Heart Failure

How Do I Change Recipes?
The American Heart Association shares how to rework your favorite recipes with healthier substitutions to cook more healthful meals. There’s a lot you can do when you cook and bake to control the amount of saturated and trans fats, sodium and added sugar in your diet. In other words, you can have your cake and eat it, too!

How can I substitute healthier ingredients?

Whole milk (1 cup) = 1 cup low-fat or fat-free milk + 1 tablespoon nontropical liquid vegetable oil
Butter (1 tablespoon) = 2 teaspoons of nontropical vegetable oil, such as canola, corn or olive
Shortening (1 cup) = 1 cup unsalted soft margarine made with nonhydrogenated vegetable oil and containing no trans fat. For pies, use ½ cup margarine for every 2 cups flour. To reduce your calories and saturated fat when baking muffins or quick breads, substitute 1 cup unsweetened applesauce for 1 cup of butter, margarine, oil or shortening. The muffins and breads will be denser and moister.
Heavy cream (1 cup) — 1 cup fat-free half-and-half will work for most baking recipes. Try subbing in 1 cup of soy, almond or rice milk.
Sour cream — Use low-fat or fat-free sour cream. Or squeeze some fresh lemon juice into low-fat or fat-free plain Greek yogurt, stir and serve instead of sour cream.
Sugar — Using less sugar for baking is possible and much healthier. For cakes, you’ll have a tastier finished product if there’s a larger amount of sugar to flour. You’ll have more room to reduce the sugar slightly. For cookies in which you’ve reduced the sugar, chill the dough for 30 minutes or up to 7 days before baking to help sweeten the flavor. Or, lightly roll the cookie in sugar before or after baking so there’s sweetness with the first bite. Be cautious with chocolate cakes and cookies. The bitterness of the cocoa needs sugar for balance.
White flour — Instead of white, processed flour (all-purpose), try to use whole-wheat or whole-grain flour or whole-wheat pastry flour in your baking. Before you swap, be sure to check the recipe, as the ratio may need to be adjusted.
Ground beef — Try ground turkey breast in place of beef for chilis, pasta sauces, burgers and casseroles.

How can I use nontropical vegetable oils?
Use small amounts of olive, canola, corn or safflower oil:

To prepare fish and skinless poultry or to brown lean or extra-lean meats
To sauté onions and other vegetables for soups, sauces and casseroles
For stir-frying
To make popcorn

How can I reduce sodium?
For some people, eating too much sodium (salt) can increase the risk of high blood pressure. High blood pressure can increase the risk of developing heart problems or having a stroke. Most people should try to consume less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium each day. As a guideline, 1 teaspoon of table salt has about 2,300 milligrams of sodium.

Some tips to help you:

Use herbs, spices, salt-free seasoning blends, citrus juices and vinegar instead of salt when you cook.
Avoid flavored salts, such as garlic or onion salt. Use garlic or onion powder instead.
Choose fresh or frozen vegetables with no added salt or look for low-sodium products.
Use fat-free, low-sodium broths (store-bought or homemade) instead of regular.
Use one packet (or 1 teaspoon granulated) of salt-free instant bouillon in place of bouillon cubes.
Read food labels carefully, watching for sodium in the ingredient list.
Check the Nutrition Facts label. Compare the sodium content of similar food products and choose the one with the lowest sodium content.

My Heart Group Meets Aug. 18
My Heart Support Group provides information to people, as well as their loved ones, who have heart conditions, specifically heart failure. At the meeting, you will find resources to take home, such as low-sodium food charts, recipes and other educational materials. The event also includes low-sodium snacks, drinks and drawings for door prizes. A speaker presents for most meetings with a focus on anything related to the diagnosis of heart failure. Any speaker who presents in St. Cloud will be broadcast to the My Heart Group at Melrose via the web. A facilitator at CentraCare – Melrose will lead table-top discussions on the subjects presented, serve low-sodium snacks and hold a door prize drawing. The meeting usually lasts around 1-1½ hours.

The group meets at 3 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at CentraCare South Point, 3001 Clearwater Rd, St. Cloud, and CentraCare - Melrose, 525 W Main St. You may also join the meeting online. Video conferencing will allow Melrose and online participants to watch the speaker presentation in St. Cloud through Microsoft Teams.

Topics

Aug. 18: ConnectAbility
Sept. 15: Yoga
Oct. 20: Palliative Care

To RSVP, email HFSupportGroup@centracare.com or leave a message at 320-470-0760. Indicate the number of guests and the location you would like to attend.

get DETAILS

Whole milk (1 cup) = 1 cup low-fat or fat-free milk + 1 tablespoon nontropical liquid vegetable oil
Butter (1 tablespoon) = 2 teaspoons of nontropical vegetable oil, such as canola, corn or olive
Shortening (1 cup) = 1 cup unsalted soft margarine made with nonhydrogenated vegetable oil and containing no trans fat. For pies, use ½ cup margarine for every 2 cups flour. To reduce your calories and saturated fat when baking muffins or quick breads, substitute 1 cup unsweetened applesauce for 1 cup of butter, margarine, oil or shortening. The muffins and breads will be denser and moister.
Heavy cream (1 cup) — 1 cup fat-free half-and-half will work for most baking recipes. Try subbing in 1 cup of soy, almond or rice milk.
Sour cream — Use low-fat or fat-free sour cream. Or squeeze some fresh lemon juice into low-fat or fat-free plain Greek yogurt, stir and serve instead of sour cream.
Sugar — Using less sugar for baking is possible and much healthier. For cakes, you’ll have a tastier finished product if there’s a larger amount of sugar to flour. You’ll have more room to reduce the sugar slightly. For cookies in which you’ve reduced the sugar, chill the dough for 30 minutes or up to 7 days before baking to help sweeten the flavor. Or, lightly roll the cookie in sugar before or after baking so there’s sweetness with the first bite. Be cautious with chocolate cakes and cookies. The bitterness of the cocoa needs sugar for balance.
White flour — Instead of white, processed flour (all-purpose), try to use whole-wheat or whole-grain flour or whole-wheat pastry flour in your baking. Before you swap, be sure to check the recipe, as the ratio may need to be adjusted.
Ground beef — Try ground turkey breast in place of beef for chilis, pasta sauces, burgers and casseroles.

How can I use nontropical vegetable oils?
Use small amounts of olive, canola, corn or safflower oil:

To prepare fish and skinless poultry or to brown lean or extra-lean meats
To sauté onions and other vegetables for soups, sauces and casseroles
For stir-frying
To make popcorn

Use herbs, spices, salt-free seasoning blends, citrus juices and vinegar instead of salt when you cook.
Avoid flavored salts, such as garlic or onion salt. Use garlic or onion powder instead.
Choose fresh or frozen vegetables with no added salt or look for low-sodium products.
Use fat-free, low-sodium broths (store-bought or homemade) instead of regular.
Use one packet (or 1 teaspoon granulated) of salt-free instant bouillon in place of bouillon cubes.
Read food labels carefully, watching for sodium in the ingredient list.
Check the Nutrition Facts label. Compare the sodium content of similar food products and choose the one with the lowest sodium content.

Aug. 18: ConnectAbility
Sept. 15: Yoga
Oct. 20: Palliative Care

To RSVP, email HFSupportGroup@centracare.com or leave a message at 320-470-0760. Indicate the number of guests and the location you would like to attend.

get DETAILS

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