In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhy This Meal Plan Is Great for YouFrequently Asked QuestionsHow to Lower Blood PressureVegetarian Foods to Focus on for High Blood PressureHow to Meal-Prep Your Week of MealsDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Lower Blood Pressure
Vegetarian Foods to Focus on for High Blood Pressure
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
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Photo: Kelsey Hansen
Fear not! There area few powerful measuresyou can take to protect your ticker. Improving your diet, participating in aerobic exercise and losing weight all play a significant role in lowering blood pressure.
How We Create Meal PlansRegistered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
How We Create Meal Plans
Registered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
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 offiber(at least 33 grams per day!), which can help protect your heart and improvegut health. Becauseweight lossplays a role in improving blood pressure, we set this plan at 1,500 calories per day, which is a level where most people will achieve a healthy weight loss.
This 1,500-calorie meal plan has modifications for 2,000 calories to support those with differentcalorie needs. While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWe no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
The following five tips can help you effectively lower your blood pressure:
TheDASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, continues to rank as one of the healthiest eating patterns. Essentially, the DASH diet emphasizes a high intake of whole grains, plant-based and lean proteins, tons of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy and healthy fats from nuts and seeds. It limits processed foods, excess sugar, refined grains and higher-fat meats. As a bonus, it’s a nutritious way of eating even if you don’t have high blood pressure.
2. Get plenty of sleep
Adults who get less than seven hours of sleep per night have anincreased riskof developing high blood pressure. Though it’s not always possible, aiming for more shut-eye can have some serious health benefits and may even help withweight loss.
3. Reduce stress
Though a stressful event tends to cause brief, temporary upticks in blood pressure and is less related to long-term hypertension,chronic stresscan still negatively impact your heart health. Chronic stress can impact sleep and decrease quality of life, and you may also be less likely to take part in the healthy habits that improve heart health, such as regular exercise and a healthy diet.
4. Get more physical activity
Research shows that increasing physical activity has some serious perks for our heart health. Aiming for150 minutesof moderate-intensity exercise per week, such as a daily brisk walk, plus including at least two days a week of full-body strength training is a good goal. If that’s above your current ability, increasing activity in any way you’re able to has benefits too!
5. Improve your gut health
Focusing on probiotic foods (such as yogurt, kefir and kimchi) plus pumping up yourfiberintake can populate your microbiome with the balance of the right bacteria to improve your gut health. Of course, this benefits digestion but ahealthy gutcan also improve your weight and heart health and lower blood pressure.
Aim for foods rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium to lower your blood pressure, such as:
MakeVegan Superfood Grain Bowlsto have for lunch on Days 2 through 5.
Breakfast (295 calories)
A.M. Snack (110 calories)
Lunch (472 calories)
P.M. Snack (206 calories)
Dinner (431 calories)
Daily Totals:1,515 calories, 63g protein, 168g carbohydrate, 45g fiber, 72g fat, 1,338mg sodium
To make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 medium apple with 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to A.M. snack, add 1 large peach to lunch, plus add a 1-oz. slice whole-wheat baguette to dinner.
Breakfast (262 calories)
A.M. Snack (166 calories)
Lunch (381 calories)
P.M. Snack (259 calories)
Dinner (439 calories)
Daily Totals:1,507 calories, 71g protein, 173g carbohydrate, 49g fiber, 68g fat, 1,320mg sodium
To make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 servingBerry-Kefir Smoothieto breakfast and add 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to A.M. snack.
Breakfast (286 calories)
A.M. Snack (131 calories)
P.M. Snack (262 calories)
Dinner (430 calories)
Daily Totals:1,489 calories, 70g protein, 155g carbohydrate, 36g fiber, 73g fat, 855mg sodium
To make it 2,000 calories:Add 1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to A.M. snack and add 1 servingGuacamole Chopped Saladto dinner.
A.M. Snack (154 calories)
P.M. Snack (110 calories)
Dinner (588 calories)
Daily Totals:1,495 calories, 62g protein, 165g carbohydrate, 40g fiber, 74g fat, 1,274mg sodium
To make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 servingBerry-Kefir Smoothieto breakfast and add 15 dried walnut halves to P.M. snack.
A.M. Snack (252 calories)
P.M. Snack (59 calories)
Dinner (503 calories)
Daily Totals:1,480 calories, 63g protein, 141g carbohydrate, 40g fiber, 82g fat, 936mg sodium
To make it 2,000 calories:Increase to 2 Tbsp. peanut butter at A.M. snack, add 1 servingEverything Bagel Avocado Toastto lunch, and add 1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to P.M. snack.
Kelsey Hansen
Lunch (315 calories)
P.M. Snack (200 calories)
Dinner (404 calories)
Daily Totals:1,477 calories, 70g protein, 152g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 70g fat, 1,596mg sodium
To make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 servingBerry-Kefir Smoothieto breakfast and add 1 medium apple with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to P.M. snack.
Jason Donnelly
A.M. Snack (205 calories)
P.M. Snack (231 calories)
Dinner (443 calories)
Daily Totals:1,488 calories, 65g protein, 144g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 79g fat, 1,539mg sodium
To make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 servingBerry-Kefir Smoothieto breakfast and add 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to A.M. snack.
Blood Pressure Meal Plans
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
