Healthy Week: Heart-Healthy Dinners

Quick heart-healthy dinners in 45 minutes or less.

Start the year off right with an arsenal of speedy suppers that are low in saturated fat and full of foods with special “powers” for keeping your heart healthy. For instance, studies show that barley, the base of our mushroom risotto, is rich in the soluble fiber that helps keep cholesterol levels in check. Beans, such as those in our Minestrone with Greens & Pepperoni, have soluble fiber, too, plus folate, a B vitamin also linked with heart health. Apples contribute crunch—and quercetin, a compound that helps prevent fatty plaque from building up in blood vessels—to Apple Turkey Picadillo, and the tomatoes in Tuna-&-Tomato Mac & Cheese are brimming with lycopene, an antioxidant that lowers cardiovascular risk. Wednesday’s fish dish has, well, fish (a source of heart-healthy omega-3s) and almonds, which are rich in the monounsaturated fats that also keep our tickers in tip-top shape. Phew! Enough about nutrition, these dishes are delish!