7 Day Heart Healthy Meal Plan PDF (Free Download)

7 Day Heart Healthy Meal Plan PDF links of 1000 Kcal and 1500 Kcal/ day diet charts are given at the end. You can download and make changes by adding or removing calories as per your body requirements.

These diet charts focus mainly on low-sodium heart-healthy foods which may help in reducing the symptoms of congestion and heart failure.

It is essential to continue with your medicines and take the help of your cardiologist.

Heart Failure and Nutrition:

Heart failure is commonly referred to when the heart is not able to pump an adequate amount of blood resulting in congestion in the lungs.

This type of heart failure is also called congestive heart failure or the newer term, HFrEF (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction).

Most of these patients have difficulty in getting an adequate amount of air while lying down or during exercise.

It can be caused by a variety of reasons, including coronary artery disease, excessive blood pressure, and difficulties with the heart valves.

Another commonly used term is HFpEF (heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction). This is a condition when the heart becomes stiff and can not accommodate blood.

This condition is more common, especially in diabetics, those with hypertension, and elderly people.

Proper medical treatment and dietary adjustments are critical in the management of heart failure and the improvement of quality of life.

A few dietary approaches to managing the symptoms of heart failure via dietary modifications include following the ADA and the DASH diets.

In this article, we’ll look at how a heart-healthy diet might help you manage your heart failure symptoms.

Although, the exact dietary regime depends on the patient’s condition and stage of the disease here is a sample food guide.

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Why is it important to focus on diet with heart failure?

When your heart is failing, it will prioritize supplying blood to your most vital organ – your brain.

This implies that other organs will not receive as much blood as they require, preventing them from functioning properly.

The kidneys are the body’s natural filter. They remove extra vitamins, minerals, and moisture from the blood. With less blood going through the kidneys, less salt and fluid are filtered out.

Because you are already in danger of fluid buildup in your body, it is critical to keep track of how much fluid and salt you consume.

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Foods to Avoid in Heart Failure

If you have heart failure, the most important task is to limit your sodium and fluid intake.

Sodium in Heart Failure

Reducing salt (sodium) intake is an important dietary therapy for those with heart failure.

Excess sodium consumption can cause fluid retention, elevated blood pressure, and more strain on the heart, worsening heart failure symptoms.

It is critical that you keep your sodium consumption to less than 2000 mg per day.

To achieve this target, you should aim for 300-500 mg of sodium every meal. This is done to avoid exacerbating the fluid buildup in your body.

Avoid Foods with High Sodium Content:

Here is a list of foods that contain extra salt and can be dangerous to a condition like heart failure.

Check on these foods in order to stay in the safe zones.

Packaged foods
Cheese
Ham, bacon, and deli meats
Pickles
Some types of bread
Chips and crackers
Ketchup and other sauces
Fast foods
Canned foods

Do not consume these foods unless labeled as “low-sodium” or exclusively prepared at home.

Monitor Fluid Intake

It is critical to keep track of how much fluids you consume. Extra fluid that is not filtered out by the kidneys might accumulate throughout your body.

Fluid buildup in your lungs will make breathing more difficult. Edema is the accumulation of fluid in your legs and arms.

Edema causes you to feel “puffy” or swollen because fluid accumulates beneath your skin.

Edema can be highly uncomfortable, if not painful, thus it is crucial to attempt to avoid it.

Here are some ways to keep your daily water intake within 68 fluid ounces:

Drink water only before or after meals.
Instead of drinking a full glass at a time, try taking sips between meals.
Avoid drinking through straws.
Avoid foods that increase thirst such as salty or spicy foods.
If you have a dry mouth, chew gum to avoid extra intake of water.

Avoid Foods High in Fluids

Here is a list of foods that have a high water content. Keep a check on these foods.

Smoothies
Puddings and ice cream
Soups and stews
Milkshakes
Watermelon

It is not necessary to avoid these foods just look for your daily fluid ounces and consume these foods within the daily fluid limit.

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7-Day Heart Healthy Meal Plan

Here is a 7-day meal plan of 1000 kcal per day for patients with heart failure.

You can play around with your calories, reducing and increasing your daily intake according to your body’s demands by simply skipping one of the mid-day snacks.

Day 1	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Monday	Breakfast	Mixed nuts oatmeal (1 cup) + 1 apple	210
	Snack	Baked sweet potato with lemon and pepper seasoning	120
	Lunch	Steamed chicken+ plain rice	330
	Snack	Caramel flavored popcorns	150
	Dinner	Vegetable spaghetti (without cheese or mayo)	250

Day 2	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Tuesday	Breakfast	Greek yogurt bowl topped with frozen blueberries	230
	Snack	1 cup mango chunks	90
	Lunch	Swiss cheese chicken sandwich (2)	350
	Snack	½ cup peanuts (unsalted)	60
	Dinner	Vegetable brown rice	290

Day 3	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Wednesday	Breakfast	Smashed (medium) Avocado toast (2)	250
	Snack	Fruit salsa with sprinkled flaxseeds	140
	Lunch	Red bean stew ½ cup + whole wheat tortilla	340
	Snack	Dried figs (2)	60
	Dinner	Veggie burger with light mayo	290

Day 4	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Thursday	Breakfast	Chia seed pudding topped with strawberries (1 cup)	220
	Snack	Multigrain toast with homemade apple jam	150
	Lunch	Curried chicken tortilla wrap (1)	260
	Snack	Oat muffin (without salt)	120
	Dinner	Baked cod (3oz) + Brown rice	310

Day 5	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Friday	Breakfast	Greek yogurt (1 cup) + Boiled egg whites (4)	240
	Snack	Cantaloupe chunks	110
	Lunch	Baked eggs with tomato sauce + whole wheat tortilla (1) + Roasted kale	350
	Snack	12 almonds	120
	Dinner	Popcorn (1/2 cup without salt)	170

Day 6	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Saturday	Breakfast	Multi-grain waffles (2)	260
	Snack	Boiled corn (1/2)	70
	Lunch	cooked chicken rice 1 cup + beets, carrots & lettuce salad	390
	Snack	Vanilla wafers	90
	Dinner	Vegetable spaghetti (1cup)	260

Day 7	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Sunday	Breakfast	Honey-glazed banana pancakes	250
	Snack	Mix bean salad with sprinkled lemon and olive oil (1 cup)	150
	Lunch	Tuna salad (1 cup)	230
	Snack	Banana + dried dates (2)	100
	Dinner	Zucchini & chicken noodles (1 cup)	270

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Summary of 7-Day Heart Healthy Meal Plan:

Day

Breakfast

Snack

Lunch

Snack

Dinner

Total Calories

Monday

Mixed nuts oatmeal (1 cup) + 1 apple

210 kcal

Baked sweet potato with lemon and pepper seasoning

120 kcal

Steamed chicken+ plain rice

330 kcal

Caramel flavored popcorns

150 kcal

Vegetable spaghetti (without cheese or mayo)

250 kcal

1050

Tuesday

Greek yogurt bowl topped with frozen blueberries

230 kcal

1 cup mango chunks

90 kcal

Swiss cheese chicken sandwich (2)

350 kcal

½ cup peanuts (unsalted)

60 kcal

Vegetable brown rice

290 kcal

1020

Wednesday

Smashed (medium) Avocado toast (2)

250 kcal

Fruit salsa with sprinkled flaxseeds

140 kcal

Red bean stew ½ cup + whole wheat tortilla

340 kcal

Dried figs (2)

60 kcal

Veggie burger with light mayo

290 kcal

1080

Thursday

Chia seed pudding topped with strawberries (1 cup)

220 kcal

Multigrain toast with homemade apple jam

150 kcal

Curried chicken tortilla wrap (1)

260 kcal

Oat muffin (without salt)

120 kcal

Baked cod (3oz) + Brown rice

310 kcal

1060 kcal

Friday

Greek yogurt (1 cup) + Boiled egg whites (4)

240 kcal

Cantaloupe chunks

110 kcal

Baked eggs with tomato sauce + whole wheat tortilla (1) + Roasted kale

350 kcal

12 almonds

120 kcal

Popcorn (1/2 cup without salt)

170 kcal

1000 kcal

Saturday

Multi-grain waffles (2)

260 kcal

Boiled corn (1/2)

70 kcal

cooked chicken rice 1 cup + beets, carrots & lettuce salad

390 kcal

Vanilla wafers

90 kcal

Vegetable spaghetti (1cup)

260 kcal

1070

Sunday

Honey-glazed banana pancakes

250 kcal

Mix bean salad with sprinkled lemon and olive oil (1 cup)

150 kcal

Tuna salad (1 cup)

230 kcal

Banana + dried dates (2)

100 kcal

Zucchini & chicken noodles (1 cup)

270 kcal

1000 kcal

A link to the 1000 kcal per day 7 day heart healthy meal plan PDF version is here: Download 1000 kcal per day 7 day heart healthy meal plan PDF

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7-Day Heart Healthy Meal Plan: 1500 Kcal per day:

Here is a day-wise meal plan for patients with heart failure. These daily meal plans have an estimated 1500 kcal per day.

You can easily modify these meal plans by simply skipping the snacks or reducing the quantity to half.

Day 1	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Monday	Breakfast	Tomato basil & avocado sandwich	250
	Snack	Roasted harissa potatoes	160
	Lunch	Turkey Bolognese with whole wheat pasta (made with cottage cheese)	450
	Snack	Spinach muffin	150
	Dinner	Airfryer veggie frittata	390

Day 2	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Tuesday	Breakfast	Banana split yogurt bowl topped with hemp seeds	290
	Snack	1 cup papaya chunks	90
	Lunch	Salmon mango and avocado salad bowl	410
	Snack	Strawberry jam fig toast	130
	Dinner	Tuna and spinach pasta with olive oil	450

Day 3	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Wednesday	Breakfast	Scrambled egg with avocado toast	280
	Snack	Roasted carrot sticks with hummus	190
	Lunch	Chickpea & and asparagus tahini salad	370
	Snack	Air fried peaches (2)	120
	Dinner	Crunchy cauliflower bites	400

Day 4	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Thursday	Breakfast	Green onion pancakes with kimchi	310
	Snack	Boiled egg whites (2)	90
	Lunch	Turkey chili (homemade) with whole wheat tortilla	430
	Snack	Cashew granola bar (1)	150
	Dinner	Avocado and cottage cheese toast	380

Day 5	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Friday	Breakfast	Apple pie oats bowl	240
	Snack	½ cup strawberries and cherries	100
	Lunch	Chicken and edamame rice bowl	390
	Snack	Caramelized banana	140
	Dinner	Grilled chicken sandwich with avocado	450

Day 6	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Saturday	Breakfast	Grilled pineapple yogurt bowl with chia seeds	270
	Snack	Roasted chickpeas ½ cup	120
	Lunch	Honey chipotle salmon with pineapple chunks	430
	Snack	Oatmeal apricot bar (1)	170
	Dinner	Garlic and herbs shrimp pasta	420

Day 7	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Sunday	Breakfast	Blueberry pancakes	210
	Snack	Almonds and raisins (6+6)	120
	Lunch	Cauliflower curry with whole wheat tortilla	410
	Snack	Dried apricots and figs	120
	Dinner	Baked brussel sprouts and caramelized onions bowl topped with sesame seeds	460