Valentine’s Day and Heart Health

Valentine’s Day is a great reminder to focus on heart health. But is Valentine’s day always heart-healthy?

I’ve narrowed down Valentine’s day themed foods for you to enjoy, without the guilt. Because it’s not the heart decorations or greeting cards that will throw off your lifestyle progress. It’s the food. The chocolate, the alcohol, and those heart-shaped treats.  

Learn how to treat yourself right with a heart-healthy Valentine’s day.

Top Takeaways

  • Heart Health Awareness: February is Heart Month, aimed at raising awareness about heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death in North America. It emphasizes the importance of heart-healthy activities for prevention and management.
  • Heart-Healthy Foods: To celebrate Valentine’s Day in a heart-healthy way, focus on foods proven to support heart health, including vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, whole grains, fish, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. These foods can lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
  • Heart-Healthy Activities: Besides food, there are various heart-healthy activities to enjoy on Valentine’s Day, such as physical affection, sharing flowers, breakfast in bed, candlelit dinners, laughter, outdoor activities, and exploring new recipes. These activities can also reduce stress, an important factor in heart disease management.
  • Heart-Healthy Valentine’s Day Recipes: The article provides a list of 21 heart-healthy recipes for Valentine’s Day, featuring ingredients like red peppers, beets, cherries, strawberries, and red kidney beans. These recipes span smoothies, breakfast items, soups, snacks, salads, main courses, and desserts, offering delicious options while promoting heart health.

Heart Health Month

February is Heart Month. It’s important to keep in mind that heart disease is still the leading cause of death in North America (1).

Heart month was created to increase awareness, but also to encourage engagement in heart-healthy activities. Because you can take control to prevent or slow the progression of heart disease.

Managing heart health can be done, and should be considered every day. Especially if it’s done in a fun way that can maintain motivation and not impact progress.

And yes, Valentine’s day can be celebrated while being mindful of your heart health. Your cardiologist will be proud.

Heart Healthy Food For Valentine’s Day

Eating well is one of the pillars of cardiac health. Specific foods have been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Eating patterns like the portfolio diet, DASH diet, and the Mediterranean diet have loads of research to support their heart-protective way of eating.

These eating patterns have the following foods in common:

Let’s focus on the positive, shall we? There are plenty of foods you CAN eat this Valentine’s day.  That’s why I’ve compiled a pretty decent list of meals that scream Valentine’s day AND heart health.

Heart-Healthy Activities For Valentines Day

Food is not the only way you can celebrate Valentine’s day. Try:

  • Hugs
  • Kisses
  • Cuddles
  • Holding hands
  • Sharing flowers
  • Breakfast in bed
  • Candlelit dinner
  • Get active – go for a walk together
  • Go dancing
  • Laugh at a comedy show
  • Winter activities like skiing or skating
  • Sleep in
  • Watch the sunset
  • Go outside
  • Explore new recipes

And if you don’t want to give a box of chocolates to your significant other this Valentine’s day, check out heart-healthy gifts to exchange instead.

Not only are these fun activities, but they can also reduce stress which is another pillar of heart disease management (2).

Image of Veronica Rouse with Free 7 day heart healthy meal plan freebie.

21 Heart-Healthy Valentine’s Day Recipes

These recipes are full of foods that emphasize heart-promoting properties and are often red! Think red peppers, beets, cherries, strawberries, and red kidney beans. Enjoy.

Smoothies

Watermelon Smoothie – The Heart Dietitian

Watermelon cherry flavor is a sweet and refreshing treat, and you will never know tofu is added to make this a protein-rich drink!  

Top of watermelon smoothie with red striped straw and watermelon triangles and cubed tofu sitting beside the smoothie.

Cranberry Oat Smoothie – The Nessy Kitchen

Overnight oats are taken up a notch and turned into a cozy pink cranberry oat smoothie or bowl that is perfect for Valentine’s Day! Packed with oats, spices, and a couple of dates for sweetness, this wholesome smoothie is a great way to start the day.

Beet Smoothie – The Heart Dietitian

This simple and easy smoothie will lower your blood pressure fast, which will help you focus on more important things on Valentine’s day!

Red beet smoothie to lower blood pressure with grapes in the background on a checkered cloth

Breakfast

Banana Oat Pancakes– Served From Scratch

These Healthy Oat Banana and Strawberry Pancakes are a super fun and incredibly healthy way to have pancakes with strawberries! Gluten-free thanks to the whole oats and naturally sweetened, these pancakes are kid-loved and mom-approved!

A stack of pancakes on a white plate topped with sliced strawberries  and maple syrup.

Raspberry Oatmeal – Planted In The Kitchen

Start your Valentine’s Day with a cozy bowl of raspberry oatmeal! The bright pink color is naturally vibrant from the raspberries and it’s a great way to stay full all morning long.

Blueberry Heartcakes – Strength and Sunshine

Turn your pancakes into an even more loving gesture with some gluten-free vegan Blueberry Heartcakes! A wonderful healthy breakfast recipe that will make your heart happy and healthy too!

Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup – Confessions Of Parenting

Wanting that heart-y healthy tortilla soup without all the prep? Try this healthy chicken tortilla soup crock pot recipe that is simple and delicious! Perfect for a wonderful meal so you can focus your energy on your valentine.

Creamy Vegan Beet Soup – Healthy Midwestern Girl

This healthy beet soup is low in fat and calories and high in nutrition. The vibrant color will look stunning on your Valentine’s Day table.

Tomato Oatmeal Soup – The Heart Dietitian

Don’t let the name – oatmeal soup – keep you from making this recipe.  It truly is a winner! Try this rich tomato oatmeal soup for a satisfying lunch this Valentine’s Day.

Bowl of tomato oatmeal soup in a white bowl garnished with parsley on a white and grey cutting board surrounded by a spring of parsley and a sprinkle of oats

Snacks

Smokey Maple Roasted Chickpeas – Fab Food 4 All

Smokey Maple Roasted Chickpeas would make a super tasty and healthy Valentine’s snack or salad garnish. They taste like maple-cured bacon but are vegan and made with sesame oil, smoked paprika, onion granules, and maple syrup.

Beet Hummus – Noble Veggies

This hummus has to be one of the prettiest meals you’ll find on the table at a party. The vibrant pink color makes the dish, look irresistibly edible and delicious.

Pink beet hummus presented in a white bowl topped with green herbs beside a spoon and flat pretzels.

Chocolate Covered Chickpeas – The Heart Dietitian

Chocolate-covered chickpeas are the perfect heart healthy Valentine’s day treat. This recipe is a delicious twist on a classic snack that is full of protein and fiber wrapped up in chocolate. 

Chocolate covered chickpeas in a gold rimmed bowl over a wood cutting board beside a white and brown serving utensil.

Salads

Garbanzo Salad – Audreythena: Food Goddess

This Garden Garbanzo Bean Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing is a perfectly heart-healthy Valentine’s Day recipe packed with plant-based protein and fiber. Made with chickpeas, broccoli, red bell peppers, barley, and more.

Strawberry Apricot and Pistachio Salad – Sinful Kitchen

Bright strawberries, bold flavors, and absolutely delicious! The light flavor and filling salad are perfect for a healthy Valentine’s Day dinner. Enjoy it as a side salad or as an entree, either way, it will be memorable.

A bowl of salad topped with sliced strawberries and avocado.

Homemade Cherry Vinaigrette – The Heart Dietitian

This cherry salad dressing simply requires a few ingredients and a blender. On top of its easy preparation, it is highly nutritious, sweet, and a sight for sore eyes!

Salad in white bowl topped with goat cheese, walnuts and red Cherry Vinaigrette. Beside salad bowl is a small portion of Cherry Vinaigrette in a small white pourable bowl.

Main

Baked Cod with Panko – I Heart Umami

Baked cod with crunchy panko crust is the perfect romantic meal for two! Easy to prepare and absolutely delicious, plus gorgeous looking, too!

Easy Vodka Sauce Pasta – Sunglow Kitchen

This Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta recipe comes together in just 30 minutes! Perfect to serve at a family dinner- it’s spicy, creamy, and naturally vegan (because it’s made with cashews)!

Ravioli Pomodoro Recipe – Sunglow Kitchen

This Ravioli Al Pomodoro Recipe is light, creamy, and infused with garlic and fresh basil! It uses 6 ingredients only and is ready in 25 minutes!

Dessert

Tofu Chocolate Mousse – Wholefood Soulfood Kitchen

This velvety smooth Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse is incredibly rich and creamy yet egg-free, dairy-free and made without cream or butter. It’s much lower in fat than regular chocolate mousse recipes and requires only 3 simple ingredients.

Easy Blackberry Crisp – Chef Savvy

Super Easy Blackberry Crisp screams Valentine’s day and heart health. Warm and gooey with a crispy crunchy oat topping. Serve this blackberry oatmeal crisp warm and topped with yogurt.

Oat Milk Chocolate Pudding – The Heart Dietitian

Oat milk makes this vegetarian pudding a creamy dessert that tastes just like traditional dairy pudding!

oat milk pudding in a white bowl surrounded by fresh strawberries, cocoa powder on a marble cutting board

Final Thoughts

Don’t forget to show your heart some love this Valentine’s day. These foods will help you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved ones while keeping your heart beating strong.  

Use today to think and care for your heart with these dietitian-approved, heart-healthy recipes.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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