Locations:
Search IconSearch

Your 3-Day Heart-Healthy Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories

Plus 6 ways a heart dietitian can help you

Closeup of cottage cheese and pineapple

Have diabetes or hypertension raised your risk of heart disease, or do you simply want to eat in a more heart-healthy way? A three-day meal plan can help. This 1,200 calorie-a-day plan can help most women lose weight, says Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. (Discover the six benefits of seeing a heart dietitian below.)

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Day 1

Breakfast: 2 large eggs, 2 slices whole grain bread, 1 Tbsp. olive oil spread.

Lunch: 2 slices whole grain bread, 3 oz. tuna (canned in water), 1 slice low-fat mozzarella cheese, 1 Tbsp. olive oil mayo.

Dinner: 4 oz. grilled chicken, 1 medium Idaho baked potato, 1-1/2 cups green beans.

Snacks: 1 cup skim milk, 1 medium apple.

Day 2

Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal, ½ cup blueberries, 1 Tbsp. peanut butter.

Lunch: 2 slices whole grain bread, 2 oz. low-sodium turkey, 1 slice Swiss cheese, 1 tsp. mustard; 1 cup skim milk.

Dinner: 4 oz. salmon, ½ cup brown rice, 1-1/2 cups broccoli, 2 tsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese.

Snacks: 6 oz. non-fat plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup strawberries.

Day 3

Breakfast: 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese, ½ cup fresh pineapple.

Lunch: 3 oz. grilled chicken, ¼ cup bell pepper, ¼ avocado, 2 Tbsp. salsa, ¼ cup shredded lettuce, 1 low-carb wrap; 1 medium peach.

Dinner: 3 turkey meatballs, ½ cup whole wheat pasta, 1/3 cup marinara sauce, 1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese; 2 cups spring lettuce mix, 1 Tsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar.

Snacks: ¼ cup mixed nuts, 2 Tbsp. dried cranberries.

6 ways a heart dietitian will help you

When you have high blood pressure, diabetes or excess weight, your doctor may refer you to a heart dietitian.

Advertisement

“Our goal is to reduce your cardiac risk,” explains Zumpano. “We try to get you started and educate you so that you’re empowered to make ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ food choices.”

When you see a heart dietitian, you will learn how to:

1.Distinguish nutrient-dense foods from empty-calorie foods.

  • The Mediterranean diet is loaded with nutrient-dense foods, packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and/or healthy fat: fresh produce; nuts, seeds and olive oil; beans and whole grains; and lean proteins.
  • The typical American diet contains too many high-calorie foods devoid of nutrients: soda, chips, crackers, cookies and candy bars. They add to your weight, and raise your blood sugar and bad LDL cholesterol levels.

2. Choose healthy versus unhealthy fats.

  • Healthy (unsaturated) fats don’t turn solid at room temperature, and include plant oils, nuts, olives, avocado and fatty fish.
  • Saturated fats turn solid at room temperature. “While there’s room for some saturated fat in our diets, we want to limit meat and keep solid animal fat, like chicken skin, marbled cuts and bacon, to a minimum,” she says.
  • Start replacing red meat with poultry or fish, and full-fat dairy with plant-based options like olive oil and nuts. Try making one meatless meal per week using beans or legumes.
  • Manmade fats (trans fat/partially hydrogenated oils), also solid at room temperature, have been banned by the FDA. “They increase bad cholesterol and usually cause weight gain and inflammation,” she notes.

3. Tell healthy carbs from unhealthy carbs.

  • High-fiber carbs (like whole grains and legumes) are always better than simple carbs, like sweets, snack foods, chips, and white bread, pasta or rice.
  • Every meal should include lots of veggies, and some fruit or whole grain. “Watch your grain portions,” cautions Zumpano. “I recommend three 15-gram servings of carbs per day — for example, ½ cup oatmeal, 1 slice of bread and ½ cup of brown rice.”
  • If you have diabetes and need to lose weight, limit your carbs to 2 to 3 grams per meal (for women) and 3 to 4 grams of carbs (for men). This will also keep your blood sugars stable.

4. Eat at home more often.

  • Restaurant meals are often high in salt and saturated fat. If you’re eating out five days a week, “we’ll troubleshoot why you’re doing this so often and try to find some quick, easy options that you can make at home instead,” says Zumpano.
  • Can’t give up eating at restaurants? Work on doing so four, or three, days a week instead. Avoid dishes that are fried, creamed, buttered or tempura, and opt for baked, boiled or broiled foods instead.

5. Get a handle on your snacking.

  • Snacks should have no more than 15 or 20 grams of carbohydrate. (One carb serving is 15 carbs, two is 30, etc.).
  • Include a protein and complex carb in each snack.
  • Choose healthy snacks that suit your taste buds (e.g., replace sweets with fruit and nuts, and salty chips with whole grain crackers and cheese).

Advertisement

6. Reduce the salt in your diet.

  • Always read food labels for sodium content, and if you have hypertension or prehypertension, limit yourself to 1,500 milligrams (about 2/3 teaspoon) of salt per day.
  • When eating out, avoid the American Heart Association’s “salty six” (foods that increase blood pressure): pizza, poultry, deli meats, canned soups, breads and sandwiches.

“We can show you how to make changes in the way you eat so that you can follow a heart-healthy diet and not even have to think about it,” says Zumpano.

Advertisement

Learn more about our editorial process.

Related Articles

Orange capsules poured out of a bottle
January 17, 2025/Heart Health
Taking a Statin? Here’s Why You Don’t Need CoQ10 Supplements

There’s not enough evidence to show that this supplement has any effect on muscle aches from cholesterol-lowering meds

Person bent down looking into a refrigerator filled with foods
January 16, 2025/Rheumatology & Immunology
What Should You Eat (or Avoid) if You Have Lupus?

Heart-healthy foods and low-fat dairy are smart choices when you’re living with this autoimmune disease, but watch out for sugary and processed foods

Artificial sweetener in wooden bowl on kitchen towel, with spoonful nearby
January 8, 2025/Heart Health
What’s Erythritol? And Is It Bad for You?

Erythritol is found in a range of “diet,” “sugar-free” and “keto-friendly” foods — but research has linked it to heart attack and stroke

Arms of person bent down examining food in a bottom-of-fridge freezer bin
November 29, 2024/Nutrition
Spoiler Alert: Refrigerated Food Can Go Bad During a Power Outage

Extended outages lasting more than four hours can make food in your fridge unsafe to eat

Smiling mother looking down on baby breastfeeding
November 8, 2024/Nutrition
Intermittent Fasting While Breastfeeding: Is It Safe?

Intermittent fasting could impact your milk supply and energy levels, so it’s best to wait until you’ve weaned your baby from nursing

Adding spoonful of allulose to mug of coffee
November 4, 2024/Nutrition
What You Need To Know About Allulose

Although allulose is an FDA-approved sugar substitute, more research is needed to understand its safety

Person in park wearing fitness apparel, drinking water from bottle, with person walking and person on bench in background
October 3, 2024/Nutrition
How Much Water You Should Drink Every Day

Consumption needs vary based on activity, weather, metabolism and other factors

A plate on table divided into balanced nutrition sizes, with fork and knife, and a spot on the table for dairy
September 27, 2024/Nutrition
What Exactly Is a Balanced Diet?

A typical recommended balanced diet is half fruits and veggies, a quarter protein and a quarter grains

Trending Topics

Person in bed sleeping on their side, covers off
Breathing Problems? Try These Sleep Positions

If you’re feeling short of breath, sleep can be tough — propping yourself up or sleeping on your side may help

A couple looking at skyline, with one person slightly behind the other, head bent down
What Is Anxious Attachment Style — and Do You Have It?

If you fear the unknown or find yourself needing reassurance often, you may identify with this attachment style

Glasses and bottle of yellow-colored prebiotic soda, with mint, lemon and ginger garnish
Are Prebiotic Sodas Good for You?

If you’re looking to boost your gut health, it’s better to get fiber from whole foods

Ad