It’s Heart Month and our food choices can have a big impact on our heart health.
The Portfolio Diet is a way of eating that has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart disease. One element of the Portfolio Diet is to eat 50 grams of plant protein every day. Compared to animal proteins, there’s less saturated fat and more fibre in plant-based proteins. If you find it tough to eat plant-based proteins, start by aiming for 25 grams.
Make meals using plant-based ingredients like: beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, edamame beans / soy beans, fortified soy beverage, tempeh, veggie burgers and soy based “meats.” Blend these ingredients with some of your favourite meals. For example, add a cup of canned lentils to a spaghetti sauce, toss a handful of edamame beans into a salad or make a latté with fortified soy beverage.
Here are a few recipes ideas:
– Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad (pictured)
Enjoy!
Alright, we all know that eating fruits and veggies are good for you. In fact, eating at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies every day can lower your risk for health problems such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
