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At age 39, I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy. I was given days to live with a heart function of 5% at that time. I was also told I needed a heart transplant to survive. I am now a 13 year survivor and have not had a heart transplant. I am married to my best friend, Steve and have one daughter, age 19. I'm sharing my journey to help others and because it "Matters to my Heart."

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Reposting an old favorite recipe for heart healthy mac and cheese at 120 mg sodium per 1/2 cup!

I wanted to repost this recipe because I had a comment on an old post and someone misunderstood the nutrition contents of this recipe. They mistakenly looked at the nutrition info at the bottem of the page, which is for regular mac and cheese and very high in sodium. This recipe is a healthy version of an old favorite made so those on a sodium restricted diet can enjoy mac and cheese once again. This recipe contains 120 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup, not 1180 as one reader mistakenly thought. I just thought I'd sahre it again in case anyone might want this recipe.

Ok, all of us that suffer with heart failure know that it's impossible to find low sodium mac and cheese. The best thing to do is avoid this on buffets, socials, etc because mac and cheese can contain 800-2000 mg sodium in 1/2 to 1 cup! So, here's a recipe I wanted to pass along. It's low sodium and low fat....very heart healthy. You CAN enjoy mac and cheese again!

Makes 8 servings -serving size 1/2 cup

2 cups Macaroni ( I use whole wheat pasta to make this even healthier!)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1 egg medium size, beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 cups (4 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded, low fat
nonstick oil cooking spray

1. Cook macaroni according to directions. (Do NOT add salt to the cooking water.)
Drain and set aside.

2. Lightly spray saucepan with non stick cooking oil spray and saute onions for
about 3 minutes.

3. In another bowl, combine macaroni, onions, remaining ingredients and mix
thoroughly.

4. Transfer mixture into casserole dish, sprayed with non stick cooking oil.

5. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let Stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition fats: Calories: 200, Fat 4 g, Saturated fat 2g, cholesterol 24 mg,
Sodium 120 mg

Compare this to a regular serving of mac and cheese which is for a 1 cup serving. Below represents what a regular "unhealthy" portion of mac and chees would contain. Above recipe is for a healthy version at 120 mg per 1/2 cup serving.

This is nutrition facts for regular mac and cheese, not the posted recipe.
calories 370, calories from fat 160, total fat 18 g, saturated fat 11 g, cholesterol 40 mg and sodium 1130 mg in 1 cup! That's twice what a healthy person needs in a day!

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