7-Day Simple Healthy Blood Pressure Meal Plan for Beginners

Blood pressure often has no symptoms but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, impacts nearly 50% of adults in the United States. Left untreated, high blood pressure can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, eye damage and heart failure. While there’s no cure for high blood pressure, it can often be managed with some lifestyle changes and nutrition tweaks, in addition to medication if needed. 

In this seven-day simple meal plan for healthy blood pressure, we map out a week of meals and snacks featuring one-pot and sheet-pan recipes, with simple ingredient lists and meal-prep tips throughout. Whether you’re newly diagnosed with high blood pressure, are at increased risk or are simply looking to streamline your routine, this seven-day healthy blood pressure meal plan for beginners can work for you. 

Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You

For this healthy blood pressure meal plan, we capped the sodium at no more than 1,500 milligrams per day, as recommended by the American Heart Association. To support a healthy heart, we limited saturated fat to no more than 13 grams per day, or about 6% to 7% of the total daily calories. You’ll also find a whopping 40 grams of fiber, on average, per day. Fiber is an important nutrient with many health benefits, including improved heart health. Fiber is often touted for its role in lowering cholesterol, though research points to a positive impact on blood pressure as well. One systematic review found that a high-fiber diet was associated with reduced blood pressure levels—and this positive finding was consistent among participants with various health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

We included many potassium-rich foods throughout the seven days. Potassium is a mineral that has a positive impact on blood pressure. It helps reduce the effect of sodium on the body and can relax blood vessels, resulting in lower blood pressure. Foods high in potassium include dairy, bananas, avocado, leafy greens, potatoes, salmon and whole grains. 

Though protein doesn’t appear to have a specific or strong link to improved blood pressure, we know it’s a nutrient that many people prioritize. Each day in this plan provides an average of 84 grams per day. This 1,800-calorie meal plan has modifications for 1,500 and 2,000 calories to support those with different calorie 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.

Strategies to Improve Blood Pressure: 

• Prioritize Nutrition: If you have high blood pressure, don’t underestimate the impact nutrition can have on your levels. Cutting back on sodium, cooking more meals at home and prioritizing nutrients like fiber and potassium can all help improve blood pressure. 
• Increase Activity: It’s recommended to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise. Exercise can improve blood pressure and helps dilate and relax the blood vessels. Check out our 7-Day Walking Plan to Lower Blood Pressure to help you get started. 
• Maintain a Healthy Weight: Working to maintain the optimal weight for your body or lower body weight, if recommended, helps improve blood pressure. For many people, prioritizing nutrients like fiber and potassium while increasing physical activity can help.  
• Manage Stress: It can sometimes be easier said than done, but working to lower stress can help improve blood pressure. Taking some time to unplug and decompress can have some serious health benefits. 

Heart-Healthy Foods to Focus On:

• Whole grains
• Beans and lentils
• Fish and shellfish
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Soy (tofu and edamame)
• Yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese and dairy
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Herbs and spices
• Avocado
• Olive oil

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:

1. Make Quinoa & Chia Oatmeal Mix to have for breakfast throughout the week.
2. Prepare 20-Minute White Bean Soup to have for lunch on Days 2 through 5. 
3. Make High-Protein Peanut Butter, Banana & Blueberry Overnight Oats to have for breakfast on Days 2 through 4. 
4. Make Pecan Pie Energy Balls to have for a snack throughout the week. 

Day 1

Breakfast (488 calories)

• 1 serving Quinoa & Chia Oatmeal Mix, prepared with water
• 1 cup nonfat plain strained yogurt
• ½ cup blueberries
• 3 Tbsp. slivered almonds

A.M. Snack (176 calories)

Lunch (417 calories)

P.M. Snack (302 calories)

• 1 medium banana
• 2 Tbsp. almond butter

Dinner (405 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,787 calories, 77g fat, 10g saturated fat, 90g protein, 206g carbohydrate, 41g fiber, 1,309mg sodium. 

Make it 1,500 calories: Reduce to 1 Tbsp. slivered almonds at breakfast and omit almond butter at P.M. snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds as an evening snack. 

Day 2

Breakfast (419 calories)

A.M. Snack (176 calories)

Lunch (463 calories)

P.M. Snack (302 calories)

• 1 medium banana
• 2 Tbsp. almond butter

Dinner (454 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,814 calories, 84g fat, 13g saturated fat, 78g protein, 209g carbohydrate, 41g fiber, 1,204mg sodium. 

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit almond butter at P.M. snack and omit quinoa at dinner. 

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 plum to lunch and add ¼ cup hummus with 1 cup sliced carrots as an evening snack.

Day 3

Breakfast (419 calories)

A.M. Snack (176 calories)

Lunch (463 calories)

P.M. Snack (309 calories)

• 1 cup nonfat plain strained Greek-style yogurt
• 1 medium peach
• 2 Tbsp. slivered almonds

Dinner (470 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,798 calories, 73g fat, 12g saturated fat, 100g protein, 204g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 1,252mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit almonds at lunch and slivered almonds at P.M. snack. 

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 plum to lunch and add ¼ cup hummus with 1 cup sliced carrots as an evening snack.

Day 4

Breakfast (419 calories)

A.M. Snack (176 calories)

Lunch (463 calories)

P.M. Snack (309 calories)

• 1 cup nonfat plain strained Greek-style yogurt
• 1 medium peach
• 3 Tbsp. slivered almonds

Dinner (447 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,813 calories, 87g fat, 13g saturated fat, 95g protein, 184g carbohydrate, 37g fiber, 1,280mg sodium. 

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit almonds at lunch and slivered almonds at P.M. snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 plum to lunch and add ¼ cup hummus with 1 cup sliced carrots as an evening snack.

Day 5

Breakfast (488 calories)

• 1 serving Quinoa & Chia Oatmeal Mix, prepared with water
• 1 cup nonfat plain strained yogurt
• ½ cup blueberries
• 3 Tbsp. slivered almonds

A.M. Snack (176 calories)

Lunch (463 calories)

P.M. Snack (98 calories)

• 2 Tbsp. hummus
• 1 cup sliced bell pepper

Dinner (515 calories)

Evening Snack (62 calories)

Meal-Prep Tip: Reserve 2 servings 4-Ingredient Adas bis-Silq (Lentil & Chard Soup) to have for lunch on Days 6 and 7.

Daily Totals: 1,802 calories, 75g fat, 10g saturated fat, 77g protein, 231g carbohydrate, 51g fiber, 1,401mg sodium. 

Make it 1,500 calories: Reduce to 2 Tbsp. slivered almonds at breakfast, omit almonds at lunch and omit evening snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 plum to lunch, increase to ¼ cup hummus at P.M. snack and add 1 cup low-fat plain kefir to evening snack.

Day 6

Breakfast (488 calories)

• 1 serving Quinoa & Chia Oatmeal Mix, prepared with water
• 1 cup nonfat plain strained yogurt
• ½ cup blueberries
• 3 Tbsp. slivered almonds

A.M. Snack (176 calories)

Lunch (471 calories)

P.M. Snack (105 calories)

Dinner (539 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,778 calories, 73g fat, 10g saturated fat, 65g protein, 240g carbohydrate, 45g fiber, 1,297mg sodium. 

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit slivered almonds at breakfast and change A.M. snack to ⅓ cup blueberries. 

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 Tbsp. almond butter to P.M. snack.

Day 7

Breakfast (488 calories)

• 1 serving Quinoa & Chia Oatmeal Mix, prepared with water
• 1 cup nonfat plain strained yogurt
• ½ cup blueberries
• 3 Tbsp. slivered almonds

A.M. Snack (176 calories)

Lunch (471 calories)

P.M. Snack (105 calories)

Dinner (549 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,789 calories, 65g fat, 9g saturated fat, 84g protein, 246g carbohydrate, 39g fiber, 1,396mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit slivered almonds at breakfast, change P.M. snack to 1 medium orange and omit brown rice at dinner. 

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 Tbsp. almond butter to P.M. snack.