New cookbook from NHLBI

The health of your heart has a lot to do with the foods you eat. To help busy people and families shop for, prepare, and serve healthy meals, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health created and published Keep the Beat Recipes: Deliciously Healthy Dinners. The new cookbook features 75 simple and delicious recipes influenced by Asian, Latino, Mediterranean, and American cuisine that are good for your heart and taste great too.

More than two-thirds of the recipes in Keep the Beat Recipes: Deliciously Healthy Dinners were created for the NHLBI by Culinary Institute of America-trained chef /instructor David Kamen and a James Beard Foundation award-winning registered dietitian with guidance from an NHLBI nutrition educator and registered dietitian. All of the recipes are based on heart healthy principles from the NHLBI, reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and include a nutrition analysis.

"Good food is one of life's great pleasures, and good health is one of our greatest gifts," said NHLBI Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D. "With healthful habits, we can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease, and increase the chance of a longer life. The NHLBI is proud to offer a resource that will help people make smart choices every day."

The recipes in Keep the Beat Recipes: Deliciously Healthy Dinners are limited in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium, as well as moderate in calories. The recipes use lean cuts of meat, poultry without the skin, fish, beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, small amounts of vegetable oil, and lots of herbs and spices for flavor. Dishes including Thai-style chicken curry, Greek flank steak with tangy yogurt sauce, creamy squash soup with shredded apples, and corn and black bean tacos were designed to provide a satisfying portion, while helping people stay within their calorie limits. Main dish meals take no more than 40 minutes to prepare and cook, and side dishes are made in 30 minutes or less.

Although the ingredients can be found in most grocery stores, the new cookbook provides a list of helpful substitutions for unfamiliar or hard to find ingredients and low-sodium products. Readers can also find tips on cooking techniques, preparation, and food safety.