Five heart-healthy recipes for busy weeknights

Eating well for your heart is rarely about cutting things out. The British Heart Foundation and the NHS both point to the same broad pattern: plenty of vegetables and fruit, wholegrains rather than refined carbs, pulses, unsalted nuts, some oily fish each week, and unsaturated oils such as olive or rapeseed in place of butter, lard and ghee. The five recipes below are built around that pattern and use ingredients you can find in any UK supermarket.

1. One-tray salmon, new potatoes and greens. The NHS recommends at least one portion of oily fish a week because the long-chain omega-3 fats in salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout and herring are linked to better heart health. Roast new potatoes in olive oil for 20 minutes at 200C, then add a salmon fillet and a handful of tenderstem broccoli, drizzle with lemon and a little more oil, and roast for another 10 to 12 minutes until the salmon flakes easily.

2. Mediterranean chickpea bowl. Pulses such as chickpeas, butter beans and lentils count towards your 5 a day and are a good source of soluble fibre, which can help lower LDL cholesterol. Combine a rinsed tin of chickpeas with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil. Serve with wholemeal pitta.

3. Smoky white bean and tomato soup. Sweat a chopped onion and two cloves of garlic in olive oil, add a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tin of butter beans (drained) and 300ml of low-salt stock. Simmer for 15 minutes, then blitz half of it for a creamy texture without any cream.

4. Overnight oats with berries and walnuts. Oats contain beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that the NHS notes can help reduce cholesterol as part of a healthy diet. Mix 50g porridge oats with 150ml milk (dairy or fortified plant), a spoon of natural yoghurt and a handful of berries. Leave in the fridge overnight, top with a small handful of walnuts in the morning.

5. Quick vegetable stir-fry with cashews. Whatever vegetables you have plus garlic, ginger, a splash of reduced-salt soy sauce and a handful of unsalted cashews. Serve over brown rice or wholewheat noodles. Aim to fill at least half the plate with the vegetables.

Two practical points worth remembering. First, salt: adults in the UK should have no more than 6g a day (about a teaspoon). Most of it comes from packaged foods, so check labels and use herbs, spices, citrus and garlic to add flavour. Second, portion sizes: even healthy foods add up, so use the Eatwell Guide as a rough visual: about a third vegetables and fruit, a third starchy carbs (ideally wholegrain), and the remaining third split between proteins and dairy or alternatives.

Always speak to your GP or a registered dietitian before making big dietary changes if you have a diagnosed heart condition, diabetes or are on medication such as warfarin, where vitamin K intake matters.