Raw celery sticks are common as a snack, but cooked celery provides a different flavor and texture. Essential nutrients in cooked celery include vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, dietary fiber and vitamin K, and cooked celery may have benefits for your blood pressure. A nutritionist can work with you to develop healthy recipes with celery, as part of a balanced meal plan.
Sodium
Boiled celery without added salt has 136 mg of sodium per cup. To prevent blood pressure from increasing, healthy individuals should have no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Celery is higher in sodium than some other vegetables, such as broccoli, lettuce and carrots, but celery cooked without salt still counts as a low-sodium food because it has less than 140 mg per serving, according to the Mayo Clinic. Celery cooked with salt has 490 mg of sodium per cup.
Potassium
A high-potassium diet helps regulate your blood pressure, and a cup of cooked celery provides 426 mg. Healthy individuals should get at least 4,700 mg of potassium per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The potassium content of 1 cup of cooked celery is comparable to the amount in high-potassium foods such as a cup of orange juice, 3 oz. of halibut, tuna or cod, or 1/2 cup of cooked soybeans or lima beans.
Weight Control
A key factor in maintaining normal blood pressure is a healthy weight, and cooked celery can help in this regard. Each cup of celery cooked in water provides only 27 calories. Some ways to make your meals bigger and more filling, without adding many extra calories, are to eat it as a side dish and add it to casseroles, stews, soups or other recipes to increase the volume. If you cook your celery in fat, such as oil or butter, remember to count the additional calories.
Other Considerations
Each cup of cooked celery counts as a serving of vegetables to help you meet your recommended intake. A 2,000-calorie diet for a healthy blood pressure should include four to five servings per day of vegetables, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This suggestion is based on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet, which is an eating pattern designed to lower high blood pressure. The DASH diet emphasizes fruits, whole grains, vegetables, healthy fats and lean sources of protein.
