Looking for heart-healthy Thanksgiving recipes that are also delicious? Try these 29 nutritious , dietitian-approved ideas.
Looking to have a heart-healthy Thanksgiving? Well, you’re in luck because you can easily get your fix of good-for-your-heart ingredients––including EPA and DHA omega-3s––with some careful menu planning.
This is my favorite time of year, when the air turns crisp and the holidays are around the corner––which means it’s time to start thinking about healthy holiday recipes.
WhileThanksgivingis my absolute favorite holiday, I really love any excuse to get friends and family together for a meal. And I always want to bring the best heart-healthy recipes to the table.
Now, add these healthy-heart recipes to your Thanksgiving dinner menu, pronto!
Heart-healthy ingredients
If you’re looking toimprove heart health,you’ll want to listen up. The omega-3s EPA and DHA have many health benefits, but I’m going to focus on one in particular, heart health.
A study in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that higher EPA and DHA levels are connected with lower risk of heart disease.
That’s a huge deal and shows the importance ofgetting a consistent intake of these nutrients. Both EPA and DHA play an active role in heart health.
When it comes to how much EPA and DHA you need for heart health, this varies. To help lower risk of coronary heart disease in healthy adults, 500 milligrams (mg) has been found to be beneficial.
For prevention of coronary heart disease, though, you may want to consider a little more: 1,000 milligrams daily.
And a higher amount, upward of 1,000 mg daily, is connected with helping tolower blood pressure and benefitting triglyceride levels.
You can get EPA and DHA from food sources, as well as supplements. In just a second, I’ll go over some main sources now, plus heart-healthy Thanksgiving recipes to add to your holiday menu. These ideas are great for leftovers, too.
Heart-healthy recipes with fish
Oily fish such as salmon, arctic char, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies offer EPA and DHA—and a good amount, too. And you can easily add these to your heart-healthy recipes for dinner.
Aim for at least two 3.5-ounce servings of cooked fatty fish each week.
If you’re looking for a higher omega-3 intake for heart-health benefits, you may want to increase that weekly amount and consider taking a supplement, as well.
Now, go ahead and give these mouth-watering heart-healthy meal prep recipes a try:
2. Casserole with Salmon
from my own kitchen
Check out this recipe
4.Spicy Southwest Sardine Bites
from Lauren Harris-Pincus, RD,author ofThe Protein-Packed Breakfast Club
5.Garlic Dill Baked Salmon with Lemon Herb Butter
from Kelli Shallal, RD,author ofMeal Prep for Weight Loss
6.Homemade Salmon Bacon
from my own kitchen
Check out this recipe
Heart-healthy recipes with eggs
Some foods are fortified with omega-3s. Often, however, the amount found in the final product is on the lower side—which is why you shouldn’t rely on such foods to deliver all your omega-3 needs.
These foods can be fantastic inclusions in your diet to help youadd a little more EPA and DHA to your day.
One food to consider: Certain eggs that offer EPA and DHA, thanks to special diets the chickens are fed. Sub in an omega-3-containing egg such as Eggland’s Bestinto an egg-containing recipe you love.
These appetizer, side dish, and dessert ideas are all delicious. They make the best heart-healthy dinner recipes!
7.Roasted Garlic & Tomato Mini Crustless Quiche
from Jenna Braddock, RD, author of200 Surefire Ways to Eat Well and Feel Better
8. Make-Ahead Corn Casserole
fromMegan Byrd, RD, blogger at The Oregon Dietitian
10. Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
from my own kitchen
Check out this recipe
11. Orange Cranberry Tart
from Judy Barbe, RD, author of Your 6-Week Guide to Live Best
12. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
from Stacey Mattinson, RD, at Stacey Mattinson Nutrition
13. Dairy-Free Orange Cake
from my own kitchen
Check out this recipe
14. Dried Fig, Goat Cheese, and Apple Galette
fromElizabeth Ward, MS, RDN, author ofExpect the Best
15. Cheesecake with Blackberry Compote
from Klara Knezevic, RDN, CLT, co-author ofCooking with Food Sensitivities Survival Guide
16. Wild Blueberry Mini Cakes with Vanilla Icing
from my own kitchen
Check out this recipe
Heart-healthy recipes with olive oil
On its own, olive oil is one of the top heart-healthy fats. And some oils—such as Carlson Olive Your Heart—offer EPA and DHA.
This extra-virgin olive oil is blended with fish oil and provides an impressive 1,480 mg EPA and DHA per Tablespoon. You shouldn’t cook with it, though, so try it in a salad dressing or to drizzle onhummus.
Only a small amount of omega-3-containing olive oils can be use in cooking, and they typically offer fewer omega-3s for that reason.
You can substitute an omega-3-containing olive oil into any of these heart-healthy recipes that are easy:
18. Basic Vinaigrette with 3 Variations
from Dixya Bhattari, RD, at Food, Pleasure & Health
20.Broccoli Slaw Salad
from my own kitchen
Check out this recipe
21. Raw Parnsip Salad with Dates
from Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN,author ofVegetable Cookbook for Vegetarians
22. Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Stuffing
from Stacey Mattinson, MS, RDN, of Stacey Mattinson Nutrition
23. The Ultimate Almond Salad
from Julie Andrews, MS, RDN, author of The Brain Health Cookbook
24. Sage and Onion Lentil Loaf
from Pamela Fergusson, PhD, RD, owner of Pamela Fergusson Nutrition
25. Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
from Anne Mauney, MPH, RD, dietitian and blogger at fANNEtasticfood
26. Butternut Squash with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
from my own kitchen
Check out this recipe
27. Grilled Acorn Squash Slices
fromMonica Nedeff, RDN,bloggerat The Traveling Dietitian
28. Garlic Parmesan Smashed Brussels Sprouts
from Emily Cooper, RDN, blogger at Sinful Nutrition
Final thoughts
When it comes to planning a menu full of heart-healthy Thanksgiving recipes, you can absolutely do so. Use this list of good-for-your-heart recipes, and have a happy holiday!
This content was originally part of a partnership withthe Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED).
Sources
- A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Prospective Cohort Studies of Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Coronary Heart Disease Risk,Mayo Clinic Proceedings
- Jennifer Hunt, RD, at Jennifer Hunt Nutrition
- Liz Weiss, RD, co-author ofNo Whine with Dinner
- Lauren Harris-Pincus, RD,author ofThe Protein-Packed Breakfast Club
- Kelli Shallal, RD,author ofMeal Prep for Weight Loss
- Jenna Braddock, RD, author of200 Surefire Ways to Eat Well and Feel Better
- Megan Byrd, RD, blogger at The Oregon Dietitian
- All Recipes
- Judy Barbe, RD, author ofYour 6-Week Guide to Live Best
- Stacey Mattinson, RD, at Stacey Mattinson Nutrition
- Elizabeth Ward, MS, RDN, author ofExpect the Best
- Klara Knezevic, RDN, CLT, co-author ofCooking with Food Sensitivities Survival Guide
- Dara Gurau, RD
- Dixya Bhattari, RD, at Food, Pleasure & Health
- Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN,author ofVegetable Cookbook for Vegetarians
- Stacey Mattinson, MS, RDN, of Stacey Mattinson Nutrition
- Julie Andrews, MS, RDN,author ofThe Brain Health Cookbook
- Pamela Fergusson, PhD, RD, owner of Pamela Fergusson Nutrition
- Anne Mauney, MPH, RD, dietitian and blogger at fANNEtasticfood
- Monica Nedeff, RDN,bloggerat The Traveling Dietitian
- Emily Cooper, RDN, blogger at Sinful Nutrition
What are your thoughts on this topic? Which of these heart-healthy Thanksgiving recipes will you try first?
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About Amy Gorin, MS, RDN
It’s so nice to meet you! I’m a registered dietitian nutritionist in the New York City area. As a longtime vegetarian and now pescatarian, my focus is in inclusive plant-based eating. My goal is to get everyone eating more plants—no matter if you’re vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or just plant curious! I want to make plant-based eating easy for you.
