FOODS THAT MEET THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATIONS CRITERIA FOR LOW FAT,TRANS FATS AND CHOLESTEROL

How to know if a food is low in cholesterol,trans fats and saturated fats.

The American Heart Association has a logo on foods that they deem worthy of putting their name to,they are products that are low in artery clogging fats and are also low in salt.

Look for a heart with a check mark in the center when going to the market, this label will tell you if the above guidelines have been met.

There is still a fair amount of salt to contend with but a lot lower than traditional type foods.

The best way to eat is buying whole foods (fruits and vegetables)  they are not processed but there comes a time when the palette can dictate something different.

I experienced this after three months of fruits and vegetables and I had some undeniable cravings for different foods. There is something to the saying that variety is the spice of life.

Strive to make your diet as varied as possible and know how to substitute foods that contain fats that are not healthy.

I just printed some recipes from a site that are heart healthy and give the nutritional values of the ingredients that are contained within and I will share two of the recipes.

LIGHTER GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS
1can(10 and three quarter oz) Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
one-quarter cup of milk(2%fat or you can use no-fat)
1tsp onion powder
one-eight tsp pepper
one tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1lb of fresh green beans(about three cups) cooked and drained
2tlbs crushed French's French Fried onions(remember this is a lighter casserole)

DIRECTIONS
1) Stir soup,milk,onion powder,black pepper,soy sauce and green beans in a one and one-half qt casserole.
2)Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly. Stir bean mixture. Top with onions
3)Bake for another 5 min until the onions are golden brown

This makes six servings and the following is the nutritional value per serving.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE
Calories 65
Total fat 2 gm
Sat fat 1gm
Chol 3 gm
Sodium(salt) 235mg
Total Carbs 10gm
Dietary Fiber 2  gm
Protein 2gm
Vitamin A 9%DV(daily value)
VitaminC 10%DV
Calcium 8%DV
Iron 3%DV

SAVORY LEMON CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS
Vegtable cooking spray
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves( if too thick pound them to make thinner)
1can(10and three-quater ox)Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
Two tlbs of water
One tlbs of fresh parsley(or one tsp of dried parley flakes)
One tlbs of lemon juice
One-half tsp of paprika
One-quater cup of chopped green or red pepper
4 lemon slices

DIRECTIONS
 1)Spray a 10 inch skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 min
add chicken and cook for 10 min or until well browned on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet.

2) Stir soup,water,parsley,lemon juice,paprika and pepper in skillet and heat to a boil. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat and cook for five min or until chicken is cooked through. Top chicken with lemon slices.

Makes four servings

NUTRITIONAL VALUE
Calories 197/serving
Total fat 5g
Sat Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 76 mg
Sodium 348mg
Total carb 9g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Protein 28g
Vitamin A 6%DV(daily value)
Vitamin C 15%DV
Calcium 2%DV
Iron 6%DV

Hope you and your families enjoy the recipes.

Look for the heart with the check mark, this will be a guide in knowing the amount of fat that is contained in the foods that you eat.

PS I just had Campbell's Healthy Request Tomato Soup and it is ( um um good.).The back of the can has the heart with the check in the middle. Make sure you pick Healthy Request,there is a Healthy Choice not the same.

Stay Healthy