February is Heart Month

A "heart healthy" diet means lowering dietary intake of unhealthy fats such as saturated and

trans fats while increasing healthy fats such as monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega 3 fats according to the American Heart Association.

Saturated fat is typically found in animal foods such as butter, high fat dairy products (whole milk, creams, cheeses), and meats (especially beef, prime rib, poultry skin, sausages, bacon). Trans fats are the same as hydrogenated fats and may be found in almost any prepared food so it is important to read food labels (crackers, chips, ice cream, cookies, cakes, frozen foods, bread crumbs).

“Healthy” Unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and omega 3 fats are usually found in plant foods and fish. Some examples of unsaturated fats include, nuts, all natural peanut butter, vegetable oils such as olive oil and canola oil, avocadoes, and omega 3 fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout, tuna or sardines.

Parents can help their children now by consistently serving them vegetables and fruits, whole grain foods, nuts, seeds, avocado, omega 3 fish. Also, parents can be role models by engaging kids in physical activity. Weight control and regular exercise are associated with an overall reduced risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses. For more information on keeping you heart healthy, visit www.heart.org.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEART!

February is “heart” month so be good to your heart. Here are six steps to a healthier heart.

¨ EXERCISE: For a healthier heart, exercise 150 minutes per week. To maintain a “healthy” weight, exercise 60 minutes most days of the week.

¨ DON’T SMOKE: Smoking is among the top preventable causes of heart disease and certain types of causes also.

¨ EAT PLENTY OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS: Include a variety of five or more fruits and vegetables a day for children and seven or more for adults.

¨ EAT WHOLE GRAIN FOODS: Include foods such as whole wheat bread, cereals, and pasta. Look for the “whole grain” label on foods.

¨  INCLUDE HEALTHY FATS: Try peanuts, avocados, and olive oil. Avoid saturated fats and trans fat which contribute to heart disease. Saturated fats are found in butter, whole milk and dairy products and fatty meats. Trans fats are found in some margarines, snacks foods, processed foods and many other items so check those labels!

¨ LIMIT YOUR SODIUM INTAKE: Try ground pepper, fresh or dried herbs or spices, lemon instead of salt. Go easy on canned soups, cold cuts, frozen dinners, chips and other processed foods.

"NO GUILT" BROWNIES

Ingredients

3 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well), reduced sodium or no sodium

4 tbsp cocoa powder

1 cup quick oats

¼-1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

¾ - 1 cup chocolate chips (I also think less than ¾ cup works well but this is personal preference)

Chocolate chips for presentation

Add some walnuts and/or ground flax for added nutrition

Instructions

Black Bean Brownies Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up! Makes 9-12 brownies. The trick with these: serve them first, and then reveal the secret ingredient. You can also make a thicker brownie and cutting them into smaller pieces by using 1 1/2 times the recipes. Cooking time increases slightly.

Yield: 18-24 brownies

Per Black Bean Brownie:

Calories: 137

Fat: 6g

Carbs: 15-19g

Sugars 10g

Fiber: 3g

Protein: 3g

Sodium: 17mg