Food for the Heart; diet strategy: these delectable meals will help you meet your weight-loss goals while keeping your heart healthy - Lowfat & Easy

Shape, Feb, 2004 by Robin Vitetta-Miller

In honor of American Heart Month, we've created a special valentine for you: three tasty dishes (and five snacks) that contain the vitamins, minerals and fiber you need to help keep your heart and arteries healthy.

Heart disease claims the lives of half a million American women each year. In fact, it's the No. 1 killer of women. You're probably already aware of how important your diet is to maintaining your heart's well-being. Regular exercise is the other half of the healthy-heart equation: It keeps cholesterol and weight down and helps to regulate your blood pressure.

Here are the top four food choices for a strong heart:

* Soluble fiber--from foods like oats, apples and pears, peanuts, beans, lentils, and whole-grain breads and cereals--helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, cutting your risk for heart disease.

* Folate, found in leafy green vegetables, beans and lentils, reduces blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that may increase heart-disease risk.

* Omega-3 fatty acids, from nuts (walnuts are the best source) and fatty fish, discourage arterial blockages; help relax narrowed arteries; and decrease VLDLs (very low density lipoproteins), fats in the bloodstream that have been associated with cardio-vascular disease.

* Monounsaturated fats, from foods like olives, olive oil, and seed and nut oils, can lower risk by cutting blood-cholesterol levels. Plus, unlike poly-unsaturated fats, the monounsaturated kind are more resistant to oxidation, a process that leads to cell and tissue damage. (Saturated fat, found in red meat, butter and full-fat cheese, raises artery-jamming cholesterol, so avoid or limit these foods.)

The following recipes take full advantage of heart-smart ingredients--and they taste delicious. So go ahead, serve them on Valentine's Day. Is there a better way to show you care?

Spaghetti With Chunky Tomato Sauce

(and Olive Tapenade With Crostini)

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

    2  teaspoons olive oil

    2  shallots, minced

    2  cloves garlic, minced

    1  28-ounce can diced tomatoes

    1  teaspoon dried oregano

  1/2  teaspoon ground black pepper

  1/4  cup chopped fresh basil

    1  1/2-pound loaf whole-grain
       baguette, sliced into
       1/2-inch-thick slices

    8  ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

Tapenade

  1/2  cup pitted Greek kalamata olives

  1/4  cup stuffed green olives (stuffed
       with pimento)

    1  tablespoon drained capers

    1  clove garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 350[degrees] F. To make the sauce, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano and black pepper and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil.

Meanwhile, arrange bread slices on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, until golden brown. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

To make the tapenade, in a food processor, combine olives, capers and garlic. Process until almost smooth.

Transfer spaghetti to individual bowls and spoon tomato sauce over top. Top toasted bread with tapenade and serve on the side.

Nutrition Score per serving (1 1/2 cups pasta with sauce, 2 tablespoons tapenade, 2 slices bread): 402 calories, 14% fat (6 g; <1 g saturated), 71% carbs (71 g), 15% protein (15 g), 13 g fiber, 190 mg calcium, 4 mg iron, 818 mg sodium.

Romaine-Wrapped Tilapia

With Red Onion and Capers

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

  Nonstick cooking spray

  4  large romaine lettuce leaves

  4  5-ounce tilapia fillets
     (substitute halibut, if desired)

  Salt and ground black pepper,
     to taste

  4  teaspoons grainy coarse mustard

  4  slices red onion

  4  teaspoons drained capers

  1  cup uncooked whole-wheat
     couscous

Preheat oven to 400[degrees] F. Spray a large, shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Place romaine leaves on paper towels and sprinkle with water. Cover leaves with another paper towel and microwave on high for 10 seconds, until leaves are tender.

Arrange leaves on a flat surface and top each leaf with a single tilapia fillet (place fish crosswise on leaf). Season the top of fish with salt and black pepper, then spread with 1 teaspoon mustard. Place onion slice and 1 teaspoon capers on top of mustard. Fold over one side of romaine leaf to cover fish and then fold over the other side. Place wrapped fish seam-side down in prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes, until fish is fork-tender.

Meanwhile, to make the couscous, bring 1 1/4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add couscous and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Serve wrapped fish with couscous on the side.

Nutrition Score per serving (1 wrapped fish fillet, 1/2 cup couscous): 318 calories, 11% fat (4 g; 0 g saturated), 60% carbs (48 g), 29% protein (23 g), 8 g fiber, 73 mg calcium, 4 mg iron, 219 mg sodium.

Walnut-Crusted Chicken

With Apple Chutney

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

  Nonstick cooking spray

    4  4-ounce skinless, boneless
       chicken breast halves

   Salt and ground black pepper,
       to taste

    2  tablespoons all-purpose flour

    2  egg whites, lightly beaten

  1/2  cup seasoned whole-wheat dry
       bread crumbs (sold in
       health-and natural-food
       stores)

  1/4  cup chopped walnuts, chopped
       into fine pieces

    2  Mclntosh apples, peeled, cored
       and diced

  1/4  cup water

    2  tablespoons minced red onion

    2  tablespoons raisins

    2  tablespoons red-wine vinegar

  1/2  teaspoon cinnamon

    2  cups uncooked instant brown
       rice