TOPS Helps Build a Heart-Healthy Meal

[Brecksville, OH] – February marks the 50th anniversary of American Heart Month, an occasion aimed at increasing awareness of cardiovascular disease, which is responsible for one out of every four deaths in the United States. This sobering statistic can inspire the commitment to a path of wellness – this month, and throughout the year. The American Heart Association recommends a healthy diet and lifestyle as the best weapons in the fight against heart disease. But being heart-smart doesn’t have to equal dull. Consider the advice from TOPS Club, Inc. ® (Take Off Pounds Sensibly®), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, and Jeanette Hurt, author and home-based chef, on how to prepare delicious meals that are also good for your heart.

 Cutting Fat

 Up the veggies. A simple, yet tasteful, technique to shed fat and calories and boost fiber is to increase the amount of vegetables a recipe calls for. Instead of adding one cup of broccoli florets to your stir-fry, add two cups. Add a half cup more mushrooms to your pasta. Every little bit increases good things – vitamins, minerals and fiber – while decreasing the overall fat and calories per serving. As a general rule, deeper color equals more nutrients.

 You may need to slightly increase the cooking time or add a little bit more liquid to cook those extra vegetables – and a shake or two from your saltshaker – but you won’t have to add copious amounts of extra seasoning or oil when you just add more vegetables.

 You can also add vegetables to recipes that don’t call for them. Grate a half cup of zucchini into your meatloaf; add mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli to your mac and cheese; or toss in tomatoes with your tuna salad. The secret to adding vegetables to things like meatloaf, meatballs and burgers is to grate and chop the vegetables very finely.

 “Sometimes, I first use the grating blade on my food processer, and then I puree the grated vegetables with its standard S-blade. That way, no one can tell I’ve added veggies to my meatloaf,” says Hurt.

 Wipe, don’t pour. “One of the problems when I’m cooking fast is I sometimes pour more oil into my pan than I want to,” notes Hurt. “Instead of pouring the oil directly into the pan, I pour a little bit onto a paper towel and then wipe that across the pan. No more oil overload.”

 Heat the pan first. “I also heat my pan for one minute before I wipe the oil (carefully!) and then allow the oil to warm for 30 seconds to one minute,” says Hurt. “That way, when I add my vegetables, meat or fish, the pan is hot and the oil is hot – so the food will cook more quickly and absorb less oil. I also don’t end up adding more oil as the food cooks.”

 Boosting Flavor

 According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease – and for the estimated one in three Americans  who will develop high blood pressure, a high-sodium diet may be to blame. Swap salt for spices and herbs that add guilt-free flavor.

 Use only new dried spices and herbs. When you open a spice jar, you should get a strong whiff of the spice. Oregano, for example, should smell strongly like oregano. If you only get a tiny sniff of spice, toss the jar. You have to smell it – and if you can’t, then it’s no good and won’t really enhance your recipes.

 Most dried herbs and spices only last for one year in cupboards, and you probably don’t use all of them up before they’re past their prime. Buy spices in smaller quantities – either in smaller jars, or approach the bulk counter and measure out only a few spoonfuls. By using dried spices and herbs that are fragrant, their flavors will really wake up your foods.

 Use fresh herbs when you can. There’s nothing more aromatic than fresh herbs. Even dried herbs don’t have that “zing.”

 “Because I only use small amounts at any one time, I grow my herbs,” recommends Hurt. “Some I grow in my garden, and I use them all summer and fall. Others, I grow in a pot, so I can have them ready to snip when I need them.

 If you can’t get them fresh, get them frozen. Many gourmet food stores sell frozen cubes of cilantro, basil and garlic. But you can also make frozen cubes. Simply take what fresh herbs you aren’t using, chop them in a food processer with a little water, and then pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Place the frozen cubes in freezer-proof sandwich bags and pop out a cube when you need a burst of flavor for your dishes.

 Buy the best-quality foods you can afford. When you use fresh foods, your recipes will taste better, and you’ll also avoid the added salt commonly found in canned or processed foods. But buying fresh and good quality doesn’t have to equal expensive. “I’ve found good meats and vegetables at ethnic grocery stores, discount food stores and farmers markets,” notes Hurt.

 One of the challenges with buying fresh is making sure you “use it before you lose it” – or rather, before it goes bad in your freezer. Cut down on waste by prepping vegetables as soon as you get them home. That way, on busy nights, you can grab things and make dinner in a hurry.

 TOPS Club Inc.® (Take Off Pounds Sensibly®) is the original weight-loss support and wellness education organization. Founded more than 66 years ago, TOPS is the only nonprofit, noncommercial weight-loss organization of its kind. TOPS promotes successful weight management with a “Real People. Real Weight Loss.®” philosophy that combines support from others at weekly chapter meetings, healthy eating, regular exercise and wellness information. TOPS has about 150,000 members – male and female, age seven and older – in thousands of chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. Membership is affordable at just $28 per year in the U.S plus nominal chapter fees.  The Brecksville Chapter meets at Chippewa Place at 7005 Stadium Drive, Brecksville.  Call Laurene Neval at 216-832-1106 or huey15@roadrunner.com for local chapter information.