Heart healthy recipes that are good for your eyes

If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to eat healthier this year, I have some good news for you. There are lots of heart healthy recipes that are also good for your eyes! The American Heart Association has a cookbook filled with a great variety of dishes that will keep your palate satisfied and your cardiovascular system running smoothly. I’ve sorted through some of the top recipes and chosen a few favorites that are good for both your heart and your eyes. You can find all of these recipes using the links in the titles or online at the American Heart Association’s website.

Best heart-healthy snack: Trail Mix with Cocoa-Dusted Almonds

This recipe for a quick, energy-boosting trail mix features healthy nuts like almonds and walnuts. Almonds, are full of Vitamin E, which acts as a great antioxidant and agent against cataracts and macular degeneration.

Best salad: Chopped Colorful Veggie Salad

This chopped veggie salad features spinach or kale (or use both for better variety), which contain a nutrient called lutein. Lutein keeps your retina healthy and also provides your eyes with more antioxidants that may help prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. This salad also contains tomatoes and lime juice which have Vitamin C – also great for your eye health! With some avocados rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, this salad is bound to help your eye health.

Best main dish: Dijon Pork with Potatoes and Carrots

This simple, yet delicious pork dish features carrots and bell peppers on the side, adding an extra dose of Vitamin C and Vitamin A. You’ve likely heard that carrots are good for your eyes, and the reason for this is that Vitamin A. Along with this vitamin, a purple pigment called rhodopsin is also found in the orange vegetable. Rhodopsin helps us see in low light situations and at night.

Best soup: Tuscan Bean Soup

Looking for an easy dish to warm you up and keep your eyes and heart healthy? This Tuscan bean soup is eye health in a bowl, with lutein from the spinach and tomatoes. The beans will offer you a low-fat protein to fill you up, while the broth keeps your eyes and body hydrated.

Check out the full selection of heart-healthy recipes from the American Heart Association. Be on the lookout for recipes with colorful vegetables, healthy nuts and Omega 3 fatty acids which will help keep your heart & eyes healthy!