More than one-third of American adults have high blood pressure, or hypertension, which increases your risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. If you have high blood pressure, limit your sodium intake, and focus on eating nutrient-dense foods. Your diet may help you lower your blood pressure, but your doctor may also recommend additional measures, such as medications, to achieve a healthy blood pressure.
Whole Grains
If you have high blood pressure, eat plenty of whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread or pasta, oatmeal, barley, brown rice or whole-grain breakfast cereals. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet is an eating pattern that may lower high blood pressure, and it recommends six to eight servings of whole grains each day. Whole grains may be effective because of their potassium and magnesium content.
Legumes
You can eat beans and lentils when you have high blood pressure because they are high in potassium and low in sodium. Choose a variety of beans, such as garbanzo, kidney, black, pinto or navy. Since they have about 14 to 18g protein per cup, beans and lentils make good meat alternatives when you have high blood pressure, because meat is high in sodium. If you buy canned beans, buy low-sodium varieties.
Dairy Products
You can eat reduced-fat dairy products when you have high blood pressure, since they are naturally high in potassium, which may lower your blood pressure, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Eat two to three servings each day to follow a DASH diet eating pattern. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products, since full-fat dairy products are high in saturated fat, which raises your bad LDL cholesterol and increases your risk for heart disease. Also, limit your cheese intake because cheese is high in sodium.
Vegetables
Vegetables make good choices when you have high blood pressure, since they are low in sodium and high in potassium. Choose fresh vegetables, or canned or frozen vegetables that do not have added salt. The DASH diet recommends four to five servings per day. An extra benefit of vegetables is that they may help you lose weight, since they are low in calories. Obesity is a risk factor for hypertension, so maintain a healthy weight to control your blood pressure.
