Photo: Easy Chicken Tenders with Lemon & Garlic: Morgan Hunt Glaze. Roasted Root Veggies & Greens over Spiced Lentils: Ali Follow this seven-day high-fiber meal plan for high blood pressure for a week of delicious and nutritious heart-healthy meals. We focus on nutrients that support healthy blood pressure, like fiber and potassium, while limiting nutrients that don’t support a healthy heart, such as sodium and saturated fat. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, impacts about 50% of adults in the United States. Though it often has no outward symptoms, untreated high blood pressure can lead to some serious side effects, including stroke, heart attack and heart disease. If you have high blood pressure or know you’re at risk, check in with your medical provider. Though medication may be recommended for many folks, don’t underestimate the positive impact nutrition and lifestyle habits can have on your stats. Follow this seven-day meal plan for high blood pressure to get started. Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You
To help support healthy blood pressure and overall heart health, we limit saturated fat to a maximum of 14 grams per day. While there’s some debate on saturated fat and heart health, we do know that most of us aren’t getting enough heart-healthy unsaturated fats . In this plan, you’ll find ample sources of unsaturated fats, including nuts and nut butters, avocado and olive oil. We also limit sodium to 1,500 milligrams per day. This is the ideal limit for people with high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.
We prioritized two important nutrients that can help lower blood pressure: potassium and fiber. Each day provides an average of about 3,700 milligrams of potassium . The AHA recommends a minimum of 3,500 mg of potassium per day for people who aim to treat or prevent high blood pressure. High-potassium foods include squash, spinach, banana, dairy and sweet potato. We also include an average of 44 grams of fiber per day. Fiber is an important nutrient with many health benefits, including improved heart health and cholesterol as well as reduced blood pressure.
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7-Day High-Fiber Meal Plan for High Blood Pressure, Created by a Dietitian