Maintaining a healthy diet is a lot of work that involves a number of different lifestyle choices shifting, as well as a commitment to mix things up for good. For many people, it's not a conscious decision to start eating poorly, it just happens. With so many of us rushing around day to day, from work to pick up the kids to the house, grabbing something to eat along the way seems like the best idea--until it's time to fit into an old pair of pants. Then, it's obvious that it's time for a change.

There are a number of ways that Americans can get healthier, and improving one's diet and fitness routine is about more than mere vanity. Research shows that incorporating more Heart Healthy recipes into one's diet is a great way of preventing potential future health risks, including strokes, high cholesterol, and even heart attacks. And the sooner you make those positive changes in your life, the better things will get.

In addition to exercising, incorporating more whole grains and vegetables, and cutting back on portions, one of the best things that can be done to improve a diet is substituting red meat portions with seafood. Seafood is a much better choice of protein, and the Omega-3 fats present in most seafood, especially that caught in the wild, makes it that much easier to get the nutrients you need. Here are some Heart Healthy recipes that focus on incorporating seafood instead of meat.

For a quick and simple recipe that's both healthy and delicious, try broiled salmon with some low-fat lemon sauce. With just a few ingredients, it's easy to whip up a light and tasty piece of fish. You'll need: 2/3 a cup fresh lemon juice, 1/4 a cup fat-free chicken broth, two and a half tablespoons of organic honey, freshly ground pepper, and four wild salmon fillets, about five ounces each.

Simply whisk together the chicken broth, lemon juice, and about a tablespoon of cornstarch. Heat the mixture in a saucepan until it thickens, stirring constantly the entire time. Mix in the honey, allow it to thicken a little more, and then remove the pan from the heat. Cover, and put aside.

Broiling salmon is the best way to make a Heart Healthy recipe even healthier. Place the fillets on a broiler pan, skin-side down, that you have lightly greased with cooking spray. Broil them for eight minutes, or until done--you'll know, because the fish will flake easily at the touch of a fork.

Another great Heart Healthy recipe with a touch more flavor that can last a couple of days is a combination of cod and lentils. The seasoning and the lentils give it a slightly Italian flavor, and the one-pot meal will easily feed a larger group.

You'll need two teaspoons olive oil, two garlic cloves that are chopped finely, a cup of rinsed lentils, a cup of chopped onion, a cup of low-sodium vegetable broth, 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, and one 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes. One quarter pound fillet of cod cut into four or five pieces should do it for the fish portion of the meal.

Start out with a medium or large saucepan, and place it on a medium heat to heat up the olive oil. Add the onions, and saute until they're softened, then add the lentils, tomatoes, and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil for two minutes, then turn down the heat and allow it to summer for 25 minutes, or until the lentils are on their way to getting soft, but not mushy. Add the fillets of cod, then cover the saucepan with lid and cook for an addition 10 minutes. You'll know when it's done because the fish will, again, flake easily away with a fork.