Heart-healthy meal plan, with fish, beans and oats.
A heart-healthy pattern is mostly vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and fish, with less sodium and added sugar. Here is a week at about 1,900 calories a day, plus what to buy. Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from AHA and Dietary Guidelines advice.
The rules
Three habits do most of the work
Fish twice a week
Salmon, sardines or trout for omega-3 fats, hot or in a cold lunch.
Fiber from whole foods
Oats, beans, barley, fruit and vegetables at most meals.
Swap, don't cut
Olive oil for butter, nuts for chips, fruit for something sweet.
Sample week
Seven days of heart-healthy meals
About 1,860 to 1,980 calories a day. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
Day 1Monday
BreakfastSteel-cut oats with apple and flax1 cup cooked steel-cut oats, 1 cup 1% milk, 1 apple, 1 tbsp ground flax, 1 tbsp walnuts, cinnamon
LunchChicken salad with chickpeas4 oz grilled chicken breast, ½ cup chickpeas, 2 cups mixed greens, tomato and cucumber, 1 tbsp olive oil and vinegar, 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 1 slice whole-grain bread
SnackDark chocolate and almonds1 oz dark chocolate, ½ oz almonds
DinnerSalmon with quinoa and roasted broccoli5 oz baked salmon, 1 cup cooked quinoa, 2 cups roasted broccoli with 2 tsp olive oil and lemon
About 1,980 kcal120 g protein38 g fiber
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastEgg muffins with blueberries2 egg muffins baked with spinach and pepper in 1 tsp olive oil, 1 slice whole-grain toast, 1 cup 1% milk, ½ cup blueberries, 1 orange
- LunchWhole-wheat pasta with sardines1½ cups cooked whole-wheat pasta, 1 tin sardines in olive oil drained, 1 cup broccoli, garlic, chili, lemon, 1 slice whole-grain bread
- SnackApple with peanut butter1 apple, 1½ tbsp peanut butter
- DinnerRoast chicken with sweet potato and green beans5 oz roasted chicken breast, 1 large sweet potato, 1½ cups green beans, 1 tbsp olive oil, paprika and garlic
About 1,860 kcal122 g protein35 g fiber
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastOvernight oats with cherries and chia½ cup rolled oats, ¾ cup 1% milk, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 cup cherries, 1 hard-boiled egg
- LunchChickpea and spinach curry¾ cup chickpeas simmered with tomato, spinach, onion, ginger and spices, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup plain yogurt, 1 tbsp cashews
- SnackHummus with cucumber and crackers½ cup hummus, 1 cup cucumber slices, 4 whole-grain crackers
- DinnerTurkey chili with kidney beans4 oz lean ground turkey, ¾ cup kidney beans, tomato and pepper, 1 tsp olive oil, ½ cup cooked brown rice, cumin and chili powder
About 1,950 kcal102 g protein47 g fiber
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastPeanut butter banana English muffin1 whole-wheat English muffin, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana, 1 tsp honey
- LunchChicken soup with white beans2 cups homemade chicken and vegetable soup with 3 oz chicken and ½ cup white beans, 1 oz whole-grain roll, side salad with 2 tsp olive oil
- SnackTrail mix with dark chocolate¼ cup almonds (1 oz), 1 tbsp dark chocolate chips, 1 tbsp raisins
- DinnerRoast chicken with wild rice and carrots5 oz chicken breast, 1 cup cooked wild rice blend, 1 cup roasted carrots, 1 tbsp olive oil, thyme
About 1,960 kcal113 g protein35 g fiber
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastTofu scramble with vegetables5 oz firm tofu scrambled with spinach, tomato and onion in 2 tsp olive oil, 1 slice whole-grain toast, ¼ avocado, 1 orange, ½ cup blueberries
- LunchTuna and avocado rice bowl3 oz canned tuna in water, 1 cup cooked brown rice, ¼ avocado, cucumber and carrot, ½ cup edamame, 1 tbsp olive oil, lime, nori
- SnackPear with walnuts1 pear, 2 tbsp walnuts
- DinnerSalmon with sweet potato mash5 oz baked salmon, 1 cup mashed sweet potato, 1½ cups green beans, ½ cup cooked quinoa, 2 tsp olive oil
About 1,920 kcal104 g protein40 g fiber
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastBreakfast burrito with black beans1 whole-wheat tortilla, 2 eggs, ½ cup black beans, salsa, 1 oz avocado
- LunchTurkey sandwich with avocado and slaw2 slices whole-grain bread, 3 oz home-roasted turkey breast, mustard, lettuce and tomato, ¼ avocado, 1 cup vinegar slaw, 1 apple, 1 cup 1% milk
- SnackFrozen grapes and almonds1 cup frozen grapes, 1 oz almonds
- DinnerTofu soba stir-fry5 oz firm tofu, 6 oz cooked soba noodles, ½ cup edamame, 2 cups broccoli, pepper and carrot, 2 tsp sesame oil, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, 1 tbsp peanuts
About 1,910 kcal112 g protein43 g fiber
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastPumpkin oatmeal with pecans1 cup cooked oats, ½ cup pumpkin puree, 1 cup 1% milk, 2 tbsp pecans, 1 tbsp maple syrup, cinnamon
- LunchWhite bean minestrone with Parmesan2 cups homemade minestrone with white beans, tomato and zucchini, 1 oz whole-grain bread, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 oz Parmesan
- SnackCottage cheese with tomatoes¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, black pepper, 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- DinnerChicken with lentils and green beans4 oz roast chicken breast, ¾ cup cooked lentils, 1 cup roasted carrots, 1 cup green beans, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,860 kcal116 g protein46 g fiber
Shopping list
What to buy
Most days
ProteinChicken, turkey, eggs, tofu, plain yogurt, low-fat milkchicken breastegggreek yogurt
Now and then
Ultra-processed snacks are easy to overeat. Keep nuts, fruit and yogurt where you can reach them.
Make it yours
This week is a sample. Alma builds yours.
- Meals fit to your goal and the foods you like
- Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds
- Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100
Questions
What people ask
What counts as a heart-healthy diet?
The American Heart Association recommends a pattern built on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish and unsaturated oils, with less sodium, added sugar, saturated fat and ultra-processed food. Poultry, eggs and low-fat dairy fit in moderate amounts.
How much fish should I eat for heart health?
The American Heart Association suggests two servings of fish a week, especially fatty fish like salmon, sardines, trout or mackerel. A serving is about 3 oz cooked. This week has salmon twice and sardines once, plus canned tuna.
How many calories is this meal plan?
About 1,860 to 1,980 calories a day, with 100 to 120 grams of protein and 35 to 47 grams of fiber a day. That is above the AHA's 25 to 30 grams because of the beans and oats, so add fiber gradually. Scale portions to your needs.
Is oatmeal really good for your heart?
Oats are a good source of soluble fiber, which Harvard's Nutrition Source says may lower blood cholesterol. Plain rolled or steel-cut oats are the best choice, since flavored packets can carry a lot of added sugar.
Can I eat red meat on a heart-healthy diet?
Yes, in smaller amounts. The AHA suggests choosing lean cuts and limiting red meat, with fish, beans and poultry doing more of the work. Processed meats like bacon and sausage are the ones to save for now and then.
Do I need to give up salt?
No. The AHA recommends no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day, and ideally 1,500 mg for adults with high blood pressure. Most of it comes from bread, canned food, restaurant meals and deli meat rather than the salt shaker, so labels matter more than the shaker.
How does Alma help with a heart-healthy plan?
Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds, and Alma scores it from 0 to 100 using Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index, which rewards vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and fish. Alma can build a plan around your goal and the foods you like.
Sources
Written by Alma from the sources below and reviewed October 28, 2026. Calories and protein are estimates. This is general information, not medical advice. If you manage a health condition or take medication, check changes with your clinician. Editorial standards
- American Heart Association: Diet and lifestyle recommendations
- American Heart Association: Fish and omega-3 fatty acids
- American Heart Association: How much sodium should I eat per day?
- American Heart Association: Whole grains, refined grains and dietary fiber
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Fiber
- FDA: Sodium in your diet
- USDA FoodData Central, for calorie and protein estimates
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.