Your lunch should supply nutrition and energy for the rest of the afternoon. Choosing nutritious foods can also benefit the health of your heart. Lori Mosca and Mehmet C. Oz, authors of "Heart to Heart, A Personal Plan for a Heart-Healthy Family: Your Guide to the Good Life," report that packing your lunch each day will help you choose the most nutritious foods for your heart. Include foods from several different food groups to get the most benefit.
Turkey Wrap
A turkey wrap can include heart-healthy food from several food groups, report Mosca and Oz. Start with a whole grain tortilla and fill it with lean turkey and low-fat cheese. Fill the majority of your wrap with fresh vegetables because they contain many antioxidants that protect the health of your heart. Carrots, sprouts, bell pepper and tomato slices are all foods that combine well with turkey. Mosca and Oz recommend low-fat spreads, such as mustard, rather than mayonnaise or salad dressing because the saturated fats they contain are not good for for your heart. Hummus is another high-fiber choice that contains unsaturated fats good for your heart.
Grilled Shrimp Salad
Dark leafy greens are filled with many nutrients and antioxidants that are good for the health of your heart. Start your salad with 2 or 3 cups of spinach or romaine lettuce to boost your heart health. Bonnie Sanders Polin, Frances Towner Giedt and the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, authors of "Cleveland Clinic Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide and Cookbook," note that a green salad can be a healthy meal and a shrimp salad can be prepared the night before so you can enjoy it at lunchtime the next day. Grill five or six shrimp with garlic and your favorite spices, and layer on top of the greens for a low-fat protein addition that is good for your heart. Add other vegetables, such as red onions, cucumber slices, tomato chunks and broccoli florets, to pack even more heart-healthy nutrients into your meal.
Crackers, Cheese, Fruit
Crackers, cheese and fruit can create a heart-healthy meal that is quick and easy to prepare, say Mosca and Oz. Start with high-fiber, whole grain crackers that are low in sodium and that do not contain partially hydrogenated oils, which are bad for your heart. Add two or three low-fat cheese slices, such as cheddar, pepper Jack or mozzarella. The majority of your meal should consist of several kinds of fruit, such as grapes, cantaloupe, blueberries or apple slices. A glass of low-fat milk will add additional calcium and protein to increase heart-health nutrients, add Mosca and Oz.
References
- "Heart to Heart, A Personal Plan for a Heart-Healthy Family: Your Guide to the Good Life"; Lori Mosca and Mehmet C. Oz; 2005
- "Cleveland Clinic Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide and Cookbook"; Bonnie Sanders Polin, Frances Towner Giedt and the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center; 2007
