholesterol†
The soluble fiber and flavonoids in the pineapple and lime can also help improve cholesterol levels by increasing HDL cholesterol and lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
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A taco dish that serves heart protection and a party on a plate? Yes please!
According to new research posted in the Journal of the American Heart Association, people who eat at least two servings of avocados per week have a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease. They also have a 21% lower risk of heart attack or a problem related to coronary artery disease than those who rarely or never eat avocados.
The Nutrition Twins also state that replacing foods high in saturated fat, such as butter, cheese and meat, with unsaturated fat such as avocados helps lower LDL cholesterol, which is a major contributor to coronary artery disease.
The Ahi tuna contains omega 3 fatty acids, which help lower cholesterol and improve heart health. Both green and red cabbage can increase beta-carotene, lutein and other antioxidants that protect the heart and reduce inflammation. Like avocados, cabbage helps lower LDL cholesterol.
To lower sodium below 400 milligrams, The Nutrition Twins suggest going easy on the pickled onions and hot sauce.
Get our recipe for Spicy Fish Taco With Tuna And Avocado Recipe
A perfect alternative to candy, overnight oats have many benefits.
“While this whole meal recipe only has 69 milligrams of sodium, that’s not the only reason this recipe rocks when it comes to your heart,” says The Nutrition Twins. “Soluble fiber from oats, beta-glucan, lowers LDL and total cholesterol to help keep your arteries clean.”
In fact, a summary of 24 studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that diets containing high amounts of oats lowered cholesterol levels by an average of 6.5 points more than the control group.
According to The Nutrition Twins, orange contains powerful flavonoids, including naringenin and hesperidin, that may help improve blood pressure and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis — the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on artery walls. The flaxseeds are packed with fiber, antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids, all of which contribute to their ability to reduce the risk of heart disease.
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