Week 2
Welcome to week 2!
We hope you are enjoying the journey so far. Life can be busy, so this week we’re featuring a 5-ingredient recipe, a quick stir-fry and examples of recipes that can be made ahead of time. At the end of the week, you’ll be halfway through — don’t forget to save your favourites! As your confidence grows, invite friends and family to join the heart-healthy cooking challenge.
Your weekly goals
- Discover what a heart-healthy eating plate looks like.
- Eat heart-healthy throughout the day — think about meal prepping your breakfast or lunch in advance to make it easier! View our video examples below.
- Keep pantry basics well-stocked — follow our Budget-friendly ingredients guide for a heart-healthy pantry, fridge and freezer.
So what's for dinner?
Thai-style vegetarian noodle stir-fry
Recipe highlights
- Easy-to-prepare meal with minimal cooking equipment and simple steps, including tasks suitable for kids!
- Tofu is a heart-healthy, plant-based protein made from soybeans.
- Noodles can be replaced with wholemeal spaghetti or brown rice if preferred.
- Broccolini can be replaced with other green or frozen vegetables like green beans.
Pumpkin falafel wraps
Recipe highlights
- Beans and legumes like no-added-salt canned chickpeas are budget-friendly, heart-healthy protein sources.
- Check the labels on beetroot dips and wholegrain wraps and choose the brands lowest in sodium per 100g.
- Pumpkin falafel can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and stored in a container in the fridge. If you have heart disease or high cholesterol, choose reduced-fat dairy.
Loaded veggie shepherds pie
Recipe highlights
- Dried red lentils cook quickly making them a versatile, budget-friendly pantry staple that can easily be added to meals to boost fibre and vegetable intake.
- We used a carrot, cauliflower, beans and broccoli frozen vegetable mix but any frozen vegetable mix can be used.
- Replace sweet potato with 500g pumpkin if preferred.
Cauliflower and cashew korma
Recipe highlights
- Enjoy super versatile cauliflower - it’s nutrient-rich and works well with a range of spices and cooking methods.
- Add crunch with cashews - these nuts are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, which can help lower levels of LDL-cholesterol. Choose unsalted varieties.
- Go wild for taste - ginger and onion creates a delicious flavour base.
- Keep it creamy with light and creamy evaporated milk. Use this instead of traditional coconut cream, which is higher in saturated fat.
Blistered tomato and cannellini spirals
Recipe highlights
- A quick and simple dish, that’s easy to make from heart-healthy pantry staples.
- Use as a base recipe to add any leftover roast veggies you have on hand.
- Replace vegeroni pasta with wholemeal pasta twists for added wholegrains.
- No-added-salt canned cannellini beans provide a cream-like texture while boosting the protein and fibre content of this dish!
Turmeric, ginger and lentil soup
Recipe highlights
- Soups are a budget-friendly, one-pot meal, allowing you to use up available ingredients like vegetables, grains, or heart-healthy proteins such as legumes (lentils, chickpeas) or chicken.
- This plant-based soup is ideal to make ahead as the flavour improves over time. Freeze in serve size portions for an easy, time-saving, ready meal option.
- Lentil soup mix is high in protein and fibre, and like all legumes, can help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.
- If preferred, replace ground turmeric with a 2cm piece of peeled and finely grated fresh turmeric root.
Moroccan veggie burgers with lemon chilli yoghurt
Recipe highlights
- Harissa is a North African spice and herb blend. It is available from the spice section in supermarkets and fruit and vegetable stores. Alternatively, you can make a similar version by mixing smoked paprika, chilli powder and cumin.
- For a lighter meal, omit rolls and serve patties with a leafy salad.
- Omit chilli from yoghurt for a milder topping.
- Patties can be prepared and cooked up to 2 days ahead. Keep covered in fridge.
- If you have heart disease or high cholesterol, choose reduced-fat dairy.
Plate portions — getting the balance right
View our heart-healthy eating plate examples to help you get the right balance of foods and nutrients in your meals.
Grab and go overnight oats
Short on time for breakfast in the morning? Plan the night before — try our quick grab and go overnight oats with only 10 minutes to prep!
Meal prep-lunch box
Save time and money by prepping lunch the night before. Just store in the fridge and pack in a chiller bag!
Heart-healthy eating plate
To help get a balance of foods and nutrients in your meals, aim to:
- Fill half of your plate with vegetables or salad,
- A quarter of your plate with protein foods (about the size of the palm of your hand), and
- A quarter of your plate with carbohydrate foods like potatoes, corn and wholegrains (such as brown rice, wholemeal pasta, grainy bread and oats).
- Don’t forget to include healthy fats too.
This week's healthy eating tips
Set yourself up for success in the kitchen!
Plan: stock your kitchen for heart-healthy meals
- Keep kitchen pantry basics well-stocked. Building a heart-healthy kitchen doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated.
- Stocking versatile, budget-friendly staples like canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, wholegrains and proteins can make it easier to put together simple, affordable, and heart-healthy meals.
- See our resources below.
Read labels: choose the best options for your heart
- Almost all packaged foods have a nutrition information panel (NIP) and ingredient list.
- This information is helpful to compare similar foods, so you can choose the best option for your heart health.
- Use our Reading food labels guide to find out more tips on what to look for to make heart-healthy choices.
Food prep: make healthy meals easier and faster
- Think about prep ahead of time e.g., make extra pasta sauce, and freeze into usable sizes ready to defrost for quick mid-week meals on busy nights.
- Reduce prep time — use no-added-salt canned vegetables and legumes (like lentils, chickpeas).