10 Healthiest Foods for Your Heart in 10 Days: Day 1

CNN shared "10 best foods for your heart," and for ten days, we will take those foods and make them irresistible:

Oatmeal prepared with frozen raspberries
and banana for guilt-free sweetness and
extra fiber to keep you full.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal has been proven to help lower cholesterol.  It is filled with omega-3 fatty acids (i.e. the heart healthy fat), folate and potassium, but with no salt and one gram of sugar, it is an easy way to take control of two items that most Americans abuse vs surrendering to the 16 grams of sugar pre-loaded onto your Oatmeal Crisp cereal.  A serving of oatmeal also delivers 15-20% of your daily dietary fiber, and will go a long way toward keeping you full, but how do you make delicious?

First, find a brand you love.  Quaker makes a great oatmeal, but my favorite is Bob's Red Mill, especially for those following a special diet.  Bob's oatmeals, ranging from Gluten Free to quick-cooking organic can be purchased through their website or added to your next Amazon purchase. 

I like to prepare my oatmeal with 1% milk for a creamier taste, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of Sugar in the Raw (one teaspoon=4 grams of sugar), and then top it with anything from cran-raisins or bananas to frozen raspberries, peaches, blackberries, or apple, but my husband loves nuts on his for both protein and taste.  Choose your favorite fruits or mix it up every morning, but simply toss it all in a bowl and with your oats and microwave per your oatmeal's instructions.  The trick to making your oatmeal worthy of getting out of bed is to get a childish delight in mixing it up, as it gets the juices of the berries flowing and chunks of fruit in every bite.  In our house, this is called "even distribution," but whatever you call it, it takes a bland bowl of oatmeal and turns it into speckled, brightly colored bowl of whole grain oats, fresh fruit, and purely delicious health.  Is there a better way to start your day?

If you do not like the sweetness of fruit to start off your day or need a quick lunch or dinner, mix your oatmeal with fresh spinach, black beans, low-fat plain Greek yogurt, and tomatoes or salsa for a savory and heart-healthy protein-packed meal.