Recipes for heart-healthy holiday meals from an Ascension St. Vincent dietitian

Indianapolis, Indiana – The holiday season is filled with great food, but it can be challenging to find dishes that are heart-healthy and delectable for those who are on a restricted diet.

A registered dietician from the Ascension St. Vincent Heart Center named Adriane Geesaman visited Daybreak on Tuesday to present some mouthwatering dishes that are also heart-healthy.

The dishes are included in a booklet with 20 recipes that Geesaman and other members of the heart center’s nutrition team created to commemorate the facility’s 20th birthday.

A Mexican quinoa cookbook is one of Geesaman’s go-to dishes from the book. She claims that the dish works well as both an entree during the holidays and all year long.

“It’s a great vegan dish. The beans, the quinoa, the corn — it’s all packed with fiber and nutrients. It’s also really delicious,” Geesaman said. “You can serve it with avocado, you can serve it with lime, too, as a garnish.”

Geesaman advises whole-wheat banana bread for heart-healthy diners who enjoy sweets.

“It’s really good and also easy to throw together when you’re short on time over the holidays. It’s made with whole-wheat flour and I also added some walnuts for some heart-healthy fats and fiber. It’s made with olive oil — those oils that are liquid at room temperature are lower in saturated fat and a little more heart-healthy,” Geesaman explained.

There are many opportunities to replace fresh meals with canned and frozen alternatives, according to Geesaman, who notes that the majority of the cookbook’s recipes employ products that most people already have in their kitchens.

“We don’t like to label any foods bad dietitians, but it’s all about portion control. Making the substitution is to make something a little heart healthier, especially if you’re following those restrictions over the holidays,” Geesaman said.