Today's society is one that has become highly sensitive to being healthy. Exercising and "working out" have fast become a way of life rather then a trend. The healthy standards that people are practicing do not stop with the outer body or appearance – it goes beneath all of that. People want to eat foods that are healthy and nutritious. Does this mean living on carrot sticks and baked, skinless chicken? Not any more.

For some, family meals have become a thing of the past. With both parents working outside the home in more than three-quarters of America's families, dinner is more likely to be take-out, pick-up or drive-thru. With these "fast food" meals, nutrition is often forgotten. "Who has time to cook a 'real' meal anymore?" asks Wendy Baker, a mother of four from Richmond, Va. "With soccer practice, swimming lessons, gymnastics, school work, housework and pets, I barely have time to say hello to my kids let alone have us all sit down for dinner."

There is hope, however – hope for easy to prepare meals that do not leave out the value of nutrition. According to Carol Richey, the national volunteer spokesperson for the American Heart Association, the Meals in Minutes Cookbook is just what the modern family needs to eat healthy and eat together. "I'm so thrilled about this book especially because all of the recipes are so modern," says Richey. "There are so many updated comfort foods to try and to enjoy. [The American Heart Association] wanted to tantalize and inspire families to get in the kitchen and create incredible tasting recipes when minutes count where you don't have to leave out nutritional value and truly are healthy meals. It's all heart-smart eating."

What is "heart smart eating?" According to the American Heart Association, heart smart eating is consuming foods which decrease your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and life threatening illnesses such as heart and blood vessel disease while avoiding foods that increase these risks. The American Heart Association has developed basic dietary guidelines to help reduce the risk of blood cholesterol and high blood pressure. These guidelines are called "Strive for Five." They include tips such as eating a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits and whole-grains; balancing foot intake with physical activity; choosing a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol; choosing a diet low in sugar and sodium; and drinking alcohol in moderation. With these tips, weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and health can all be improved and maintained.

"Heart disease, stroke and many forms or cancer are common in my family," says Yvette De Luca of Phoenix, Ariz. "If I can help my kids learn healthful eating now they won't have trouble practicing it when they are adults. I'm not only improving my health, but also cutting my children's chances of dying of stroke or heart disease early."

Eating healthy is not always easy to do. So how can a parent ensure that their family is eating healthy? "There are little things that can be done without a family ever having to know about them," says Richey. "Substitutions can be made, salt can be excluded when cooking, fat can be rinsed off from cooked meats and products that are high in cholesterol or fat can be eliminated very easily. The recipes in the 'Meals in Minutes Cookbook' are easy, they're fun and they are designed to teach you to eat with your heart in mind. No one will ever have to know the meals were prepared from a 'health' cookbook, so why tell them?"

"I am a diabetic and also have high cholesterol," says Sherry French of Port Perry, Canada. "I have been eating 'my' way for a few years. I have lost about 80 pounds since making the changes. I have made substitutions in the house such as margarine for butter and use virtually no salt. My family doesn't really follow the plan although they are benefiting from the substitutions I make."

Eating healthy – for heart health – doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming. From planning the meal to shopping for ingredients, eating healthy can be as easy as eating out. "There are recipes created in the 'Meals in Minutes Cookbook' that were created with the family in mind," says Richey. "They are called 'Shopping Cart Recipes.' You can make them as a whole project. Families make out a list of what they need and can know that these items are readily available at their local supermarket. No extra trips needed."

Alec Shoemaker, a teenager from Chester, Va., prepared two of the recipes from the Meals in Minutes Cookbook. "The recipes are very easy to follow and aren't hard to prepare at all," says Shoemaker. "It didn't take me any longer to make one of these recipes then it would have any other. I didn't even tell my dad where I got the recipe until after dinner – he was shocked that something 'healthy' could taste so good."

Changing your diet to a healthier, heart-smart way of eating does not mean giving up good food. By taking it slow and making little changes, the "big" change – lowering the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol – is soon to follow. "It's all about little changes or little adjustments that are doable and easy," says Richey. "These little changes are things that no one will notice – until they notice a change in themselves. 'All things in moderation' is a great place to begin."

Want more?

• Read a review of Meals in Minutes here.
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• Do you eat heart-healthy? Tell us about it at the Food Issues Discussion Board. Share your favorite heart-healthy recipe at the Recipe Share Board.