When you're structuring your diet around foods that support heart health, it's easy to get a tad bored with your choices. Eating for a healthy heart doesn't have to feel like an exercise in self-deprivation. By considering some of the less common options, you're widening your spectrum of culinary experiences while doing your heart a favor. Salads are a great choice for nourishing your body with tasty, guilt-free sustenance and can be prepared from an endless variety of ingredient combinations.
Think Global
The world is your smorgasbord when it comes to fresh ideas for salad selection. The Mayo Clinic recommends tabbouleh, a traditional Middle Eastern salad composed of bulgur wheat, veggies, parsley and mint tossed in a mix of olive oil and lemon choice.
A Greek salad made of eggplant, spinach, cucumbers and other veggies tossed with a few tablespoons of crumbled feta and a vinaigrette is a great choice when combined with a vitamin C rich fruit or juice to boost iron and calcium absorption.
Add an Asian touch to a bean salad by making it with edamame.
Protect with Protein
Adding a source of protein can turn your heart healthy salad into a main dish. The American Heart Association suggests using skinless chicken breasts and multigrain rotini to create a robust salad when combined with low fat blue cheese, veggies and vinaigrette.
For a spicy chicken salad, you can combine skinless chicken breasts with corn, black beans, fat-free cheddar, chipotle peppers, lime juice, cilantro and salad greens garnished with crushed baked tortilla chips.
Seafood lovers might try a salmon and white bean salad, which can be prepared quickly and easily using canned salmon, cannellini beans, light Italian dressing, tomatoes and croutons.
Flavors to Savor
Adding just one or two unexpected heart-healthy ingredients may be all you need to lift your salad above the lunchtime doldrums. The University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension suggests sliced artichoke hearts for a tangy taste. Choosing a fresh block of good quality parmesan will elevate the flavor level of this perennial calcium-boosting favorite, so you'll use less. As a bonus, block cheese stays fresh and flavorful longer than grated. Dried fruit is another unusual and flavor-rich choice as a salad topper, and is rich in antioxidants. Try making your own croutons from whole grain breads tossed in a bit of cooking spray and baked. Seeds, nuts, olives and fresh herbs add limitless possibilities for tasty salad creations.
