The key to staying on a heart-healthy diet is to keep our meal rotation fresh and interesting.

After Dan’s heart attack nearly 20 years ago, I knew we wouldn’t maintain a heart-healthy diet if it was boring. We needed to find healthy dishes that were delicious and have a variety of options.

I scoured “light” cookbooks, clipped recipes from healthy food magazines and searched the internet for techniques to prepare wholesome foods, and I’m still on the lookout for new recipes.

These days I often experiment with artfully posted dishes on Instagram or Facebook, but I still turn to my colorfully illustrated cookbooks for inspiration to keep us on track. They are like faithful old friends that supported us through a stressful time in our lives — plus, they have so many great recipes. I try to save more complicated choices for the weekend and plan quick-prep dishes for weekdays.

I’ve been feeling a little restless during this cold snap as we wait for spring, so I’m changing up our routine with recipes from The New Way To Cook Light: Fresh Food & Bold Flavors for Today’s Home Cook from Cooking Light magazine. Most of my cookbooks focus on health, but I still tweak the recipes when I think they aren’t quite “light” enough or need to have less fat or sodium. I sometimes also just use what I have on hand rather than running out for a special ingredient.

I’ll tell you more about these recipes soon. In the meanwhile, how do you keep your healthy meal rotation exciting?