Preparing dinner is anything but easy. From the planning down to the last minute needs-more-flavor adjustments, whipping up a lovely dinner, even for your husband, requires more effort than most women can actually think of. But preparing a special dinner date for your hubby can be really quite challenging not only because you seemed to have run out of recipe that your hubby will find exciting but most importantly because you have your body and health to care for.
Sure it wouldn’t be too much to indulge in some king-sized cut steaks on a special night. But caring for your health, and most importantly your heart’s health, requires determination and willingness to stick to what’s really good for you. Your special night shouldn’t really be your “cheat” day, the time of the year when you can savor juicy steaks, flavorful Mexican dishes (read: high in sodium tortilla chips), and the rich, velvety haute cuisine of Paris; it should be really about challenging your limits: Making heart-healthy decisions no matter how tempted you are to forget about your doctor’s advice and just plainly sticking to what you know is best for you and your heart.
While the challenge of cooking healthy heart foods can be really overwhelming, knowing that you will be making your heart and your sweetheart a favor, you know that the efforts that you will put into making this will be all worth it. To ease the pressure a bit, we’re giving you this shopping guide to help you choose healthy heart foods when planning for your menu.
In preparing heart healthy dishes, you may want to keep in mind this uber simple rule: The more veggies and fruits you have in your plate, the better for your heart. And because Mother Nature is one colorful chick, it is definitely easier to pull off a colorful dinner plate for you and your husband. We have prepared in advance a heart healthy grocery list so you can confidently stroll down the aisle knowing that what you have in your basket will satisfy both your taste palate’s and heart’s desire.
fruits and vegetables
Your doctor will tell you that the more veggies and fruits you have, the better for your health. But having fruits and vegetables daily can be downright boring. And we know that the least thing you want to do is to share the very salad you’re having for the rest of the year. Excite your senses by sticking to bright and deeply colored fruits and veggies throughout. Your shopping list should include peaches, spinach, berries, and carrots. These items pale in comparison to light-colored items as they are packed with vitamins and minerals that will be good for you and your hubby.
1. Canned or frozen vegetables are great substitutes to fresh options. Make sure that you check the label; only choose those that are in water. Fruits and veggies diluted in sugary syrups or water with iodized salt are like floating in trans and saturated fat. When it comes to shopping for canned items, what will save you from the many unhealthy-pretending-to-be-healthy items is reading the label.
2. Sure, cranberry juice is a colorful addition to your table, especially to keep you hubby’s mind away from the fact that it’s taking you so long to prepare the antipasti. Promise that you’ll never drop a pack of fruit juice in your basket. Aside from the fact that they’re essentially useless to controlling carvings and satisfying your hunger, these fruit-in-a-box don’t even come close to its fresh counterparts when it comes to weighing its fiber content.
3. For your carbs, you may want to stick to items that will offer you the greatest amount of fiber in lesser serving portion. Our best bets include beans, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, bananas, apples, and peas.
4. Healthy desserts call for creativity. We know that a bowl of fruits is like a staple to your every dining experience but will it help if we tell you that it is really the tastiest option for heart health-watchers like you? Soy-based cream cheese will exactly look like that but the taste really doesn’t come close. And no, opening a chocolate pudding on this special night shouldn’t even come to your mind.
To put a sweet ending to your dinner date, we simply love this less than 15 minutes recipe from EatingWell.com: Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate. This low cal, diabetes-appropriate, and super heart healthy dessert is perfect for those who want a no-fuss and no-bake recipe. With only two ingredients and less than 10 minutes prep time, this recipe is definitely for women over 40 who want to be hands on the kitchen without looking it.
yummy protein
Protein diet is one of the most favored weight loss methods of the Hollywood A-listers and socialites. The reason is that you get to eat and lose weight at the same time. But for your special night, we know that the last thing you want your hubby to feel is that you are putting him into some sort of diet.
Putting protein in your dinner plate is definitely one sumptuous idea. Aside from increasing satiety (Read: Being satisfied after a meal), protein actually decreases hunger pangs, which is good given that you will be sharing a five-course meal.
So if you’re on a budget, it might be a good idea to prepare some grilled protein surprise to lessen what the dishes that you need to spend on. This may be seemed to good to be true since you haven’t had a piece of juicy steak since you cared for your heart health but protein doesn’t necessarily translate to devouring pork or beef. Here’s our shopping list for your V-day protein:
1. In preparing heart healthy food, it is always wise that you go for white meats. And what could be healthier than preparing a low-fat and omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish-based dish? No matter how healthy your source of protein is, always make sure that you follow your recommended food portion because going beyond your food meter can actually lead to weight gain.
A healthy portion of fish dish should be roughly the size of a checkbook. If you’re still on the market for heart-healthy fish, head to the section where they pride themselves with cold water fishes. Our list greatly favors trout, snapper, herring, and, of course, salmon.
2. Fish can be really good for your heart. So don’t try to strip all its nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids by dropping it in the frying pan. For our recommended prep methods, boiling and steaming always top our list.
3. Reward yourself for being so heart healthy-conscious all year long. If you want to surprise your hubby with the reds, we recommend that you narrow your choice with those that are labeled with “round” and “loin” as these items contain the least of fat in their category.
4. Do you miss pork but the Doc insists that you stay on the white? Here’s good news: Experts recently labeled pork tenderloin as white meat. And what’s even better that the cuts being sold at the market today is 31 percent leaner than those that are being sold to your mom. Who says you have to miss the good things when heeding your doctor’s advice?
5. Protein shouldn’t mean meat. When it comes to practicing vegetarians and those who want to follow their footsteps, plant-based protein is the best and tastiest substitute to animal meat. If you haven’t been so non-meat eater last season, this month when everything turned red, we dare you to just think green. Instead of splurging on premium cuts, go for meat substitutes like tofu (known for its unpopular term, soybean curd), peas, or dried beans.
6. Thinking of more incentive to let go of your desire to devour red meat? Going for plant-based proteins not only supplies you with protein but loads you up with fiber as well. Be really good for your body and heart. Serving a half-cup of beans will not only lower your cholesterol but will also make you feel fuller for longer.
7. Prepare to go nutty and your heart will thank you for it. Serving seeds and nuts for a special night will not only boost your memory so you can take your hubby down at lover’s lane but will also supply the “good” fats that your body needs. However, nuts and seeds are also loaded with calories, so enjoy them in moderation.
filling breads
While waiting for the antipasti, nothing shortens the waiting time better than two to three slices of bread. When it comes to shopping for bread, whether you’re choosing something special for this special night or the ordinary sweet days, choosing whole-grain breads over refined grains gives the biggest bang for your money.
Though they are really quite expensive, whole-grain breads gives you more than just fiber. Serving your hubby whole-grain slices are loaded with minerals, vitamins, and, hear this, antioxidants. All these benefits essentially come from three major component of whole-grain: Germ, endosperm, and bran.
So when it comes to shopping for whole-grain breads, make sure that the label says “whole grain” and their ingredients have grain topping their list. Also double check the following items in the label: 0 g of trans fat and the word “partially hydrogenated” is not on their ingredients list.
1. Nothing sweetens a special date better than cookies, cakes, and pies. But make sure that you limit your shopping to a sort-of sample portions instead of buying the whole box. If you’re quite unsure of what you need to shop, we recommend low-fat or fat-free and low-sodium varieties of cookies and crackers.
2. Can’t squeeze in baking time in your sched? Drop by your next door bakery and choose items that are made with monounsaturated oils, egg whites, and reduced-fat or skim milk. If your fave goodies store is quite upscale, then check the Nutrition Facts label so you can see how much cholesterol, trans fat, and saturated fats are in it. Always, always, check the label.
3. Raisin bran really tastes good and can sound healthy too. But if you’re really extra careful about your heart health, shop for a loaf of raisin bread instead.
bits and extras
1. Need butter? We recommend shopping for soft margarines that have virtually 0 trans fat than fatty butter. Yes, butter may give your dish that savory and, of course, buttery flavor but experts know that margarines can give off that extra special taste too. Remember, making heart healthy dishes doesn’t end with choosing the star of each plate but everything that goes behind and in it.
2. In dishes that require eggs, we recommend switching to egg substitutes or eggs whites instead of egg yolk.
3. For your olive oil, choose the dark greens instead of the yellow ones. The dark color may put you off first but it’s definitely the healthiest and least processed than the seemingly clean, yellow varieties.
4. Need a more affordable but equally healthy oil variety? We recommend those that have lower cholesterol and trans fat. Our shopping list essentially includes soybean oil, safflower oil, canola oil, sesame oil, and sunflower oil. But what about other vegetable oils like coconut oil and palm oil? Cross out these items from your grocery list as they are really high in saturated fats.
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