The 7-Day Sugar-Free, Low-Sodium Meal Plan for Better Heart Health

Heart disease continues to top the charts as the leading cause of death in the United States. Since it’s so widespread, it’s no wonder that many of us want to eat with heart health in mind. In this heart-healthy meal plan, we design a week of meals and snacks tailored to improve heart health by limiting sodium and saturated fat and prioritizing fiber, an important nutrient for heart health. If you’re hoping to improve your heart health but aren’t sure where to start, look no further. We’ve got you (and your heart) covered.

Why this meal plan is great for you

When looking to improve heart health, there are three nutrients you should prioritize: fiber, sodium, and saturated fat. In this meal plan, we have limited sodium to no more than 1,500 mg per day in accordance with the recommendations of the American Heart Association. Regularly eating a high amount of sodium can lead to high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease. We also limited saturated fat to no more than 12 grams per day, which is approximately 7% of total calories, within the recommended maximum of 10% of total calories set by the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Eating too much saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol, clog arteries and increase the risk of heart disease.

Finally, each day provides at least 35 grams of fiber. Fiber has many health benefits, from helping you lose weight to stabilizing blood sugar levels and improving heart health. Soluble fiber, such as that found in whole grains, beans, lentils and many fruits and vegetables, can help lower cholesterol, which reduces the risk of developing heart disease. Because losing weight can reduce your risk of heart disease, we set this plan at 1,500 calories a day, which is a level where many people will experience weight loss. We also included modifications for 2,000 calories per day for those with other calorie needs.

Added sugars and heart health

While the occasional sweet bite won’t hurt your heart health and can be part of a heart-healthy diet, many of us eat far more added sugars than we realize. In fact, the average American consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar each day, far more than the American Heart Association’s recommended daily maximum of 9 teaspoons for men and 6 for women. Research links an increased sugar intake of 20% or more of total daily calories with an increased risk of stroke and adverse coronary events. Because added sugars do not positively support heart health, we chose to skip them in this meal plan to save room for more nutritious foods.

Heart-healthy foods to focus on

• Whole grains
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil and avocado oil
• nuts
• The seeds
• legume
• Lentils
• Herbs and spices
• Lean protein, such as turkey and chicken
• Fish

How to meal prep your week of meals

1. Make Copycat Starbucks Spinach and Mushroom Egg Bites for breakfast all week long.
2. Make 20-minute white bean soup for lunch on days 2 through 5.
3. Make Carrot Cake Energy Bites to snack on throughout the week.

Day 1

Breakfast (361 calories)

• 1/2 cup old-style (dry) oats, prepared with water
• 1/2 cup berries
• 2 tablespoons. ground almonds
• 2 tablespoons. chia seeds

Morning snack (144 calories)

Lunch (354 calories)

Snack PM (206 calories)

• ¼ cup dry roasted unsalted almonds

Dinner (450 calories)

Daily totals: 1,516 calories, 69 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 65 g protein, 179 g carbohydrates, 43 g fiber, 1,121 mg sodium

Make it 2000 calories: Add 1 cup of plain nonfat kefir in the morning, add a container (5.3 oz.) of plain nonfat Greek yogurt with 2 Tbsp. chopped almonds in the AM snack, add 1/2 cup blueberries to the PM snack, and add 1 serving of traditional Greek salad to dinner.

Day 2

Breakfast (375 calories)

Morning snack (199 calories)

• 1 (5.3 oz.) container nonfat strained yogurt (Greek style)
• ½ cup raspberries
• 2 tablespoons. ground almonds

Lunch (358 calories)

Snack PM (144 calories)

Dinner (424 calories)

Daily totals: 1,500 calories, 62 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 87 g protein, 164 g carbohydrates, 42 g fiber, 1,310 mg sodium

Make it 2000 calories: Substitute 1 serving of Spinach, Peanut Butter, and Banana Smoothie for the morning berry and flax smoothie, add ¼ cup of unsalted roasted almonds to your PM snack, and add 1 serving of sugar-free vegan oatmeal cookies as an evening snack.

Day 3

Breakfast (361 calories)

• 1/2 cup old-style (dry) oats, prepared with water
• 1/2 cup berries
• 2 tablespoons. ground almonds
• 2 tablespoons. chia seeds

Morning snack (192 calories)

Lunch (347 calories)

Snack PM (110 calories)

• 1 (5.3 oz.) container nonfat strained yogurt (Greek style)
• 1/4 cup blueberries

Dinner (489 calories)

Daily totals: 1,499 calories, 58 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 71 g protein, 195 g carbohydrates, 43 g fiber, 1,144 mg sodium

Make it 2000 calories: Add a (5.3 oz.) container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt to the AM snack, increase to ½ cup blueberries and add ¼ cup roasted unsalted almonds to the PM snack, and add 1 serving of sugar-free vegan oatmeal cookies as a snack light evening. .

Day 4

Breakfast (311 calories)

Morning snack (199 calories)

• 1 (5.3 oz.) container nonfat strained yogurt (Greek style)
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 2 tablespoons. ground almonds

Lunch (362 calories)

Snack PM (192 calories)

Dinner (427 calories)

Daily totals: 1,490 calories, 54 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 73 g protein, 197 g carbohydrates, 45 g fiber, 1,287 mg sodium

Make it 2000 calories: Add 2 tbsp. natural peanut butter for lunch, 1/4 cup unsalted roasted almonds in the PM snack and add 1 medium apple as an evening snack.

Day 5

Breakfast (361 calories)

• 1/2 cup old-style (dry) oats, prepared with water
• 1/2 cup berries
• 2 tablespoons. ground almonds
• 2 tablespoons. chia seeds

Morning snack (206 calories)

• 1/4 cup dry roasted unsalted almonds

Lunch (347 calories)

Snack PM (110 calories)

• 1 (5.3 oz.) container nonfat strained yogurt (Greek style)
• 1/4 cup blueberries

Dinner (496 calories)

Tip for meal preparation: Reserve two servings of the one-pot white bean, spinach and sundried tomato orzo with lemon and feta to eat for lunch on days 6 and 7

Daily totals: 1,520 calories, 65 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 77 g protein, 177 g carbohydrates, 43 g fiber, 952 mg sodium

Make it 2000 calories: Add 1 serving of Spinach, Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie in the morning and add 1 serving of Sugar Free Vegan Oatmeal Cookies as an evening snack.

Day 6

Breakfast (375 calories)

Morning snack (199 calories)

• 1 (5.3 oz.) container nonfat strained yogurt (Greek style)
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 2 tablespoons. ground almonds

Lunch (496 calories)

Snack PM (62 calories)

Dinner (388 calories)

Daily totals: 1,518 calories, 70 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 82 g protein, 155 g carbohydrates, 35 g fiber, 1,385 mg sodium

Make it 2000 calories: Substitute 1 serving of Spinach, Peanut Butter, and Banana Smoothie for the morning berry and flax smoothie, add ¼ cup of unsalted roasted almonds to your PM snack, and add 1 serving of sugar-free vegan oatmeal cookies as an evening snack.

Day 7

Breakfast (361 calories)

• 1/2 cup old-style (dry) oats, prepared with water
• 1/2 cup berries
• 2 tablespoons. ground almonds
• 2 tablespoons. chia seeds

Morning snack (59 calories)

Lunch (496 calories)

Snack PM (62 calories)

Dinner (512 calories)

Daily totals: 1,489 calories, 69 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 67 g protein, 163 g carbohydrates, 40 g fiber, 1,396 mg sodium

Make it 1200 calories: Skip the chia seeds in the morning and swap lunch for 1 serving of cucumber salad sandwich.