Balanced Eating for Better Blood Pressure

rainbow fruits and vegetables — PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, know that you're not alone: nearly half of the adults in the US fall into this category, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Luckily, lifestyle factors like your eating pattern and physical activity levels can help lower your risk and overtime might help reverse the condition altogether. But it can be hard to know where to start—that's where the EatingWell experts come in. Here we've pulled together the basics about high blood pressure to help you better understand the condition. Plus, we've paired that with ample healthy cooking tips, easy-to-follow meal plans and flavor-packed recipes to help you put your knowledge into action. Eating to help balance your blood sugar has never been easier, read on for our best advice on how to get started.

High Blood Pressure Basics

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The #1 Diet to Help Lower High Blood Pressure, According to Science

If you are on the hunt for the best diet to follow to lower high blood pressure, look no further than the tried-and-true DASH diet.

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5 Sneaky Reasons Your Blood Pressure Is High, According to Dietitians

GETTY IMAGES / MALTE MUELLER, FREEPIK / HANNAZASIMOVA

From stress to sleep and forgetting about certain foods in your diet, here's why your blood pressure numbers may be on the rise.

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6 Mistakes You're Making When Trying to Lower Your Blood Pressure

Senior women taking care of herself she exercise with dumbbells at home — GETTY IMAGES / CHEE GIN TAN

If you have high blood pressure, make sure you're not actually making it worse instead of making it better. Here are 6 mistakes you might be making, and how to fix them.

Cooking for Better Blood Pressure

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Best and Worst Foods for Healthy Blood Pressure

bananas against a blue background — GETTY IMAGES / ANJELIKA GRETSKAIA

Healthy blood pressure is linked to a healthy heart and a lower risk of heart attack and stroke. What you eat can directly impact your blood pressure by raising or lowering it. Read on for the best and worst foods to eat for healthy blood pressure.

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The Top 8 Mediterranean Diet Foods for Better Blood Pressure

Mediterranean Diet foods that are great for heart health such as shrimp, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and grains — ALI REDMOND

If left untreated, high-blood pressure can turn dangerous. Thankfully, healthy eating habits—like what you'd find in the Mediterranean diet—can help bring blood pressure back down to a normal range. Here are a dietitian's top 8 Mediterranean-diet foods for lowering blood pressure.

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The #1 Thing You Can Add to Every Meal to Help Lower Blood Pressure, According to Science

Senior woman measuring her blood pressure at home on a designed background — GETTY IMAGES / DEAN MITCHELL

In addition to herbs and spices anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting properties, they may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol too. Bet you have plenty in your pantry as we speak!

Your Meal Plans

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Healthy High-Blood Pressure Meal Plan for Beginners

Garlic Butter-Roasted Salmon with Potatoes & Asparagus

In this 7-day high-blood pressure diet plan for beginners, we map out a week of delicious recipes tailored for those just getting started or those who might be recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. We keep things super simple by repeating several breakfasts and lunches, plus kept dinner easy by choosing recipes with short ingredient lists and simple steps (think one-pot recipes!). The goal is to enjoy cooking more meals at home and reap the health benefits without feeling like you're spending too much time in the kitchen.

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Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan for Healthy Blood Pressure

Cauliflower Chicken Curry — BRIE PASSANO

When it comes to lowering your blood pressure, cutting back on sodium isn't the whole story. In this plan, we incorporate the DASHdiet(Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) with a special focus on anti-inflammatoryfoods. We mapped out a week of meals and snacks filled with nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fermented dairy, fish and healthy fats like nuts, seeds and olive oil while skipping red and processed meats, like sausage or deli meat, packaged foods and excess salt.

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Vegetarian Meal Plan for High Blood Pressure

Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta — KELSEY HANSEN

In this plan, we focus on plant-based vegetarian proteins, whole grains and plenty of nutrient-rich produce throughout each day. By including proteins like beans, nuts and seeds and tons of fruits and vegetables, this plan packs in plenty of fiber (at least 33 grams per day!), which can help protect your heart and improve gut health.

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