The average American consumes large amounts of sodium, mostly found in fast food and packaged foods from the grocery store. The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is an eating plan that can help to prevent and control high blood pressure. The DASH diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins and limits foods high in salt, saturated fats, and added sugars. When you start eating this way, you will find that you feel healthier overall, and your blood pressure may improve on its own without high doses of medications. Here at Nature’s Garden, we have low-sodium snacks for high blood pressure including our dried fruits, nuts, and seeds making them a great option to have on hand.
What are some Healthy Meal Options for the DASH Diet?
Even if you are vegetarian or vegan you can easily follow the DASH diet, and in fact, it is almost optimal as some of the best sodium-free snacks are fresh fruits, vegetables, and raw nuts and seeds which are high in a plant-based diet. When thinking about building a healthy meal, you can prioritize fruits and vegetables as well as having a lean protein option and a whole grain. These foods are rich in micronutrients like potassium and magnesium which in adequate amounts can improve blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health.
Here are some easy Dash diet breakfast, lunch, and dinner suggestions you can make at home that are nutrient-dense and simple to make!
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Breakfast |
Lunch |
Dinner |
|
Chia seed pudding |
Hummus wrap |
Loaded sweet potato |
|
Overnight oatmeal |
Quinoa salad |
Chicken veggie bowl |
|
Egg white omelet |
Chickpea pasta salad |
Lentil curry |
|
Coconut yogurt parfait |
Protein smoothie bowl |
Tofu stir-fry |
How to Reduce Your Sodium Intake when Cooking?
It can benefit everyone to cut back on sodium intake. Even if you do not have hypertension, sodium can make you feel bloated, uncomfortable, and lead to other chronic health conditions if your intake is too high. Here are some tips to follow:- Cook with low sodium or sodium-free spices.
- Skip the dash of salt in pasta or rice.
- Buy canned beans and soup that are low in sodium.
- Prepare your own chicken instead of breaded, processed chicken.
- Educate yourself about food labels and restaurants with high sodium foods.
To learn more about the risk of having high blood pressure and how it is treated check out one of our previous blogs where we explain this in more detail. Additionally, many individuals with high blood pressure can benefit from consulting with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who can meet with you to determine an optimal meal plan for your current health conditions, and if you have hypertension, they can make a hypertension diet plan for you. To learn more about how a RDN can help, you can read our blog: How Everyone Can Benefit from a Dietitian Consultation.
What are some Healthy Low-Sodium Snacks Ideas for the DASH Diet?
Even when you are changing your eating habits to improve your health, you should be able to find convenient snacks that are easy to grab on the way out the door. Consider some of these Dash Diet snack ideas:- Dried apricots
- Unsalted mixed nuts
- Bananas and almond butter
- Carrots and low-sodium hummus
- Dried Mangos
- Smoothies
- Energy Bites
- Organic Trail Mix
- Whole grain bread with mashed beans
- Brown rice cakes with avocado and cucumber
You don’t have to plan way ahead of time to make snacks in line with the DASH diet. Keep it simple. When you have healthy snacks that don’t require much preparation, you are more likely to go for them in the fridge or pantry.
At Nature’s Garden, we offer organic snacks that are easy to grab on the go. The dried fruit and nuts are filled with antioxidants and omega-3’s. You can buy them individually or in mixed combinations. So, check out our selections today and stock your pantry with healthy snacks!