High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can cause life-threatening complications if left untreated, such as a heart attack.
So it’s important to recognise symptoms, if any show, and to follow a healthy lifestyle to control your blood pressure reading.
Limiting your alcohol intake and losing weight are two recommendations for preventing a high reading.
Another way to control your reading and prevent the condition developing in the first place is to eat healthily.
As part of a healthy diet you should look to reduce your salt intake because eating salt raises the amount of sodium in your bloodstream.
Many people use salt in their cooking to add flavour, but cutting out salt doesn’t have to mean your meals will lack taste.
There are three easy recipes you can make at home with low-salt content, as recommended by Blood Pressure UK – chicken with sweet and sour onions, butternut squash and spinach curry, and muffins.
Chicken with sweet and sour onions
Ingredients
- 4 skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 red onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 75g (3 oz) raisins
- 25g (1 oz) pine nuts, lightly toasted
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Tender stem broccoli, to serve
Method
- Slice the chicken breasts almost in half lengthways using a sharp knife.
- Spread each piece of chicken between two sheets of greaseproof paper or clingfilm and beat with a rolling pin until thin. Lightly brush with a little of the olive oil.
- Heat the remaining oil in a heavy-based nonstick saucepan. Add the onions and cook over a gentle heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vinegar, sugar and raisins and cook for a further 10 minutes. Season to taste with pepper.
- Next, place the chicken on a preheated hot griddle pan and cook for two to three minutes on each side.
- Spoon the onion mixture on to four plates, top with the chicken and scatter over the pine nuts. Serve with tender stem broccoli.
Muffins
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons light muscovado sugar
- 1 red apple, about 150g (5oz), cored and diced
- 200g (7oz) blackberries, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 250g (8oz) plain wholemeal flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 125ml (4fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
- 125ml (4lf oz) rapeseed oil
Method
- Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases or grease the tin well. Begin by mixing together the sugar, diced apple, blackberries and cinnamon.
- Place the flour and baking powder in a bowl, mix together and make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, milk and sunflower oil.
- Pour the liquid into the flour and stir until just blended. Stir in the fruit mixture, taking care not to overmix.
- Divide the mixture among the muffin cases then bake the muffins in a preheated oven, 200C (400F), Gas Mark 6, for 20-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.
For the full nutritional values of each meal visit thee Blood Pressure UK website.