The Lenten Season is a 40-day solemn period for heartfelt reflection and fasting that offers a meaningful opportunity to restart and embrace more intentional choices. For many devoted Filipinos, sacrifices are usually made in their food choices. Some give up sweets or reduce rice intake, while others abstain from meat entirely, turning instead to simpler, nourishing meals. These practices develop into thoughtful yet practical habits, reflecting care and commitment towards a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. A more balanced lifestyle and diet may help support heart health and help reduce the risk of heart diseases.

Preparing nourishing meals can be simple yet hearty, practical yet full of meaning, shaped by small, thoughtful changes in everyday cooking habits. Including more vegetables, fruits, and whole foods while reducing ingredients that are high in salt and sugar is a good start. A less obvious simple upgrade that one can also do is switch to a healthy cooking oil with a better fat profile, such as canola oil, that can help support heart health when used in moderation along with proper diet and exercise.

Made from the seeds of the canola plant, canola oil is an everyday cooking oil that provides several health benefits. It is low in saturated fat and rich in monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which are associated with improved heart health when used to replace saturated fats in the diet.

A trusted brand of canola oil is Golden Fiesta, the Doctors’ Most Prescribed Canola Oil among physicians in a survey conducted by MIMS nationwide. Golden Fiesta Canola Oil has phytosterols that may help reduce bad cholesterol by up to 15 percent along with proper diet and exercise, that’s why it’s good for the heart. Making mindful decisions in the kitchen like using canola oil can therefore be a simple yet meaningful step in taking good care of one’s heart.

The Stir Fry Broccoli cooked with Golden Fiesta Canola Oil is a simple no-meat dish perfect for this Lenten season. This recipe only requires 200 grams of broccoli that are cut into small pieces, one tablespoon of minced garlic, three tablespoons of oyster sauce, and two tablespoons of Golden Fiesta Canola Oil.

In a pot, bring two liters of water to a boil over medium-high heat, and blanch the broccoli for three to four minutes. Set aside in an ice bath to avoid overcooking. In a separate pan, sauté the minced garlic with Golden Fiesta Canola Oil for about two minutes. Once the garlic is already fragrant, add the broccoli and oyster sauce, then stir until the vegetables are well coated with oyster sauce. Garnish with fried garlic bits before serving.

Those looking for non-meat recipes can try the Salt and Pepper Shrimp and the Tuna and Mushroom Spaghetti recipes that are available on NutriAsia’s website.

The Lenten Season offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect, not only on one’s spiritual life, but also on one’s daily habits that can support a more balanced life. Even simple changes in the kitchen—like preparing meals with care through adding nourishing ingredients—can go a long way in caring for the heart, the body, and the soul.