9 foods to limit if you have high blood pressure

If you're living with high blood pressure, diet is one of the most powerful levers you control. The biggest dietary factor is sodium: too much salt makes the body hold on to water, which raises the volume of blood in your vessels and, with it, the pressure against their walls. The World Health Organization suggests keeping salt to under about 5 grams — roughly a teaspoon — a day, yet many common foods sail past that without tasting especially salty. Here are nine to watch, best limited rather than eaten freely, and what to reach for instead.

1.  Table salt and heavily salted dishes

The most direct culprit. It isn't only the salt you sprinkle at the table — the salt stirred into cooking adds up fast, and it's easy to lose track of.

Try instead:  season with herbs, spices, garlic, ginger and lemon, and taste before reaching for the shaker.

2.  Processed and cured meats

Bacon, sausages, ham, salami and deli cold cuts are preserved with large amounts of sodium; just a few slices can use up a big share of your daily limit.

Try instead:  fresh, unprocessed chicken, fish or lean meat you season yourself.

3.  Pickles and salty preserved foods

Pickles, achaar, olives and other brined or fermented items are preserved in salt, making them some of the saltiest things in the kitchen.

Try instead:  enjoy them only occasionally, or make lighter, low-salt versions at home.

4.  Canned soups and instant noodles

Convenient, but often loaded with sodium — and the seasoning sachet is usually the worst offender. A single serving can approach a whole day's salt.

Try instead:  low-sodium or no-added-salt versions, homemade soup, or using only part of the flavour sachet.

5.  Salty snacks

Crisps, namkeen, salted popcorn, papad and salted nuts pack a lot of sodium into small, moreish portions that are easy to overeat.

Try instead:  unsalted nuts, fresh fruit, plain popcorn or vegetable sticks.

6.  Fast food and frozen ready meals

Burgers, fries, pizza and many microwave meals combine high sodium with unhealthy fats — a double hit for blood pressure and heart health.

Try instead:  cooking at home where you control the salt; if eating out, ask for less salt and skip extra sauces.

7.  High-sodium sauces and condiments

Soy sauce, ketchup, bottled dressings, marinades and stock cubes are salt-heavy, and it's easy to add them without thinking.

Try instead:  smaller amounts, reduced-sodium options, or dressings and sauces made from scratch.

8.  Fried and high-saturated-fat foods

Deep-fried items, fatty cuts of red meat and too much full-fat dairy contribute to weight gain and heart strain, which work against blood-pressure control.

Try instead:  grilling, baking or steaming, with lean proteins and lower-fat dairy.

9.  Sugary drinks and sweets

Sodas, sweetened juices and sugary desserts add empty calories linked to weight gain — itself a key driver of higher blood pressure.

Try instead:  water, unsweetened drinks, and fruit when you want something sweet.

What to eat instead

The flip side is just as important. A blood-pressure-friendly plate leans on the pattern nutritionists call DASH — plenty of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, beans and lentils, unsalted nuts and lower-fat dairy — and on potassium-rich foods such as bananas, leafy greens and beans, which help balance sodium. Cooking from scratch is the single most effective way to control how much salt you actually eat.

A note on this advice. This is general information, not medical advice, and individual needs vary. If you take blood-pressure medication or have other health conditions, speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant dietary changes — some foods and supplements can interact with medicines, and your personal targets may differ.