How are you treating your heart these days? Are you giving it some tender loving care with a balanced diet, stress management, aerobic exercise and no smoking?

You can lower your risk of heart disease by eating heart-healthy foods like salmon, artichokes and almonds. Check out the following recipes to optimize your heart health.

Heart-healthy recipes

Healthy Birchermuesli
Birchermüesli and its many derivatives are regular breakfast and dessert features at most Swiss tables and around the world. You can use all types of apples or a combination of apples and pears; seasonal berries also make a wonderful addition. For the less health-conscious, a little bit of cream is often stirred into the mix at the end.

Oats Plus Porridge
Traditional oatmeal fans may prefer this homemade porridge. Again, serve with milk or soy milk, and maple syrup, honey or sugar, if you like.

Salmon Ribbon Satays
Very pretty and so easy to make! You can prepare these satays up to 8 hours ahead and then quickly cook them as the party progresses.

Rye Bran Muffins
As a quick and healthy breakfast or as a snack, these rye muffins make delicious use of this ancient grain that has been essential to the diet of northern Europeans for millennia.

Apple and Pear Granola Crisp
Oats, nuts, apples and pears make a very healthy combination, especially when sweetening is kept to a minimum.

Stuffed Artichokes
These southern Italian–style artichokes are satisfying enough as a light dinner or make a fantastic first course for entertaining. They can also be served at room temperature for barbecues and picnics. You can substitute six large artichokes for the extra-large ones, if you like.

Baby Corn and Soy Bean Stir-Fry
Fresh frozen soy beans (edamame in Japanese) are now commonly available at grocery stores. Shelled or in the pods, they are often preboiled and need no further cooking before stir-frying. If not, boil until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes; do not overcook.

Herbed Mackerel Fillets
Mackerel is a delicious, inexpensive and widely available fish that is an especially good source of omega-3 fatty acids. It's most often sold whole; ask your fishmonger to fillet it or try it yourself per our instructions – it really is one of the easiest fish to fillet.

Almond Granola
The heart-healthy monounsaturated fats found in almonds and almond butter are essential to a healthy diet. Enjoy this granola for breakfast or as a healthy dessert with fruit and low-fat yogurt.

Olive Oil-Poached Salmon with Mint Salsa
Poaching salmon in olive oil makes it fragrant and moist - and the fish absorbs very little of the oil. Garnish the salmon with fresh mint leaves, if you like. Serve with saffron rice, and peas with pearl onions on the side.