Low-Fat, High-Fiber Recipes for a Healthy Heart

Bored with bland and tasteless high-fiber foods? Add excitement with burgers, meat loaf, waffles, pasta, and enchiladas–each packed with over 8 grams of fiber per serving. An essential part of heart health, fiber has been associated with decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease by carrying LDL (bad) cholesterol out of the body.

Eat plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains for the most fiber bang for your buck. Try Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Arugula for a simple Italian dish with 8.2 grams of fiber per serving.

Serve over hot cooked long-grain white or brown rice. Frozen black-eyed peas are economical and available year-round, but in the summer months, you can use fresh shelled peas, if you prefer.

 

 

This quick, fiber-packed soup is a terrific way to use fresh corn. Add a slight kick with a sprinkle of Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers just before serving.

 

 

Just one serving of this one-dish meal and you've almost hit your target amount of fiber for the day. The first step in this recipe is a "quick soak" method to soften dried beans in a snap. Or, try canned lima beans (make sure to rinse and drain them) and start the recipe at step two.

Recipe: Collard Greens with Lima Beans and Smoked Turkey

Lentils are a great source of both protein and fiber and offer a healthful alternative to beef. Get a head start on the recipe by making the tzatziki sauce up to 1 day ahead and preparing then freezing the lentil patties for up to one month.

Recipe: Lentil Burgers with Tzatziki

Jump-start your day with a fiber-packed breakfast. Plus, the waffles are loaded with whole grain and the berries with antioxidants, so this is a nutrient-dense meal you won't want to skip.

Recipe: Honey Yogurt and Mixed Berries with Whole-Grain Waffles

A twist on traditional chicken noodle soup, this stew is abundant in fiber from the barley and boasts over 12 grams of fiber per serving.

Recipe: Chicken and Barley Stew

Just a scant 1/3 cup of cream cheese in the filling lends these enchiladas a meltingly rich texture. But hefty portions of black beans and soy crumbles make this meatless main dish a nutritional powerhouse with more than 10 grams of fiber and 25 grams of healthy soy protein per serving.

Recipe: Chili-Cheese Black-Bean Enchiladas

The perfect bring-along for potlucks, the ingredients for this colorful salad can be tossed together or layered in a clear bowl for an especially dramatic presentation. And tell your friends to eat up: thanks to bulgur, a nutritious whole grain, this salad packs more than 14 grams of fiber per serving!

Recipe: Tabbouleh with Beans and Feta

One cup of this creamy low-fat soup meets half of your fiber requirements for the day. It makes a lot, so be sure to bring any leftovers to work the next day to enjoy a nutritionist's version of a "power lunch."

Recipe: Black Bean Soup

Baking instead of frying these chickpea-and-bulgur patties gives them a delectable crunch, but cuts way down on fat. With this improved recipe, you can enjoy a flavorful fiber-packed sandwich with less than 8 grams of fat.

Recipe: Baked Falafel Sandwiches with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce