“Maa ke haath ka khana” — just hearing this phrase gives you that warm feeling, doesn’t it?
But here’s a tough question: Is your mom’s favorite food loving her heart back?
This Mother’s Day is not about gifting flowers or a card; it’s about the real tribute for her good health—helping her eat in a manner that will leave her heart smiling for decades. Dr. Bimal Chhajer, the founder of SAAOL Heartcare and advocate of zero-oil cooking, strongly believes that diet plays a major role in shaping your heart health; it makes you thrive if you mindfully consume it. If you are wondering what are the best and worst foods for your mom’s heart health, then let’s open up her kitchen today— no judgments, just pure love — and see:
What is the best diet for a mom’s heart?
What foods could be silently damaging her heart?
And how can we hack her favorite dishes — zero-oil style and SAAOL style — so she enjoys every bite without guilt? This Mother’s Day, let’s start a health revolution with superfoods for mothers’ heart health
Why Your Mom’s Heart Health Matters?
Did you know? Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women globally, and in India, 8,00,000 women lose their precious lives to heart disease. They must be someone’s mother, too. It gives a chill to your spine even thinking about it. But little do you know that, for women, their symptoms are frequently silent — not “filmy” chest pain, but tiredness, shortness of breath, even jaw pain. Their risk of heart attacks increases, especially after menopause, when estrogen protection is diminished.
Bottom line: Your mom is vulnerable, often without even realizing it. And the BIGGEST armor you can give her?
A heart-loving diet — one that she actually likes (and continues to follow).
Your Mom’s Plate — Heroes vs Villains
Not many families consume quinoa bowls and avocado smoothies every day, right?
We live on rotis, sabzi, dal, poha, chai, biscuits — all our comfort foods.
So, we don’t want to kill tradition. How about we just smartly upgrade them?
Here’s what’s Best and Worst foods for your mom’s heart health, practically speaking.
Best Foods for Your Mom’s Heart Health
(Zero-Oil Cooking Methods Applied)
| Food | Why It’s Great | Simple Home Hack |
| Homemade Poha (without frying peanuts in oil) | Light carbs + iron + fiber. Add more vegetables as they provide the required vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants | Dry roast your spices and water-saute, with no oil tadka |
| Fresh curd (homemade dahi) | Natural probiotics for gut + heart | Low-fat milk, no sugar added |
| Mixed dal (moong, masoor, chana) or Sprouts | Fiber, plant proteins, and magnesium. The bioavailability of nutrients is double in sprouts. | Pressure cook with jeera tadka — dry roast spices, no oil, or the best way: soak the dals more and cook in an open vessel |
| Vegetable khichdi | Balanced carbs-protein-fiber | Add veggies, cook in water — no oil needed |
| Steamed idlis or Millet idlis to control GI, with dhaniya, pudina chutney | Low-fat, gut-friendly | No fried tempering, use mustard seeds roasted dry |
| Seasonal fruits (papaya, berries, guava) | Antioxidants, natural sweetness | Fresh-cut fruits as snacks |
| Homemade roti with green sabzi. If possible, add microgreens to your meals. | Balanced meal, no processed ingredients, Microgreens: Full of fresh nutrients and chlorophyll | It would be better to switch to millet roti; sabzi sautéed with water-steamed green veggies, not oil |
| Roasted chana with jaggery (gur) or makhana (fox nuts) | High protein, low calorie, iron, and calcium | Dry roast with spices, no ghee |
Worst Foods for Your Mom’s Heart Health
| Food | Why It’s Dangerous | Better Alternative |
| Ghee-soaked parathas | Saturated fat = heart blockage risk | Soft, dry-roasted paratha without oil |
| Biscuits (even Marie, Digestive) | Hidden trans fats + sugar bombs | Fresh fruits, murmura snacks, Butter-free popcorns, roasted chana, etc |
| Deep-fried samosas, pakoras | Trans fats, calorie overload | Baked samosas, air-fried pakoras |
| Processed cheese slices | Sodium overload, bad fats | Fresh paneer in moderation |
| Ready-to-eat noodles and chips | MSG (monosodium glutamate) + transfats = inflammation | Homemade vegetable upma |
| Soft drinks, packaged juices | Sugar tsunami | Fresh coconut water, lemon water |
| Bakery cakes, pastries | Sugar + processed flour + margarine | Fruit salad |
| Heavy cream gravies (butter paneer, etc.) | Double fat + salt | Tomato-based gravies cooked without oil |
The Deep Emotional Connection with Food — And How to Handle It
Food is more than calories. To your mom, that puri-sabzi on Sunday, that cup of chai with biscuits — it’s love, tradition, comfort. We can’t and shouldn’t steal that from anybody.
Instead, we hack it — smartly and heart-happily.
Example:
- Chai time? Replace biscuits with roasted chana + fruit slices.
- Craving samosas? You can bake them or air fry them.
The love remains. The habits improve. And you know what’s truly underrated– SUNSHINE. People just don’t go out in the morning sun anymore. The early morning sun not only provides Vitamin D but also gives you a good start to your day. So take your mom out for a morning walk tomorrow!
The best foods for your mom’s heart will work even better if she eats along with her loved ones—YOU. Eat with your mom, the food works as a medicine when it is eaten in a happy environment, peacefully. And yes, do not forget about adding at least 1 litre of alkaline water to your mom’s daily water intake.
How Zero-Oil Cooking Can Save Mom’s Heart
We at SAAOL Heart Care Delhi maintain the strong belief in Zero Oil Cooking.
Here’s why it’s magic:
- Oils = Liquid fat bombs. Even “healthy” oils, in excess, create oxidative stress in the walls of our blood vessels.
- Zero oil = Anti-inflammation. No attack on arteries.
- The taste remains intact. Believe us — a well-seasoned, steamed, oil-free tadka dal is divine!
Hot Tip:
Use water, vegetable broth, or dry roast spices for flavor, not oil.
Once you experience this style, you’ll never crave greasy food again.
Buzzworthy Science Bites People Might Not Know About (But Should!)
Here’s what any average blog won’t tell you:
- Olive oil – Toxic aldehydes are even formed by the “best” oils when they are heated. Zero oil beats all oil.
- Marie biscuits – Marketed as healthy, but 5 biscuits = a sugar spike worse than a chocolate bar.
- Ghee – Sacred but could be dangerous — 1 tbsp = 14 grams of saturated fat, which is not less than a ticking time bomb for heart blockage.
- Cold pressed oils – Still 120 calories per big spoon. Your mom’s heart isn’t going to know or care where it came from once it has been stored as fat.
All the oils, irrespective of ghee, mustard oil, or olive oil, Cold pressed or chemically derived – 1 gm = 9 Kcal. All the vegetable/ refined oils are Triglycerides. These are the biggest culprit for heart disease in India.
Your mom’s future can avoid angioplasty or bypass surgery: Just by adjusting her daily diet, adopting Zero-oil cooking, a healthy lifestyle, a regular health and heart check-up, and if needed, a non-surgical heart treatment like EECP treatment in India.
The Best Gift for Supermoms On This Mother’s Day
This Mother’s Day, when you embrace your mom, whisper this in her ear:
“Maa, I love your food. But I love YOU even more. Let’s cook our love … the heart-happy way.”
Because a happy mom = a healthy heart = a lifetime of love.
Let’s not wait for a doctor to tell your mom some scary news, and with the above-mentioned best and worst foods for your mom’s heart health, make this Mother’s Day the reason she smiles brighter, walks stronger, and lives fuller. If you are still a little confused, then don’t worry, SAAOL is here for you. Book a personalised diet consultation for yourself, your mom, and people you deeply care about. We will get it all sorted.