Heart-healthy Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Dr. Gurpinder Chatha, MD, cardiologist with The Heart Group of Lancaster General Health, enjoys eating healthy meals and encourages her patients to do so as well. As Director of Lancaster General Health’s Women’s Heart Health Clinic she recommends incorporating more vegetables and fiber into our diet. She recommends having at least 2 ½ cups of vegetables and 1 ½ cups of fruit, and 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Each serving of this salsa provides 5 grams of fiber, which is 1/5 of your daily need.

Dr. Chatha recommends this low-cost and easy recipe from the American Heart Association, as most Americans fall short on their intake of vegetables and fiber.

Black Bean & Corn Salad or Salsa
6 servings;About $0.84 per serving

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  1 15.5-ounce can no-salt-added or low-sodium black beans, drained

• 1 15-ounce can no-salt added or low-sodium kernel corn, drained or ¾ cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 medium red bell pepper or 1 tomato diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic from jar
• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime

Toss all together, chill at least one hour.
TIP: Serve this as a side salad to a meal or warm in microwave and use as a filling for tacos!
Per serving:

Calories 142; Total Fat 2.5 g; Saturated Fat .5 g; Trans Fat 0 g; Polyunsaturated Fat .5 g; Monounsaturated Fat 1.5 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 11 mg; Carbohydrates 26 g; Fiber 5 g; Sugars 6 g; Protein 6 g. Dietary Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat

Recipe copyright © 2011 American Heart Association. This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Simple Cooking with Heart Program. For more simple, quick and affordable recipes, visit heart.org/simplecooking.

This recipe is so versatile. Try it in one of the following ways:

• Served with whole grain baked tortilla chips
• Incorporated into quesadillas (made with whole wheat or corn tortillas and reduced-fat cheese) or tacos
• As a topping for fish, chicken, or lean steak
• Served as a garnish on top of tortilla soup
• Rolled up in lettuce leaves as a lower-carb lunch or snack item
• Top lettuce leaves with the salsa and grilled salmon as a dinner salad
• As a side salad

Here are some healthy tips from Janelle Glick, wellness dietitian at Lancaster General Health Wellness Center:

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  Stock your cupboards with beans for a quick and healthy meal.

  Stock your pantry with healthy canned goods, such as reduced-sodium canned beans, no-added-salt tomatoes, and other vegetables.

• Frozen butternut squash, mixed pepper strips, green peppers & onion mix, green peas, and chopped spinach are essentials from the frozen section for throwing together quick and healthy soups and casseroles.
• Chop vegetables like peppers, onions, squash, and carrots when you get home from the supermarket so they’re ready to use when you need them.
• Rely on fiber from natural sources, not added fiber in processed foods. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are the best sources of natural fiber.
  • You can meet your fiber needs when you consume the minimum recommended 3 servings of whole grains (equivalent to 1 slice of whole wheat bread), 2 ½ cups of vegetables, and 1 ½ cups of fruit per day
• Be adventurous and try new recipes! If something sounds interesting, write a grocery list and plan to make it this week. If it includes ingredients you don’t like or can’t find, omit them or substitute them with something else that’s healthy.

Gurpinder Chatha, MD, cardiologist with The Heart Group of Lancaster General Health, leads the center’s Women’s Heart Health Clinic. The clinic is dedicated exclusively to the risk assessment, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women. Dr. Chatha works with each patient to proactively manage their heart-risk factors with strategies to improve overall health.

Dr. Chatha is a regular presenter at LG Health’s Be a Heart Smart Woman event each spring. She speaks on advances in cardiovascular research and delivers practical information for women to reduce their risk of heart disease.

Tell us: What’s your favorite heart-healthy recipe? Share your recipe in a comment below!

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• 25 healthy snacks for kids
• Healthy KitchenPinterest board
• Nutrition myths & facts
• 10 tips for eating healthy on a budget
• The food label:Your tool for making healthy choices
• ChooseMyPlate
• A healthy kitchen makeover

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