A keto diet (also known as a very low carbohydrate diet) consists largely of fat sources like avocados, nuts, olive oil and other unsaturated sources like flax seed oil to provide you with energy and feel full. This ensures a long and energetic day ahead!
However, a new study indicates it could increase LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and raise cardiovascular risks like blocked arteries and heart attacks, particularly among older adults. This finding holds especially true.
Artichokes with Red Onions
This heart healthy recipe is full of antioxidants and fiber. With minimal preparation time needed, it’s an easy meal to prepare! Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F before working with one artichoke at a time to cut its outer leaves down to white stems, peel away its dark green skin, cut each in half lengthwise lengthwise and scrape off any tough bits with your knife to find and remove fuzzy choke. After trimming and peeling away its outer leaves and peeling away dark green skin layers, soak artichokes in lemon water (squeeze half lemon over bowl of cold water before placing the artichokes in) in order to prevent further oxidation while you prepare other components of this dish.
To create caramelized onions, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium-low heat and add onions. Keep stirring to prevent burning as they cook until onions have reached a golden hue and cooked all the way through, approximately 5-6 minutes. Next add garlic and herbs; cook an additional minute or so. Once complete, combine artichokes and caramelized onions together into one large bowl, drizzled with additional olive oil, as desired, while seasoning to taste with additional seasoning such as salt and pepper as desired!
This salad offers a fresh, light take on an Italian classic and makes an excellent option for heart healthy keto diets or lunch or dinner. Featuring romaine lettuce, baby artichoke hearts, orange peppers, yellow peppers, kalamata olives and pickled red onions in a zesty lemon mustard vinaigrette for maximum flavor and texture; vegan and gluten-free friendly too!
Turkey Sausage with Cauliflower and Capers
Protein can help lower blood glucose and inflammation by improving insulin function, making these turkey sausages made with cauliflower wafel and cage free eggs delicious and heart healthy!
This easy sheet-pan meal combines delicious sauteed vegetables with zesty sausages and olives for an irresistibly flavorful sheet-pan meal! Cauliflower florets absorb the flavors of tomato sauce for tender sweet results while sausages sizzle and brown. Feel free to experiment using any lean meat sausage you enjoy; pork, turkey or lamb are all excellent choices.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and combine cauliflower with oil and salt in a large bowl, before spreading in an unlined rimmed baking sheet lined with foil and roasting until its florets begin to brown, about 25 minutes. While that happens, saute the Beyond Sausages on medium-low heat in a skillet for 7 minutes until golden-brown on all sides – transfer these onto your baking sheet as well and continue roasting until both your cauliflower is tender and caramelized while your sausages are golden-brown all around; both items should take 25 minutes longer to complete than their respective tasks!
Remove the pan from the oven, add olives and raisins, stir into yogurt, season to taste with salt and pepper and spoon into a shallow serving dish topped with chopped parsley if desired and decorate with Turkish pepper and pine nuts for decoration. This makes an easy weeknight dinner that can also make an impressive lunch served alongside some arugula leaves or some slices of toast whole grain bread!
Garlic-Roasted Spinach
Garlic-Roasted Spinach is an easy and delicious side dish perfect for heart health, packed with the flavor of roasted garlic and tender, wilted spinach – making it the ideal addition to any meal or event!
Start with some fresh spinach leaves (we used baby spinach) and some thinly-sliced roasted garlic slices, and create this easy side dish in under 10 minutes – it’s so light, fresh and flavorful – making it the ideal accompaniment to steak, chicken thighs, pork chops or garlic butter shrimp dishes!
Heat some olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven and saute garlic slivers until they’re lightly browned (but not burned), before tossing in spinach and seasonings, as well as tossing to create an easy stir fry dish that will wilt your greens down nicely.
Frozen spinach may be convenient if fresh varieties are unavailable, but fresh spinach offers more flavor and nutritional benefits, including vitamin C and A as well as folate, fiber, iron and calcium.
Once the spinach has wilted, remove from heat and mix in some lemon juice before taste-testing for salt and pepper adjustments as necessary. This delicious spinach dish can be enjoyed right away or served up as part of your weekly lunch or dinner meal prep salad!
Use this versatile salad alone or incorporate it into grain bowls, alongside grilled meat and seafood, soups, frittatas, or scrambles for an amazing vegan, gluten free and Whole 30 compliant salad that tastes just as great when reheated the next day! Double the recipe if possible to reduce time investment – or double both for an excellent breakfast skillet option!
Avocados
Avocados (sometimes known as alligator pears) are one of the few fruits (technically vegetables) which contain more healthy fats than carbohydrates, making them ideal for use as part of a keto diet. Furthermore, their nutritional profile includes numerous vitamins, minerals, and healthy lipids which help fight disease.
Avocado is rich in monounsaturated fats that help lower cholesterol levels. Folate and potassium are also key elements for heart health; folate helps break down homocysteine (an agent linked with high blood pressure and heart disease) while potassium helps lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessel walls.
One avocado provides 10 percent of the recommended daily value for potassium, an often overlooked mineral in our diets. Avocados also boast plenty of dietary fiber and an impressive array of vitamins and minerals such as vitamins K, B6, C, E and magnesium.
Avocados contain both healthy fats and antioxidants, which may help lower the risk of cancer and other diseases. Lutein carotenoid found in avocados has been suggested as providing protection from various health issues by inhibiting oxidative stress.
A medium avocado contains just 1 net carb, making it an excellent low-sugar option for those following a ketogenic diet. Avocados also provide essential monounsaturated fat, oleic acid and plant compounds which have been shown to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol. Eating avocados regularly may also lower your risk of metabolic syndrome – a condition which puts people at greater risk for diabetes and heart disease – such as large waistlines, high triglycerides levels, low HDL cholesterol levels and high fasting blood glucose (3)
Pesto Chicken
Creamy pesto chicken makes for an easy weeknight dinner and pairs beautifully with crisp salad on the side. One great advantage to this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and rewarmed later for dinner later on during the week – perfect for heart healthy keto dieters who follow any phase of South Beach Diet plans, though low-fat mozzarella cheese would work best with stricter versions of it.
Fresh basil, olive oil, nutty Parmesan cheese and toasty pine nuts combine in this flavorful and satisfying meal. Chicken is baked in a light sauce that’s full of flavor; cherry tomatoes add some color. Perfect as an easy make-ahead meal that keeps well for up to one week in the refrigerator; simply pop it back in for one to two minutes in the microwave once heated up to melt the cheese and enjoy!
This quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. Perfect for anyone trying to cut back on red meat consumption, the chicken here comes from lean skinless breasts with creamy sauce made even more flavorful by adding in some chopped cherry tomatoes and sprinkles of parmesan cheese; serve it alongside salad, whole-wheat pasta or brown rice and enjoy! Your family is sure to love this chicken dish!