Low Cholesterol “Warm and Cozy” Foods

Wednesday, 01. 6. 2010  –  Category: Heart Health

Being born and raised in northern Illinois, I know cold.  I distinctly remember having to walk to and from places in -40 degree wind chills this last February.  That’s cold…very, very cold.  In fact, after that, the 20′s and 30′s of December felt like a spring-time walk in the park.  In all the winters I’ve experienced, I’ve never had to do something so miserable as dig my car out of a foot of snow after a blizzard in -30 degree weather.  The entire time I was doing that, all I could think of was my dog warming my feet while I was cuddled under a wooly blanket, with some type of warming food in front of me.

Soup, hot cocoa, coffee, oatmeal…yeah, I really, really wanted something warm and filling.  To make matters worse, it was so cold outside that my car took 30 minutes to warm up.  It was probably the most physically-miserable experience of my life.  I’ve had broken bones, concussions, and serious illnesses that felt like NOTHING compared to the -40 and -30 degree days I experienced in early 2009.

So what does this have to do with anything?  Well, remember how I said I wanted the warm, filling foods?  I call those foods “warm and cozy” foods.  They remind me of my childhood, when I would be playing in the snow.  I’d come inside and Mama would have hot soup or hot cereal waiting for me.  Grown-ups deserve that kind of treatment, too!

It’s important to think about what your “warm and cozy” foods are, though.  Some, like hot oatmeals and brans, are great for heart health.  Others, like soups, hot cocoas, and coffee drinks, are often bad for your heart.  Check out these recipes:

“Warm Chocolate Delight” Hot Cocoa

Fresh Vegetable Soup

Also, here’s a great resource of healthy bread and soup ideas.  Warm bread can also be a great winter warm-up food!  Healthy Soup and Bread Recipes and Cooking Tips

Next time you’re absolutely miserable-cold and all you can think of is how much you want something warm in your belly, think of these great ideas.  The beauty of most of these is that they’re easy to freeze and reheat for those time-critical moments.  As you check out these recipes, you may also adapt your own ideas.  One of the best things about sharing recipes and researching food options is that you can easily adapt healthy practices across different recipes.  Learning how to cook one type of healthy soup could lead to revolutionizing another soup recipe, or even a sauce or cereal recipe.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it a million times more.  Make your food your own.  Take low cholesterol eating into your own hands.  Build up a stock of great recipes.  That way, next time you ne a “warm and cozy” meal, you’ll have healthy options right inside your own head…or recipe box.

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