Cooking with Heart for a Healthier You
We're all about heart-healthy eating made simple. Small changes in how we eat can have a big impact on our heart health. It's about finding ways to make the foods and recipes that we know and love healthier, one step at a time. Each video has an easy idea that you can use today, along with a tasty recipe!
Starting Your Day the Heart-Healthy Way with banana oatmeal
The DASH Diet for Lower BP with a burrito bowl with cilantro lime vinaigrette
Heart-Healthy Heritage Diets with fossolia and misir wot
Eat a Heart-Healthy Rainbow with rainbow stir-fried noodles
Plant Protein Meals with lentil mushroom bolognese
About the DASH Diet for Hypertension
Dive Deeper with a Nutritionist
You can speak to a nutrition expert to get more tips on heart-healthy eating. They can work with you on a personal plan. We will text you about this opportunity during your first week in the program. If it's not the right time for you, text back NUTRITION at any time to get connected. Insurance coverage for nutrition counseling varies, and co-pays may apply.
- I am a patient at a Penn Medicine practice in Philadelphia County: Text NUTRITION to 215-398-4459
- I am a patient at a Penn Medicine practice in Lancaster County: Text NUTRITION to 717-788-8428
Access to Healthy Food
We will ask all patients in Penn Medicine Healthy Heart to answer a short survey about getting healthy food. Many people and families in our region have difficulty getting regular access to enough food at some point. We can offer information and support with local resources by text or phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition and food choices impact your cholesterol. Cholesterol is a type of lipid or fat in your blood. It is necessary for your body to work. However, if you have too much of certain types of cholesterol, it can raise your risk of heart disease and other heart issues. Foods like meat, dairy, and fried foods contain a lot of saturated fat and trans-fat. They can raise your LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) and lower your HDL (the "good" cholesterol). Foods with unsaturated fats, like plant-based oils and fish oil, can lower LDL and triglycerides. High-fiber foods like oats, beans, lentils, and vegetables also help when eaten in moderation.
Hunger doesn't directly change your cholesterol or heart health. However, feeling hungry can lead to overeating, eating larger portions, and making less healthy food choices. Eating balanced meals at regular intervals is generally recommended.
We will ask all patients to answer a short survey about difficulty getting healthy food. Many people and families in our region have difficulty getting regular access to enough food at some point. We can offer information and support with local resources by text or phone. One resource is a website called Community Resource Connects. It has options that you can chose for local food pantries, low cost and free meals, and food delivery. If you are having issues getting food often, we will also connect you with a community resource expert or social worker at Penn Medicine. They will call you to share information on local options. You can choose whether or not to contact any of those options.
If you would like to be referred for nutrition counseling or social work services, your navigator will submit your referral request. You will be contacted within 1 week by the nutritionist and/or social worker.
Visit these helpful sites for more information on heart healthy eating: