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Power Tools -
To Save Time, Eat Better

(Family Features) - You want it all — good nutrition and more time with your family. You can have both when you use two simple tools from the American Heart Association.

First, while grocery shopping, look for the association's distinctive red heart with a white check mark. This familiar tool makes it easy to quickly and reliably find healthy foods that can be part of a sensible eating plan.

"With all the messages in grocery stores — from sales fliers to promotions on food packages — consumers are bombarded with information," says Penny Kris-Etherton, R.D., Ph.D., and Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University. "The heart-check mark from the American Heart Association makes it easy to cut through the clutter and reliably find the nutritious foods consumers are looking for. And, because it's backed by science, it's trustworthy."

Developed more than 10 years ago by the American Heart Association's Food Certification Program, the heart-check mark on food packaging is your assurance the product meets association criteria for being low in saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over age 2. It takes the guesswork out of heart-healthy shopping.

To be certified, a single serving of the food must:

Be low in fat (less than or equal to 3 grams),
Be low in saturated fat (less than or equal to 1 gram),
Be low in cholesterol (less than or equal to 20 milligrams),
Have a sodium value of less than or equal to 480 milligrams for individual foods and
Contain at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of one or more of these naturally occurring nutrients: protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber.

Additionally:

Seafood, game meat, meat and poultry, as well as whole grain products, main dishes and meals, must meet additional nutritional requirements.

Save more time. Go online.

Point. Click. Print. Shop. Healthy grocery shopping has never been easier!

Visit heartcheckmark.org.

For even more convenience, the American Heart Association now offers you a second tool — its innovative, online Grocery List Builder.

Before you go to the store, log on to heartcheckmark.org. Click on the "Grocery List" link and create your personal list from the more than 850 certified products. Items are listed by manufacturer and by category, such as breakfast foods, dairy, meat and snacks.

With just a click of a mouse, you can select the nutritious foods you love, add other needed items such as bottled water and pet food, print a list ... and go! It's a great way to shop smart — and fast.

This free, interactive Web tool is so easy, your kids may enjoy making their own healthy-shopping lists.

"Building a healthy lifestyle starts with eating the right foods like those found in the American Heart Association's Food Certification Program," says Dr. Kris-Etherton. "This, along with regular physical activity and checkups with your doctor, can help reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke — the No. 1 and 3 killers of Americans."

To learn more about reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke through good nutrition, visit americanheart.org or call 1-800-AHA-USA1 for your free copy of the "Shop Smart with Heart" brochure.

Poultry Pot Pies
The little ones at your house will dig right in with the hungry adults when you serve this updated, home-style, one-dish meal.

Serves 6; 1 cup per serving
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 28 minutes
Standing time: 5 minutes

Vegetable oil spray
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or turkey breast tenderloins, all visible fat removed
1 (12-ounce) bottle low-fat chicken or turkey gravy
1 (10-ounce) package frozen no-salt-added peas and carrots
2 cups reduced-fat buttermilk baking and pancake mix
2/3 cup skim milk
Black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Spray large saucepan with vegetable oil. Place over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in hot saucepan about 5 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, rinse chicken, pat dry and cut into bite-size pieces. Add to skillet with onion mixture. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is just tender. Stir in gravy and vegetables. Heat through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together baking and pancake mix and milk until soft dough forms. Set aside.

Transfer hot chicken or turkey filling to three 15-ounce casseroles or one 2-quart casserole. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot filling. Bake 15-ounce casseroles, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes. Bake 2-quart casserole, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes. Topping should be golden brown and filling should be hot. Let stand 5 minutes and season with pepper if desired.

This recipe is reprinted with permission from the American Heart Association Quick & Easy Cookbook. Copyright © 2001 by the American Heart Association. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. Available from booksellers everywhere.

SOURCE: American Heart Association