In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhy This PlanDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7Meal Prep TipsFAQsFoods ListOther Heart Health Tips
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Why This Plan
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Meal Prep Tips
FAQs
Foods List
Other Heart Health Tips
Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You
To support healthy cholesterol, we limitsaturated fatto no more than 14 grams per day. A diet high in saturated fat is linked to elevated LDL or “bad” cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Foods high in saturated fat include fatty cuts of beef and pork, processed meats, high-fat dairy and coconut. Instead, we prioritized foods that can raise yourHDL or “good” cholesterol, such as unsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil, fish, nuts and seeds, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts and seeds. To help reduce blood pressure, we limitedsodiumto 1,500 mg per day, which the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends at the ideal limit for most adults.
While it’s not specifically linked to heart health, we know thatproteinis a nutrient that many people prioritize. Each day provides an average of 89 grams per day. We set the calories for this plan at 1,800 calories per day and included modifications for 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day for this with differentcalorie needs.
You Just Found Out You Have High Cholesterol—Here Are 4 Things a Cardiologist Recommends Doing
How We Create Meal PlansRegistered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
How We Create Meal Plans
Registered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
Ali Redmond
Breakfast (301 calories)
A.M. Snack (170 calories)
Lunch (430 calories)
P.M. Snack (170 calories)
Dinner (441 calories)
Evening Snack (305 calories)
Daily Totals:1,817 calories, 84g fat, 14g saturated fat, 106g protein, 169g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 1,190mg sodium.
Make it 1,200 calories:Change A.M. snack to ½ cup blueberries, omit orange at lunch, change P.M. snack to 1 clementine and omit evening snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Omit evening snack.
Breakfast (346 calories)
Lunch (510 calories)
Dinner (394 calories)
Evening Snack (206 calories)
Daily Totals:1,796 calories, 82g fat, 11g saturated fat, 97g protein, 183g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 1,192mg sodium.
Make it 1,200 calories:Change A.M. snack to ½ cup sliced cucumber, substitute 1 medium orange for the pear at lunch, change P.M. snack to ¼ cup blueberries and omit evening snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Substitute 1 medium orange for the pear at lunch and omit the evening snack.
Dinner (398 calories)
Evening Snack (200 calories)
Daily Totals:1,794 calories, 67g fat, 11g saturated fat, 84g protein, 230g carbohydrate, 41g fiber, 1,299mg sodium.
Make it 1,200 calories:Change A.M. snack to ½ cup sliced strawberries, substitute 1 plum for the pear at lunch, change P.M. snack to 1 clementine and omit the evening snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Substitute 1 plum for the pear at lunch and omit the evening snack.
A.M. Snack (305 calories)
Dinner (447 calories)
Daily Totals:1,777 calories, 65g fat, 11g saturated fat, 85g protein, 225g carbohydrate, 40g fiber, 1,476mg sodium.
Make it 1,200 calories:Change A.M. snack to 1 plum, omit pear at lunch, change P.M. snack to 1 medium apple and omit orzo at dinner.
Make it 1,500 calories:Change A.M. snack to 1 plum.
A.M. Snack (215 calories)
Dinner (496 calories)
Evening Snack (62 calories)
Meal-Prep Tip:Reserve two servingsOne-Pot White Bean, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo with Lemon & Fetato have for lunch on days 6 & 7
Daily Totals:1,798 calories, 67g fat, 9g saturated fat, 81g protein, 236g carbohydrate, 43g fiber, 1,224mg sodium.
Make it 1,200 calories:Change breakfast to 1 slice whole wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter, change A.M. snack to ½ cup blueberries and change P.M. snack to ½ cup low-fat plain kefir.
Make it 1,500 calories:Change A.M. snack to ½ cup blueberries and change P.M. snack to ½ cup low-fat plain kefir.
A.M. Snack (206 calories)
Lunch (496 calories)
P.M. Snack (215 calories)
Dinner (398calories)
Evening Snack (170 calories)
Daily Totals:1,786 calories, 93g fat, 13g saturated fat, 78g protein, 177g carbohydrate, 29g fiber, 1,110mg sodium.
Make it 1,200 calories:Change A.M. snack to ¼ cup blueberries, change P.M. snack to ½ cup sliced cucumbers and omit evening snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Change A.M. snack to 1 medium apple and omit evening snack.
Dinner (459 calories)
Evening Snack (176 calories)
Make it 1,200 calories:Change A.M. snack to ½ cup sliced strawberries, change P.M. snack to 1 clementine, omit quinoa at dinner and omit evening snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Omit quinoa at dinner and omit evening snack.
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:
Frequently Asked QuestionsIf there’s a meal you don’t like, feel free to choose a different option in this plan or browse our wide array ofheart-healthy recipesfor a different option. For reference, we aimed for 1,800 calories per day, at least 28 grams of fiber and opted to keep saturated fat under 14 grams and sodium under 1,500 milligrams.Feel free to eat the same breakfast and lunch every day if that’s easier for your routine. Each breakfast is between about 300 - 350 calories while the lunch options range from 430 to 510 calories. These ranges are fairly similar, so a swap should work for most people. If you’re closely monitoring calories for weight loss or other reasons, you may want to change a snack or two.If you’re looking to improve your heart health, eating more fiber is a great thing to focus on. Fiber is linked to improvedblood pressureandreduced cholesterol, in addition to its numerous other benefits.High fiber foodsinclude most fruits and vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
Frequently Asked Questions
If there’s a meal you don’t like, feel free to choose a different option in this plan or browse our wide array ofheart-healthy recipesfor a different option. For reference, we aimed for 1,800 calories per day, at least 28 grams of fiber and opted to keep saturated fat under 14 grams and sodium under 1,500 milligrams.
Feel free to eat the same breakfast and lunch every day if that’s easier for your routine. Each breakfast is between about 300 - 350 calories while the lunch options range from 430 to 510 calories. These ranges are fairly similar, so a swap should work for most people. If you’re closely monitoring calories for weight loss or other reasons, you may want to change a snack or two.
If you’re looking to improve your heart health, eating more fiber is a great thing to focus on. Fiber is linked to improvedblood pressureandreduced cholesterol, in addition to its numerous other benefits.High fiber foodsinclude most fruits and vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
Heart-Healthy Foods to Focus On:
Other Strategies to Improve Heart Health:
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart Disease Facts.American Heart Association.How much sodium should I eat per day?American Heart Association.American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart Disease Facts.American Heart Association.How much sodium should I eat per day?American Heart Association.American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart Disease Facts.American Heart Association.How much sodium should I eat per day?American Heart Association.American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart Disease Facts.
American Heart Association.How much sodium should I eat per day?
American Heart Association.American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids.
