It's important for people with high blood pressure to eat low-sodium foods because too much sodium can raise their blood pressure to even higher levels, increasing their risk of health problems such as strokes, heart attacks and kidney disease, according to MayoClinic.com. When choosing what to eat, the Mayo Clinic recommends those with high blood pressure aim to consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium daily.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh fruits and vegetables naturally contain low amounts of sodium so they make good food choices for people with high blood pressure. Processed fruits like blueberry muffins and processed vegetables such as canned peas often contain lots of sodium that's added while they're processed. Most of the sodium that Americans consume comes from processed foods and people with high blood pressure should choose fresh fruits and vegetables over processed ones.
Fresh and Frozen Meats
Fresh and frozen meats of all varieties--such as chicken, turkey, fish and beef--usually contain significantly less sodium than processed meats like ham, hot dogs, bacon, lunch meat and sausage, according to the Mayo Clinic. People with high blood pressure should choose fresh meats whenever possible and avoid meats that are cured, smoked or canned. While many frozen meats don't contain added sodium, some do, so people should read food labels or ask a butcher whether or not the frozen meat they're considering buying has been injected with a solution that contains sodium.
Herbs and Spices
When cooking foods and seasoning them at the table, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends that people with high blood pressure use herbs and spices to add flavor rather than salt or condiments like mustard and barbecue sauce that contain lots of sodium. The taste of many main dishes won't be compromised when people leave sodium out of the recipes they prepare. Also, the taste for salt is acquired, so people's taste buds can gradually adjust to meals with less salt, and after a few weeks of eating low-sodium foods, they likely won't miss the taste of salt at all.
