5 Tips for Heart Healthy Eating on a Budget

With grocery prices still high, adapting to a heart healthy diet is a great way to keep your grocery budget in check.

Here are five ways in which a heart healthy diet can support budget friendly meal planning:

1. Decrease meat intake. Limiting your intake of saturated fat is key when trying to lower your cholesterol. Saturated fat primarily comes from animal products, so eating them less often and/or in smaller amounts is recommended.
2. Eat more beans and lentils. As you work to decrease your intake of meat, consider beans and lentils as an excellent way to incorporate plant-based protein. Beans and lentils do not contain saturated fat and have the added bonus of being full of fiber, which also is beneficial when trying to lower your cholesterol.
3. Fill up on whole grains. Whole grains are another way to incorporate more fiber into your diet. By choosing to buy minimally processed whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa and old-fashioned oats, you can save money in comparison to buying highly processed, prepared foods.
4. Limit highly processed snack foods. Generally, when we reach for a snack, it is something that is full of sodium and/or added sugar. When you want to reach for a snack, try to stick with whole foods such as fruit, low-sugar yogurt or lightly salted nuts.
5. Choose produce wisely. While many people are concerned that eating more vegetables will be expensive, when you choose the right vegetables, you save money. Choose vegetables and fruits that are in season. Also, consider buying frozen or no-salt-added, canned vegetables. When buying canned fruit, look for fruit canned in 100% juice. No matter how you choose to buy them, when it comes to vegetables and fruits, the more the better!

If you are struggling with food choices, cardiac nutrition can help to provide guidance.

Try this vegetarian White Bean Tuscan Soup recipe — you won't miss the meat!

White Bean Tuscan Soup

Ingredients

• Two 15 oz. cans reduced sodium cannellini beans; drained and rinsed well
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• Two dried bay leaves
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• ¼ tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 cups chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)

Instructions

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion, carrots, celery and peppers in oil until vegetables are tender. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, then stir in the beans. Add broth, bay leaves and seasonings. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes. Before serving, remove bay leaves. Stir in chopped spinach.

Nutrition

• Yield: 8 (1 cup) servings
• Calories per serving: 145
• Fat per serving: 2g
• Saturated fat per serving: 0g
• Carbs per serving: 26g
• Protein per serving: 9g
• Fiber per serving: 8g
• Added sugar per serving: 0g
• Sodium per serving: 150mg