Healthful Ingredients

February is heart health awareness month-a perfect time for shoppers to discover healthy food sways and try new heart-healthy recipes. Establish Meijer as a healthy shopping stop for people concerned about heart health. Not only does Meijer offer a wide array of healthy groceries and healthy living items-from fitness wear to vitamin supplements-but also cares enough to offer consumers the advice of healthy living advisors/Dietitians and Pharmacists. Meijer will have an in-store Heart Health Disease Management Event on 2/26/11 and will offer a Heart Healthy Booklet filled with information and heart healthy recipes as well as provide FREE Body Mass Index Screenings at all Pharmacy locations.

Use NuVal to help you choose heart healthy ingredients. NuVal takes generally favorable ingredients divided by generally less favorable ingredients to get one score. The higher the score the healthier the foods-it’s that simple! Saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fat, added sodium, and added sugars bring a score down while heart healthy omega 3 fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals bring scores up.
 

Quick and Easy Heart Healthy Recipes:

These recipes feature healthful ingredients loaded with vitamins, mineral and phytochemicals that can help support your immune system and reduce the risk of disease.

Cinnamon Apple Muffins (Heart- shaped)
Makes 1 Dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup Meijer Organics Rolled Quick Oats
2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. Meijer dark brown sugar, divided
2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
 

1/3 cup Meijer Light Cream Cheese
1 (6 oz.) container fat-free Greek yogurt
1 egg
¼ cup skim milk
1/3 cup Meijer Original Applesauce
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups peeled and chopped Granny Smith or Gala Apples
2 tbsp. Ground Flaxseeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup standard muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl combine flour, oats, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. of cinnamon, plus baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl combine cream cheese, yogurt, egg, milk, applesauce and vanilla; mix well. Stir into flour mixture just until moist. Stir in apple; mix gently. Spoon batter evenly into heart-shaped muffin cups filling two-thirds full. In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tbsp. brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
3.Bake 15 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in the center. Remove muffins from oven and let cool completely.

Nutrition Information (per muffin): 150 calories, 2 g fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein

Salmon Burgers
Makes 4 large patties

Ingredients:

2 (14 oz.) can Alaskan Salmon, drained and flaked
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
¼ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
¾ cup quick oats
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. Meijer Canola Oil

Directions:

Place salmon in a mixing bowl. Add egg whites, parsley, lemon zest and juice, garlic, oats, salt and pepper to salmon. Mix together with hands. Form salmon mixture into 4 large patties. Heat 1 tbsp. canola oil in sauté pan and cook patties for 3 minutes per side or until patties are cooked through and crispy. Serve patties on a whole-wheat bun or over grilled vegetables.

Nutrition Information (per serving): Calories 161, Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 63 mg, Sodium 143 mg, Carbohydrate 14 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 18 g