The Best Salad for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure puts you at risk for developing heart disease as well as other serious health conditions including kidney disease, memory loss, vision impairment, angina and fluid in your lungs. Losing weight, reducing sodium in your diet and adding potassium and fiber can help lower your blood pressure. Salads provide a low-calorie way to enrich your diet with potassium and fiber.

Less Salt, More Potassium and Fiber

The “best” salad for high blood pressure remains subject to your taste preferences, but should include high-potassium and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables such as artichokes, sweet potatoes, spinach, mushrooms, berries, citrus fruits, fruits with edible skins or seeds, baked potatoes with skins attached, nuts and seeds. Avoid prepared dressings that may contain too much sodium or unhealthy fats. Instead of using salt, season your salads with pepper, basil, tarragon, cinnamon, mustard and other spices as well as onion and garlic. Men should include up to 38 g of fiber in their daily diets and women 25 g. All adults should aim to consume 4,700 mg of potassium daily.

Artichoke and Mushroom Salad

Fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains contain fiber, and many choices contain high amounts of potassium. You could make a salad that mixes artichoke hearts, mushrooms and green beans marinated in a garlic, mustard, olive oil and vinegar dressing. Season with tarragon. Artichokes contain 595 mg of potassium per 1 cup serving. Green beans contain 183 mg of potassium per 1 cup, and mushrooms contain 220 mg of potassium per 1 cup.

Fruit Salad

Make a fruit salad in a yogurt dressing. Non-fat yogurt contains 579 mg of potassium per 1 c. serving. Choose among high-potassium fruits like dates, raisins, canned apricots, banana, blackberries, cantaloupe and papaya. Other fruits with more modest amounts of potassium but high in fiber include raspberries, pear with skin and oranges.

Vegetable and Bean Salads

Sweet potatoes and baked potatoes with skins contain a lot of potassium – 694 mg and 619 respectively. You could make a potato salad using one or both types of potatoes. Add broccoli and carrots. Make a southwestern salad with black beans, corn, avocado and tomato. Kidney, lima, pinto and white beans also contain high amounts of fiber and potassium. A bean salad with chickpeas, celery and onions.

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