Nothing says Happy Mother's Day like a home-cooked, heart-healthy brunch

Looking for a creative way to celebrate mom this Mother's Day?

Flowers and cards are never wrong, but what about showing your mother some love by making her a delicious – and nutritious – brunch?

That's love that doesn't just come from the heart – it's good for the heart as well.

According to federal dietary guidelines, eating a healthy diet is linked to favorable effects on heart health.

"Data regarding this topic are continually increasing, especially regarding benefits for cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity," said Dr. Linda Van Horn, a professor of nutrition research in the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

"All of these are improved with a heart-healthy eating pattern," she said.

According to a 2023 scientific statement from the American Heart Association, the DASH diet – short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension – scored the highest for promoting heart health. It is high in non-starchy vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes and is low in sodium, added sugar, tropical oil, alcohol and processed foods. The pescetarian and Mediterranean diets also had high scores.

"There are so many options" for nutritious Mother's Day dishes, Van Horn said. So to simplify things, here are two brunch recipes from the American Heart Association.

The sweet potatoes and spinach in the quiche recipe are loaded with vitamin A and antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation. Research reports that sweet potatoes can help reduce blood cholesterol levels in people with Type 2 diabetes, and spinach is high in fiber, another important nutrient shown to help protect against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and colorectal cancer.

Pair the quiche with a blue smoothie that gives mom even more antioxidants from peaches and blueberries, which are also good sources of fiber.

To add another thoughtful – and heart-healthy – touch, Van Horn suggested surprising Mom with a basket of dried fruits and unsalted nuts to enjoy throughout the day.

Turkey Bacon and Spinach Quiche With Sweet Potato Crust

Servings: 5

Serving size: 2 wedges

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 medium sweet potato, peeled

1 teaspoon canola or corn oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

6 slices uncured, nitrate-free turkey bacon, thinly sliced

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed

3/4 teaspoon dried dillweed, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper (freshly ground preferred)

4 large egg whites

2 large eggs

1/4 cup fat-free milk

1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free feta cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, using a box grater, grate the sweet potato. Measure out 2 cups. Gently press the sweet potato on the bottom and up the sides of the pan, forming a crust. (The sweet potato will be loose but will hold together once cooked.)

3. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust is cooked. Remove from the oven. Let stand to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the onion for 6 minutes, or until almost translucent, stirring frequently. Add the turkey bacon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onion and bacon begin to brown, stirring frequently. Add the spinach, dillweed, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the water from the spinach is released. Remove from the heat. Transfer the mixture onto the sweet potato crust.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites, eggs and milk until combined. Pour over the mixture in the crust. Sprinkle the feta over the top.

6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Cooking tip: Frozen spinach is usually easier to use in a quiche than fresh because most of the liquid had been cooked out before it was frozen. If you use fresh, be sure to squeeze out any liquid after the spinach is cooked and before adding it to the quiche.

Blue Smoothie

Servings: 2

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

2 cups frozen unsweetened peach slices

2 cups tightly packed fresh spinach

1 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries

1 cup fat-free milk

1 teaspoon honey

Directions

1. In a food processor or blender, process all the ingredients until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the mixture if necessary.

2. Pour into glasses.

Cooking tips: You can substitute 1/2 cup frozen spinach for the fresh spinach. Just add a few more splashes of milk if necessary. Also, if you use fresh instead of frozen fruit, use the same quantities and add 1 1/2 cups of ice cubes.