Recipes

5 Easy Tips for a Happy, Healthy Heart: How Small Changes Can Lead to Big Result

Posted: 12/21/2011

Delicious dishes such as stuffed peppers may help you keep active and strong.

(NAPSI)—The 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day—and their families—may be better able to keep active and strong with an oil change: a cooking oil change, that is.

Many choose canola oil because it’s a good source of omega-3 and monounsaturated fats but has zero cholesterol and trans fat.

The American Heart Association recommends monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as your primary source of dietary fat. Using canola oil can help prevent heart disease by reducing its risk factors.

Unlike trans fats and saturated fats, canola oil won’t increase your risk of developing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. In fact, it may help reduce your cholesterol levels. A study in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases showed that canola oil improved cholesterol profiles by lowering the amount of LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol.

Canola oil’s omega-3 fatty acids may benefit your brain and nervous system. The UCLA Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center found omega-3 fatty acids improved nervous-system activity, which translated into memory improvements and better academic performance in children.

Canola’s light taste makes it easy to use in many ways—as a spread, for sauteing, in salad dressings and in recipes such as this:

Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers
Yield: 4 servings

12 red, yellow and orange mini bell peppers

4 Tbsp canola oil

2 (3-inch) pieces day-old Italian bread with crusts, broken into 1-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro leaves

1 tsp capers

¼ tsp kosher salt

⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450° F. Slice the tops off of the mini peppers and remove the seeds. Combine 2 tablespoons of the canola oil, bread, garlic, parsley, capers, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse to form a thin paste. If the mixture is runny, add more bread. If it is too thick, add more oil. Carefully stuff each pepper with the filling without puncturing the pepper. Fill each pepper to the top. Coat a small baking or loaf pan with 1 Tbsp of the oil. Lay the peppers in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the peppers with the remaining canola oil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes on each side until the peppers are soft and slightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Learn More

For more recipes and information, visit www.northerncanola.com.