February is Heart Month and the recipes featured this month focus on providing simple, easy to prepare heart healthy meals.
A large amount of sodium, or salt, in the food you eat is something that can negatively affect your heart health. The American Heart Association states that “In some people, sodium increases blood pressure because it holds excess fluid in the body, creating an added burden on the heart. Too much sodium in the diet may also have other harmful health effects, including increased risk for stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and kidney disease.iv Processed, pre-packaged foods tend to have a large amount of sodium content. The following pasta recipe from the Mayo Clinic’s Heart Healthy collection is easily homemade and a double batch can made, frozen, and used for future meals.