A menu planner can help you target your meals in different ways. In addition to enabling you to plan meals that your family enjoys, you can use your planner to write down meals that address specific health needs. Protecting your heart through the preparation of healthy meals can have a positive impact on your quality of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the two most common causes of death in 2007 were cancer and heart disease. Use your meal planner to plan meals that can help keep your heart healthy and reduce your risk of cancer.
Step 1
Decide how to lay out your meal planner. Use a three-ring binder with removable pages to make rearranging sections easier. Section the planner into recipe ideas, shopping lists and weekly meals. Divide your weekly meal section into breakfast, lunch and dinner or by date.
Step 2
Plan your breakfast meals for the week. Concentrate on high-fiber selections as recommended by the American Heart Association. A diet high in fiber can help lower your blood cholesterol levels and decrease your chances of developing heart disease. Start your breakfast meals with oatmeal one day and whole-grain cereal the next. Add a protein-rich breakfast of scrambled egg-whites or omelet two days a week. Write down side dishes for breakfast such as 100 percent fruit juice, a cup of orange slices or fat-free cream cheese for your whole-wheat bagel.
Step 3
Concentrate on planning snacks. Elisa S. Zied, registered dietitian, says that people mindlessly snack because they do not plan healthy snacks and are vulnerable to the 24-hour availability of food. Write down your snacks for the week. Include the time of day you will eat your snack. Include whole foods such as fruits, easy-to-eat vegetables like carrot and celery sticks and fat-free yogurt. Limit the amount of salty snacks by purchasing sodium-free pretzels, crackers and heart-healthy nuts.
Step 4
Use the lunch section of your planner to plan heart-healthy lunches. Avoid the temptation to spontaneously eat sodium-filled fast-food meals because you do not have a healthy lunch with you. A diet high in sodium can lead to high blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health. Plan to eat low-sodium deli turkey or ham, lettuce and tomatoes on whole-grain bread. Use different breads such as pitas, 1/2 a sub roll or spinach wraps. Accompany your sandwiches with fat-free plain yogurt, a light cheese stick and some fruit. Plan to eat dinner leftovers one or two lunches a week.
Step 5
Plan dinners for the nights of the week you will be home. Include homemade soups made with broth to keep your dinner calories low. Part of a heart healthy diet is eating foods to lose or maintain your healthy weight, states MayoClinic.com. Grill or roast lean meats as a main dish, and include a vegetarian pasta dish one night a week. Plan to serve more herb-seasoned vegetables than meat with each meal. To avoid feeling deprived, occasionally make a low-fat fruit smoothie for dessert.
Tips and Warnings
- Take your planner with you when you go grocery shopping. If you have a family, involve them in meal planning. Try a new recipe on occasion. Buy enough healthy snacks to store some at your office.
- Consult with your doctor before beginning a new diet program.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Life Expectancy at All Time High; Death Rates Reach New Low, New Report Shows
- American Heart Association: Whole Grains and Fiber
- American Dietetic Association: Never-Ending Snack Attacks: How to Turn Potential Perils Into Perks
- National Institutes of Health: Sodium in Diet
- MayoClinic.com: 5 Medication-Free Strategies to Help Prevent Heart Disease
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