You love your valentine, and you care about their health, correct?

With that in mind, skip the box of chocolate covered heart attacks and opt for heart healthy romantic meals and treats!

Heart Healthy Breakfast in Bed

Try starting out your Valentine’s Day with a simple, sweet, and savory bowl of blueberry, dark chocolate oatmeal. 

Believe it or not, this indulgent treat is actually heart healthy! Oatmeal can potentially help lower both cholesterol and blood pressure.

Stir in some dark chocolate chips (choose varieties with 70% or higher cocoa content) and top with blueberries. 

You would be surprised how many heart healthy nutrients are packed into blueberries. Research has shown that adults who eat one cup of berries per day lower their blood pressure and raise their good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) overtime.

I bet you are wondering why dark chocolate is included in this heart healthy breakfast. Chocolate is made from the cocoa bean, which is rich in flavonoids, which are compounds in food with antioxidant properties and protect the cardiovascular system, particularly through helping to lower blood pressure.

But don’t go wild with this “chocolate is healthy” concept! Not all chocolate foods are high in flavonoids; in fact most are not. Processed forms of chocolate are often stripped of health benefits and packed with sugars and saturated fat. This is why it is important to choose dark chocolate with ideally at least 70% cocoa content.

Your valentine will surely love their blueberry, dark chocolate oatmeal breakfast.

Dinner

As far as a heart healthy romantic dinner, the sky is the limit. Try to include at least one of the heart healthy superfoods below, or include them all! Each brings their own disease fighting present to the table.

Fish

Consider making a heart healthy fish the star of your meal. Fish is an excellent source of protein and unlike many meat products, it is not high in saturated fat.

Some fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, and albacore tuna are also great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids can decrease the risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), slow the buildup of plaque in arteries, and assist in lowering blood pressure!

Brown Rice

Brown rice is an excellent whole grain option that comes packed with B vitamins, fiber, niacin, and magnesium.

Research has shown that choosing brown rice as opposed to processed white rice may offer protection from high blood pressure and atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque and hardening of blood vessels), helping to prevent heart disease!

Red Bell Peppers

Peppers are full of heart healthy nutrients such as beta carotene and vitamin C that help prevent atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque and hardening of blood vessels).

Peppers are extremely versatile and make for an easy addition to your dinner. Add extra peppers to pastas, soups, stews, salads, sauces or almost anything else your heart desires!

Sweet Potatoes

Beta carotene and vitamin C are the superstar nutrients of sweet potatoes that help the body fend off heart disease.

Roasting sweet potatoes brings out their delicious natural sugars, making an irresistible side dish!

Tomatoes

Salicylate, found in the jelly part of the tomato, has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.

But, that is not all tomatoes bring to the table. They also contain something called Lycopene, which has antioxidant properties and helps to lower bad cholesterol, making tomatoes a great heart healthy vegetable!

Toss some extra tomatoes into your sauce, side dish or salad!

Dessert

It’s Valentine’s Day… Can’t forget about dessert! Here are a few options to stick with the theme of heart health:

Black Bean Brownies

There are tons of excellent recipes out there for healthy black bean brownies. Chefs usually substitute black beans for all or part of the flour in the recipe and it turns out great.

Many people don’t even realize the difference! Beans are truly a superfood, even if they aren’t as trendy as quinoa.

They are an excellent source of plant based protein and contain very little fat and cholesterol. Not to mention, they are packed with fiber which can help improve your cholesterol!

Oatmeal Cookies

Remember all of those awesome benefits of oatmeal we talked about for breakfast? Why not have a double dose with oatmeal cookies for dessert?

But be sure to choose a recipe that’s on the healthier side!

Berry Parfait

Berries are antioxidant powerhouses and great for your heart.

Grab some low fat yogurt, top with berries and a sprinkle of granola and you have a healthy dessert in about 30 seconds.

Fast. Simple. Delicious. Healthy!

Red Wine

Red wine contains antioxidants called polyphenols that may help protect the lining of the blood vessels of the heart.

Research suggests that one polyphenol, Resveratrol, may protect blood vessels from damage, reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol and even prevent blood clots.

Toast to your love and good health!

Hopefully by now the ideas are flowing and you have some great plans for your special day. Happy Heart Healthy Valentine's Day!

Have some other healthy Valentine's Day meal ideas to share? Let us know in the comments below!