This year, you can finally get together with family and friends to celebrate Easter over a good meal. But the most important thing is that all your loved ones are healthy. What if you were to plan a delicious, well-balanced Easter dinner? That’s what the Montreal Heart Institute and the Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec hope for, thanks to a menu featuring nutrient-rich ingredients that promote good heart health. From starter to dessert, here are some healthy and tasty recipe ideas to try.

Starter: Fennel and orange salad

Fennel and orange are a classic duo. They are often combined in many recipes since the aniseed flavour of fennel blends perfectly with the sweet and tangy taste of orange, in addition to creating a pleasant mix of textures.

In this recipe, it’s the extra virgin olive oil that provides a noteworthy nutritional value. It contains antioxidants that have a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke, etc.). Using it as a daily oil for cooking food or for salad dressings is a great choice for your health. 

Main dish: Salmon with honey and dill

Salmon is a beautiful main course to serve for Easter, especially when cooked in a slightly sweet version using honey. It’s also a nice way to serve a main course that’s not red meat. Numerous studies have shown that eating more fish, poultry or legumes instead of red meat promotes better cardiovascular health and greater life expectancy.

Want to make it even better for your health? Serve the fish with a whole cereal, such as a mixture of wild rice or brown rice, and plenty of local vegetables. It is possible to eat locally all year round; just consult our arrivals calendar here. 

Dessert: Maple fruit dip

Being healthy does not mean having to deprive yourself of dessert! All you have to do is choose good ingredients. And with a little chocolate and maple syrup, you’ll get a gourmet fruit dip. Richer in minerals and antioxidants than corn syrup, brown sugar or white sugar, maple syrup is a good option for cooking, especially since it is lightly processed and produced locally.

In most recipes, you can replace 1 cup (250 ml) of white sugar with 1 cup of maple syrup, removing 1/4 cup (60 ml) of another liquid ingredient (milk, juice, water, etc.).