Today’s a big day for Calgary dietitian, Cheryl Strachan, RD. Her new book, The 30-Minute Heart Healthy Cookbook: Delicious Recipes for Easy, Low-Sodium Meals, published by Rockridge Press, is being released for sale.
Cheryl is a registered dietitian specializing in cardiac nutrition. She says “I am on a mission to share my love for delicious, real-life, heart health – enhancing food. “
She doesn’t want a heart healthy diet to be a source of stress. Instead she wants her clients to get to what she calls “the Sweet Spot”. That’s where the food is right for them. And right for them means honouring their right to enjoy eating and living your life.
And she walks the talk.
On social media, she shares her finds – nutritious eats and where she locates them along with the decadent delights she enjoys. She know that when it comes to healthy eating, there are budgets involved – whether they be time constraints or economical ones. Whatever they may be, Cheryl has a solution.
That’s what makes her book such a fabulous resource.
At the start of the book, she provides basic, no nonsense nutrition information with facts on various eating styles along with background on just why the experts cannot agree and how nutrition science is changing. She provides tips on how to sort through the science from the science fiction.
There is none of what’s all over the internet today – lists of forbidden foods you must never eat again. Instead she provides practical advice on how to overcome difficulties. For example, for those who run into trouble while shopping – making impulse purchases or stocking the kitchen- she offers ideas even on what kinds of stores to shop at or how to change what’s in your kitchen.
Before getting into the actual recipes, she offers a section called “The Convenient Cook’s Kitchen” which includes info on essential kitchen tools, pantry staples, simple meal planning, and shopping with heart health in mind.
As for the recipes, they are indeed speedy offerings with menu options starting at breakfast and working their way through the day from salads, and side dishes and vegetarian and vegan entrees through to seafood, poultry, meat and snacks and sweet treats – lots of delicious sounding eats, all in under 30 minutes.
Here’s a taste from the book including the intro from Cheryl.
Photo courtesy Cheryl Strachan
Crunchy Peanut Fried Rice
This updated version of the takeout classic has more veggies and protein and less sodium, and it’s faster than delivery. A 2015 study showed that people who regularly ate peanuts were substantially less likely to have died of any cause—particularly heart disease—over the study period than those who rarely ate nuts, echoing findings from earlier studies.
A bag of fresh coleslaw mix (typically chopped cabbage, carrots, and other veggies) makes this dish come together super quick; choose the most colorful one you can find. If you don’t have peanut oil, just use a neutral oil like canola. You can substitute egg whites, but include at least one yolk for the flavor, nutrition, and color.
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
5 large eggs
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 (14-ounce) bag coleslaw mix
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped lightly salted peanuts
Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, and beat gently.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When it is hot, add the rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the peas and coleslaw mix, and cook for
3 minutes. Add the ginger, and garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Turn the heat down to medium. Push the vegetables and rice to the side, and add the eggs. Stir until lightly scrambled.
Pour the sauce over the rice and eggs, and mix well. Top with the peanuts.
Makes 4 servings
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 508; Total Fat: 24g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Cholesterol: 233mg; Sodium: 494mg; Carbohydrates: 56g; Fiber: 7g; Added Sugars: 3g; Protein: 20g; Potassium: 401mg; Vitamin K: 18mcg
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Enlightened Eater 
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