Hi Folks.
I have heart disease and day to day I struggle to know what to eat for the best.I know fruit and veg are good and saturated and processed food are bad, but I don't cook very well so putting together a meal that is nutritious is proving tricky.I would even consider having meals delivered.
Any suggestions would be welcome.
Sirbeatalot.
Well, here goes one idea:
Do you like tinned fish? Things like mackerel in a tasty sauce? Or sardines? You could do worse than acquire a taste for them.
Cook up 75-100g of dried wholewheat pasta (11 mins in boiling water with a little rapeseed oil added to the pan), drain it into a colander, rinse with fresh boiled water and put the cooked pasta into a heated pasta dish. Halve some pitted olives and sun-dried tomatoes bought from the chilled antipasti counter at your local supermarket. Chop up half a fresh red capsicum pepper. Add that lot into the cooked pasta and stir. Now open the canned fish over the pasta and tip the entire contents of the tin over the dish. All of it. Gently flake the fish keeping it on top of everything. Put some torn lettuce leaves and cucumber slices (thick, halved) in a separate dish, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and season with black pepper. Add the side salad in to the pasta as you eat. Enjoy!
The entire dish takes about 20 mins to prepare.
You can swap out the tinned fish, which is excellent nutritionally, for any other protein either fresh or canned that takes your fancy. You can also add other veg and salad stuff for variety.
I hope you like it!
Hi.Thanks for the advice and recipe idea.I do eat mackerel now but on toast which perhaps I should cut out from what others have said.
I love mackeral on toast with Lee and perins , yum 😀
Salads are always a good idea. Look for Mediterranean diet guides. They are usually simple and tasty.Avoid sugary and ultra-processed stuff. Low-fat options may not be so brill.
Thanks, all good sound advice.
I don’t cook won’t cook 
fish is great salads are great. I suggest avoiding too much carbs in the form of bread pasta etc I feel better without them . Yoghurt , Sauerkraut and fermented type foods are good. Eat smallish meals rather than massive.Bon appetite
Cheers thank you.
Control potion sizes and everything in moderation...nothing magic about it. Our bodies are designed to deal with a varied diet and you can eat too much of anything.
Your right size matters.
Take a look at slimmingworld.co.uk - loads of recipes on there that are easy to follow and healthy. I don't do SlimmingWorld as such and I don't count calories but, like you, I want to try and be healthier.
Thank you.
Think simply, things you would normally eat like a big Sunday roast , firstly it’s packed full off veg and chicken is a protein, it’s the cooking of it that can add to problems , try and steam your veg or simply cut it up and roast with olive oil , forget buttery mash ans have a baked potato, gravy wise , make sure it’s a low salt bistro and make it thin . Then you are not changing your habits too much but you have removed a ton of calories from a meal . Try not to snack unless it’s fruit , sometimes we snack because we are thirsty, have a cuppa instead or water. Try flatbreads instead of a white bloomer , make wraps with chicken , prawn , whatever you like with salad for lunch . Try and bulk up on tons of veg and a small handful of your chosen proteins for most meals . Drink as much water as you can believe it or not that helps . You could go drastically and remove all sugary foods from your kitchen and not buy anymore , have a complete overhaul . Mainly though it’s hard to advise because I don’t know what type of food you enjoy eating . Butter is a no no , swap it for a low fat spread or olive oil . What type of food do you eat ? Can you tell me what your normal food is for a day ? And we can go from there .
Hi.For breakfast I have porridge one day and then 2 weetabix with a small amount of alpen muesli and a sprinkling of flax seed the next.
A banana mid morning plus
1 Square of dark chocolate.
For lunch I might have mackerel on toast ( one round)
An Apple and a small orange mid afternoon.
Dinner I might have potatoes, broccoli and vegan type sausages or a piece of chicken.
Numerous cups of decaffeinated tea and the odd rich tea biscuit during the day.
Actually it doesn't sound that bad just not very adventurous.
You could add some fruit to breakfast, banana or frozen berries. Perhaps a bit of salad with lunch - tomato and cucumber go well with mackerel, I find, and another veg with your dinner. Frozen is as good as fresh.
Yes, I actually buy frozen brocoli and frozen sprouts.
Hi there your diet sounds great, a couple of tweaks though maybe , so you use full fat milk ? Switch it to low fat if you can , so you have sugar in your tea ? Maybe ditch the potatoes for rice , yano uncle bens sachets of rice for £1 are really quick and easy . Potatoes now and again are fine but every day , added with the butter etc adds a lot of calories that isn’t needed . How about some crackers at lunch with your mackerel instead of bread ? Change the sugar in the porrage for honey if you can , for me personally if I have any cereal at all it’s got to have a ton of sugar. So I stick to a low fat yogurt instead for breakfast with a banana. Maybe give that a go .
Hi. I forgot to say that I only have skimmed milk and no butter but low fat or plant based spread.Also I don't have any sugar on my porridge or weetabix.I also missed off having a yoghurt after dinner as a pudding, although it is a bit sweet, so perhaps I should change that.Actually writing it out like this is good in that I can see I am doing some things right.
Still a way to go but it has been a big help.
Thanks.
A good quality extra virgin olive oil packaged in either a dark bottle or can. Plenty of fish, nuts & nutrient rich vegetables. Wholemeal everything instead of white stuff. Either porridge or muesli with seeds for brekkie
Good advice thank you.
Just to add what everyone has said.
Hello, first thing I would say is don't get food delivered (unless you can see what sugar/fats (particularly saturated fats) and the big one salt is in it.
Did you ever learn to read, ride a bike or drive a car, then yes you can learn to cook. If it goes wrong then don't worry you will have learnt something for next time.
Look on the BHF receipe finder for ideas and also the articles about nutrition. I do and they are invaluable.
Last thing have you got space to grow your own veg and things like tomotoes, it will be too late for this year, but you could for next year and nothing tastes as good as own grown toms and beans.
Happy cooking, once you get to eat your own food and find how tasty it can be, you won't look back.
Thank you some good advice and yes I do actually have an area at the side of the house which could be used for vegetable growing.Food for thought!
Hi you have had lots of good advice There is a community here on HU called Healthy Eating you could check it out ,
My top tips are Oatabix for breakfast rather than weetabix the reason being that oats are one food that has been scientifically proven to help heart health
Tesco do a one a day high strength cod liver oil capsule I recommend this
My other recommendation is to take half a teaspoon or a level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda every day in water or juice this will promote alkaline in your body , I have long covid , my heart rate increased but bicarbonate of soda slowed it down
Thank you, I will definitely try the Oatabix and the cod liver oil capsules.
I follow a Mediterranean diet as recommended by the BHF. As I have Type I diabetes I limit carbs to. 120 - 130gms per day.
My favourite cookbook is *Delicious Dishes for Diabetics - A Mediterranean Way of Eating " by Robin Ellis who was the original Ross Poldark.
Thank you I will give it a look.
Hi. Glad I came across your post. I know just what you mean. I actually have a low fat/low cholesterol cook book with some tasty recipes in and I used it years ago.Stuff happened and I became.lax. Adjusting recipes to just cook for one seemed a faff Maybe if I had stuck with it I'd have been better today..Who knows Maybe I need to dig out the book and make friends with my.freezer make.bigger portions to freeze and enjoy. I have always liked veggies but preferably smothered with gravy. So.many of the.salady dishes leave me feeling half starved. I.like to get my teeth.into food...Cardiologist has made it very clear.that my cholesterol level is dangerouly high so.need to take things seriously, though it is going to take.more than.diet to clear my arterys. BUT every little helps..Some good tips in your replys. Quite a lot I use.
.
HiNora-B.Yes I agree it is very easy to lapse into apathy where food is concerned and because nothing immediately happens when we eat the wrong food we can be lulled into a false sense of security.
As you say every little helps.....
If I need inspiration, I think about what I would like to eat, ask Siri on my phone or iPad and watch a video of how to make something. Adding spices or herbs can make a really bland sounding meal so tasty. I marinade chicken in a variety of different spices in fridge overnight and the taste can be great. Cooking is a choice and once you get over the fear of making mistakes it becomes enjoyable … I have made loads of mistakes but it’s all a learning curve and practice increases confidence.
Still cannot make pastry or Yorkshire puddings but love making Mediterranean roast veg., feta cheese salads and pasta dishes and curries from scratch now . Xx
Wiltshire foods do some good meals though but cheaper to make your own. Good luck x
Hi Madelon13.Thank you for your inspiration, I'm now feeling hungry!
I will have to try and cook I guess and who knows as you say it might be fun.
HelloEat whatever you want/like but in moderation. Moderation is the key there is a reason we like things that are not good for us, our body wants/needs it.
If you like a Hollands Meat Pie or a Greggs Sausage Roll have one (other brands available ) I really think I would become depressed having a Cod Liver oil capsule or Oatabix etc for breakfast !! but that is a personal opinion.
Breakfast
One slice of Toast with a Poached Egg is around 145 calories not a bad breakfast followed by Aspirin and Entresto, Omeprazole, and of course Bisoprolol washed down with a Coffee. I know it won't suit everyone but I seem to manage OK on it. Mid Morning if your peckish you can have an Eplerenone, and Supper try a Statin Oh mid Afternoon have the other Entresto !!!
Don't forget what is Not Good for you this week, maybe is a must to have next week
Hope that Helps
Thank you.Agree moderation is the key.
I also have AF and occasionally have a beer which is not altogether recommended but again moderation is important.
Hi
When I have a beer it's usually 4 x 500 ml once a week, occasionally twice a week !!! I never have more than 5 % abv.
I find I can manage that fine I never drink Spirits, but an occasional Red Wine.
I am not recommending this, just it suits me fine.
Had bypass surgery and stents, now diagnosed with Moderate /Severe Heart Failure. 74 next month so I reckon should I get to 80 I will have enjoyed life to the Full
Stay Well Stay Safe
Hi Prada47.I do think you have to live life rather than just survive it.
I only drink beer now instead of wine and beer, as wine can trigger AF.
Beer seems to suit me and so far no problems but again moderation is the key.
Reality of Heart Disease
Holidaying with heart disease
Heart
Food for thought.
