5 Heart-healthy and Budget-Friendly Dishes

Heart diseases remain to be the leading cause of death in the Philippines. But the good news is it’s a preventable condition by making daily right choices— by getting regular exercise and eating a balanced diet.

With unhealthy food as one of the main drivers of cardiovascular disease, our eating habits play an important role in this condition. In a generation where everything comes in an instant usually means compromising on the quality of food which includes ingredients being used in the preparation. Sadly, usually it also means food that is high in bad cholesterol, has less fiber and lacks essential vitamins that our bodies need.

While it’s always a challenge to think about what to prepare for your next meal due to the rising prices, using healthy ingredients in your dishes should be a top priority, especially the use of the right cooking oil. A Filipino family uses cooking oil almost every day, so it is important to make sure to use the best to ensure good health. Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil is the best cooking oil for everyday use, with its high amounts of Omega 3 & 6 that are good for the heart, and it has the lowest amount of saturated fats compared with other cooking oils.

Here are some tasty, easy-to-prepare, vitamin-rich dishes that would fit your budget – cooked with Jolly Heart Mate.

1. Vegetable Okoy – a crisp-fried combination of squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, malunggay, and eggs, this is an all-time comfort dish, and chock full of Vitamins A, D and K.

2. Crispy Kangkong – Forget about junk food and satisfy your cravings for light and guilt-free snacks like crispy kangkong, especially because it’s an affordable source of fiber that’s also rich in antioxidants. With its crunchy exterior and bright flavor, this is a simple dish even kids will love!

3. Sardine Misua Soup with Malunggay – Make it creamy or soupy, this is a dish that fills up and perfectly complements with rice. Add a healthy twist on the hearty misua soup with Vitamin D rich sardines and including malunggay, which is rich in Vitamins K, B, C, D, and E.

4. Scrambled Egg with Tuna and Tomatoes – Both tuna and eggs are packed with omega 3, which is strongly linked to preventing heart diseases. Using pantry essentials, this savory dish is the answer if you’re looking for other ways of utilizing the briny canned tuna and tomatoes.

5. Ginataang Tilapia with Talong – This creamy and umami-rich comfort food is packed with protein from tilapia and the antioxidant properties from eggplants, on top of its Vitamins A and C contents. Tilapia also has Omega 3 fatty acids, is low in fat and has high levels of Vitamin B12. Ideal for lunch or dinner, this is a dish that can be enhanced with fresh herbs and natural spices.

Get the full health benefits from every nutrient-packed meal by choosing Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil at all leading supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide and e-commerce sites Lazada, Shopee, and AceMarket.ph.