Recipe Roundup

8 Heart-Healthy Special Occasion Recipes

These heart-healthy recipes will make any dinner feel much more special.
Image may contain Food Meal Dish Pork Roast and Plant
Photo by Lisa Hubbard

Whether your doctor recommended a heart-healthy diet due to a diagnosis of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, heart arrhythmias, or hypertension, or you’re just feeling ready to eat with heart health in mind, it can feel overwhelming to find recipes for a special occasion that work for your diet. Meghan Goodman, MS, RDN, CDCES, CDN, used nutrition analysis software to select the recipes below, hoping to provide dinner inspiration that feels celebration-worthy. Each recipe is packed with flavor, but each serving contains no more than 700 mg of sodium, 6g of saturated fat per serving, and 0g trans fat. Before you start cooking, discuss these recipes with your health care provider to make sure they are appropriate for your specific heart condition.

  • Salmon fillets with sprigs of thyme and lemon wedges on a serving platter with a fish spatula.
    Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
    1/8

    Baked Salmon With Lemon and Thyme

    This hands-off method for cooking salmon yields flavorful fish that's tender and moist inside. Just be sure to add no more more than 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for seasoning to keep this main dish within heart-healthy guidelines. Steamed asparagus or broccoli are nice on the side.

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  • Image may contain Food Meal Dish Pork Roast and Plant
    Photo by Lisa Hubbard
    2/8

    Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin With Roasted Baby Carrots

    Give that pork tenderloin fast flavor with a rub of oregano, cumin, ancho chile powder, and smoked paprika.

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  • Image may contain Spaghetti Food Pasta Dish and Meal
    Photo by Danny Kim, food and prop styling by Ali Nardi
    3/8

    Spaghetti with Crab and Tomatoes

    Crab transforms this pasta into something truly special. To make this dish more heart-healthy, use whole wheat pasta in this recipe.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata.  Food Styling by Cyd McDowell.  Prop Styling by Paige Hicks
    4/8

    Cod Arracanato

    A moment under the broiler at the end of this recipe gives the breadcrumbs time to become golden and crunchy. When you go to season the fish fillets, limit that salt to ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal to keep this within guidelines.

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  • Photo of vegan red pepper pasta with garlic breadcrumbs.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    5/8

    Creamy Vegan Red Pepper Pasta With Garlic Bread Breadcrumbs

    This creamy pasta doesn't require cream—the beans become a luscious sauce when smashed with sweet jarred roasted red peppers. Just be sure to use no-salt-added canned beans to keep sodium levels in check. Want to kick up the fiber even more? Use whole

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  • Image may contain Food Seasoning Sesame and Plant
    Photo by Lisa Hubbard
    6/8

    Halibut on Mashed Fava Beans With Mint

    Fava beans require a bit of an effort to peel, which is part of why this fiber-packed dish is worthy of any celebration. Here's some good news: You can blanch and peel the beans a day before serving.

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  • Whole steamed fish on a metal plate with a side of rice.
    Photo by Frankie Gaw
    7/8

    Whole Steamed Fish

    There's nothing more impressive than serving a whole fish at the dinner table, especially when it's crowned with aromatic ginger and scallions.

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  • Olive oil brownies on a wooden slat cut into pieces.
    Kristin Teig
    8/8

    Date, Rye, and Olive Oil Brownies

    For dessert, slice this pan of brownies into 16 pieces and serve. Each bite gets a touch of nutty flavor from rye flour and luscious sweetness from Medjool dates.

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