With the holiday season comes wintery weather, time spent with family, and of course, delicious home-cooked meals.
For those who want to follow a heart-healthy diet, it might feel impossible this time of the year. However, that doesn’t need to be the case. There are plenty of heart-healthy recipes to help get you into the holiday spirit.
“Don’t get stressed out over holiday eating! Include some of these heart-healthy recipes in your repertoire to help balance out those holiday indulgences,” said Toni Havala, MS, RD, LDN, a dietitian with Endeavor Health. “If you try too hard to restrict your diet, you may undereat, feel deprived, and may binge later. Take reasonable portions of the foods you love along with some healthier foods like fresh green salads, whole grains, and lean proteins.”
These recipes are both holiday-worthy and good for your heart.
“These roll ups are just the right amount of protein for a meal,” Havala said. “Rather than a high fat piece of beef or lamb that contains artery clogging saturated fat, the fat source in these roll ups are heart healthy nuts and olive oil from the pesto.”
Apricot Pesto Chicken Rolls
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 cup prepared pesto, any brand
2/3 cups dried apricot halves, chopped finely
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in small pieces (purchasing prechopped cuts down on prep time)
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4” x 5” pieces
Salt (optional)
1/2 cup apricot preserves or jam (low sugar if available)
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Mix pesto, dried apricots, and pecans together in medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Place chicken breast pieces between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Gently pound the chicken breasts with a flat cooking mallet or side of a coffee mug. The chicken breasts should be about 1/8” thick. Remove plastic wrap. Sprinkle the chicken breast lightly with salt if desired.
- Spread approximately 3 Tablespoons pesto mixture on each chicken breast piece. Roll up the breast from the short end (4” side) into a spiral. Press edges to seal and place seam side down in a 13” by 9” baking pan. You can use a toothpick to hold the roll together if needed.
- Brush the melted apricot preserves over the chicken breasts.
- Bake chicken in preheated oven for a total of 45 minutes or until it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Before serving, spoon the juices from the bottom of the pan over the chicken rolls.
Nutrition per serving:
290 calories, 29 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrate, 13 grams fat
“Kale and Brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables which have been consistently shown to have anti-cancer benefits and reduce the risk of heart disease,” Havala said. “This recipe is always a hit when taken to gatherings.”
Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
Makes 12, 1 cup servings
Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons shallot, diced finely (1/2 of a medium shallot)
2 small garlic cloves, finely grated (or 2 tsp garlic paste)
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Black pepper, freshly ground to taste
2 large bunches of kale (about 24 oz), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely shredded
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped*
1 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese
Preparation:
- Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside.
- Mix thinly sliced kale and Brussels sprouts in a large bowl.
- Slowly whisk olive oil into lemon juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over kale mixture. Mix in grated Pecorino cheese. Let sit for ½ hour-2 hours before serving to soften kale and blend flavors together.
- Spread almonds over the top of the salad before serving.
*To give almonds a deeper flavor sauté chopped almonds in 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Nutrition per serving:
150 calories, 10 grams total carbohydrate, 5 grams protein, 4 grams fiber, 10 grams fat
“This dessert packs a nutritional punch with antioxidant rich cranberries and the soluble fiber from the oats and apples,” Havala said.
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Serves 10- 2/3 cup servings
Ingredients:
3 large apples, chopped (Cortland, Honeycrisp or Fuji)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2 Tbsp flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine apples, cranberries, 2 Tbsp flour, 1/3 c. sugar. Mix well.
- Place apple and cranberry mixture in a 2 quart casserole dish.
- Combine oats, chopped pecans, 1/2 c. flour, and brown sugar. Add butter and mix gently until it forms crumbs.
- Spoon oat and nut crumble over the fruit mixture.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Serve warm.
Nutrition per serving:
235 calories, 37 grams total carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 9 grams fat, 3 grams protein
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