7-Day Heart-Healthy Meal Plan, Created by a Dietitian

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7-Day Heart-Healthy Meal Plan, Created by a Dietitian

Follow this 7-day heart-healthy meal plan for an entire week of meals and snacks selected with your heart health in mind. Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, so there’s no time like the present to take care of your ticker. Whether you currently have heart disease, elevated cholesterol or high blood pressure or are taking proactive steps to protect your heart, this meal plan can help. You’ll find three different calorie levels to choose from and meal-prep tips to set you up for success. Check it out!

Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You

To tailor this meal plan for heart health, we prioritize foods and nutrients that can help support a healthy heart, like fiber, legumes, healthy fats and plenty of fresh produce. Named our #1 nutrient to lower cholesterol, fiber plays an important role in many aspects of our health, including improved gut health, better blood sugar levels, lower body weight and a reduced risk of heart disease. Each day provides an average of 36 grams per day of this powerhouse nutrient. 

To support healthy cholesterol, we limit saturated fat to no more than 14 g per day. A diet high in saturated fat is linked to elevated LDL or “bad” cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Foods high in saturated fat include fatty cuts of beef and pork, processed meats, high-fat dairy and coconut. Instead, we prioritized foods that can raise your HDL or “good” cholesterol, such as unsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil, fish, nuts and seeds, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts and seeds. To help reduce blood pressure, we limited sodium to 1,500 milligram per day, which the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends at the ideal limit for most adults.

While it’s not specifically linked to heart health, we know that protein is a nutrient that many people prioritize. Each day provides an average of 89 g per day. We set the calories for this plan at 1,800 calories per day and included modifications for 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day for this with different calorie needs. 

How We Create Meal Plans

Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.

Day 1

Ali Redmond


Breakfast (301 calories)

A.M. Snack (170 calories)

Lunch (430 calories)

P.M. Snack (170 calories)

Dinner (441 calories)

Evening Snack (305 calories)

  • 1 medium apple
  • 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter

Daily Totals: 1,817 calories, 84g fat, 14g saturated fat, 106g protein, 169g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 1,190mg sodium.

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to ½ cup blueberries, omit orange at lunch, change P.M. snack to 1 clementine and omit evening snack.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit evening snack.

Day 2

Breakfast (346 calories)

A.M. Snack (170 calories)

Lunch (510 calories)

P.M. Snack (170 calories)

Dinner (394 calories)

Evening Snack (206 calories)

  • ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds

Daily Totals: 1,796 calories, 82g fat, 11g saturated fat, 97g protein, 183g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 1,192mg sodium.

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to ½ cup sliced cucumber, substitute 1 medium orange for the pear at lunch, change P.M. snack to ¼ cup blueberries and omit evening snack.

Make it 1,500 calories: Substitute 1 medium orange for the pear at lunch and omit the evening snack.

Day 3

Ali Redmond


Breakfast (346 calories)

A.M. Snack (170 calories)

Lunch (510 calories)

P.M. Snack (170 calories)

Dinner (398 calories)

Evening Snack (200 calories)

  • 1 medium apple
  • 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter

Daily Totals: 1,794 calories, 67g fat, 11g saturated fat, 84g protein, 230g carbohydrate, 41g fiber, 1,299mg sodium.

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to ½ cup sliced strawberries, substitute 1 plum for the pear at lunch, change P.M. snack to 1 clementine and omit the evening snack.

Make it 1,500 calories: Substitute 1 plum for the pear at lunch and omit the evening snack.

Day 4

Breakfast (346 calories)

A.M. Snack (305 calories)

  • 1 medium apple
  • 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter

Lunch (510 calories)

P.M. Snack (170 calories)

Dinner (447 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,777 calories, 65g fat, 11g saturated fat, 85g protein, 225g carbohydrate, 40g fiber, 1,476mg sodium.

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 plum, omit pear at lunch, change P.M. snack to 1 medium apple and omit orzo at dinner.

Make it 1,500 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 plum.

Day 5

Ali Redmond


Breakfast (346 calories)

A.M. Snack (215 calories)

Lunch (510 calories)

P.M. Snack (170 calories)

Dinner (496 calories)

Evening Snack (62 calories)

Meal-Prep Tip: Reserve 2 servings One-Pot White Bean, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo with Lemon & Feta to have for lunch on Days 6 and 7

Daily Totals: 1,798 calories, 67g fat, 9g saturated fat, 81g protein, 236g carbohydrate, 43g fiber, 1,224mg sodium.

Make it 1,200 calories: Change breakfast to 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter, change A.M. snack to ½ cup blueberries and change P.M. snack to ½ cup low-fat plain kefir.

Make it 1,500 calories: Change A.M. snack to ½ cup blueberries and change P.M. snack to ½ cup low-fat plain kefir.

Day 6

Breakfast (301 calories)

A.M. Snack (206 calories)

  • ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds

Lunch (496 calories)

P.M. Snack (215 calories)

Dinner (398 calories)

Evening Snack (170 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,786 calories, 93g fat, 13g saturated fat, 78g protein, 177g carbohydrate, 29g fiber, 1,110mg sodium.

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to ¼ cup blueberries, change P.M. snack to ½ cup sliced cucumbers and omit evening snack.

Make it 1,500 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 medium apple and omit evening snack.

Day 7

Ali Redmond


Breakfast (301 calories)

A.M. Snack (215 calories)

Lunch (496 calories)

P.M. Snack (170 calories)

Dinner (459 calories)

Evening Snack (176 calories)

  • ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted shelled pistachios

Daily Totals: 1,816 calories, 92g fat, 14g saturated fat, 89g protein, 172g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 1,132mg sodium.

Make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to ½ cup sliced strawberries, change P.M. snack to 1 clementine, omit quinoa at dinner and omit evening snack.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit quinoa at dinner and omit evening snack.

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:

  1. Make Apple-Pomegranate Overnight Oats to have for breakfast on Days 2 through 5. 
  2. Prepare Turkey Chili to have for lunch on Days 2 through 5. 
  3. Make Cranberry-Almond Energy Balls to have as a snack throughout the week.

Frequently Asked Questions


  • ​​Is it OK to mix and match meals if there is one I do not like?

    If there’s a meal you don’t like, feel free to choose a different option in this plan or browse our wide array of heart-healthy recipes for a different option. For reference, we aimed for 1,800 calories per day, at least 28 g of fiber and opted to keep saturated fat under 14 g and sodium under 1,500 mg.


  • Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day?

    Feel free to eat the same breakfast and lunch every day if that’s easier for your routine. Each breakfast is between about 300 to 350 calories, while the lunch options range from 430 to 510 calories. These ranges are fairly similar, so a swap should work for most people. If you’re closely monitoring calories for weight loss or other reasons, you may want to change a snack or two.


  • What foods are high in fiber?

    If you’re looking to improve your heart health, eating more fiber is a great thing to focus on. Fiber is linked to improved blood pressure and reduced cholesterol, in addition to its numerous other benefits. High fiber foods include most fruits and vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

Heart-Healthy Foods to Focus On:

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Whole grains
  • Nonfat and low-fat dairy
  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Nuts and nut butters
  • Seeds
  • Olive oil
  • Avocado
  • Lean protein, such as poultry and lean cuts of meat
  • Fish and seafood
  • Herbs and spices

Other Strategies to Improve Heart Health:

  • Exercise: Getting active is a great way to lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and protect your heart. The AHA recommends adults get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as a brisk walk, water aerobics, biking or tennis. Try out our 7-Day Walking Plan to Lower Blood Pressure to get started. 
  • Eat More Plants: Eating more plants, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, can help protect the heart thanks to their fiber and potassium content. While animal proteins can certainly be included in a heart-healthy routine, focusing on eating more plants can help keep your heart in tip-top shape.
  • Cut Back on Sodium: The AHA recommends keeping daily sodium intake under 1,500 mg per day to help support healthy blood pressure. While cutting back on the saltshaker can help, much of our sodium intake comes from processed meals and restaurant foods. Take a look at the nutrition label and be mindful of the sodium content when selecting store-bought sauces and marinades. Opting to cook more meals at home is one of the best strategies to reduce sodium intake. Check out our 30+ Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes or Less for inspiration.
  • Switch Up Your Fats: Cut back on foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty cuts of beef and pork, processed foods, high-fat dairy and tropical oils, such as coconut, which may increase LDL cholesterol. Instead, eat foods rich in unsaturated fats, such as salmon, fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds. Foods rich in unsaturated fats can help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol, which helps protect the heart.

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