Foods to Avoid for High Blood Pressure

For high blood pressure, limit processed deli meats, canned soups, and salty sauces and condiments, especially when they are high in sodium. You do not have to eliminate every food on this list: the aim is to reduce sodium across your usual eating pattern. For beverage choices, see the best drinks for high blood pressure.

8 foods to avoid or limit for high blood pressure

These eight categories are useful places to look for excess sodium. The ai symptom analyzer may help you organize symptoms to discuss with a clinician, but it cannot diagnose high blood pressure or replace emergency care.

Excess sodium can cause the body to retain water, increasing blood pressure. The evidence for reducing overall sodium is strong: the randomized DASH-Sodium trial found that lower-sodium diets reduced blood pressure. That does not mean researchers proved that eliminating any one food below will have the same effect.

1. Processed deli meats

Ham, salami, bacon, sausage and many sliced deli meats can contribute substantial sodium because salt is used in processing and preservation. Their sodium adds to the total you consume throughout the day.

Compare packages and use smaller portions of lower-sodium options, or make sandwiches with unseasoned cooked chicken or beans instead. Check the label even when a product sounds lean or convenient. Evidence for lowering sodium is strong, but the cited trials tested overall diets, not the removal of deli meat alone.

2. Canned and packaged soups

Some canned soups, broths and instant soups contain a large amount of sodium in a serving. Eating more than the listed serving multiplies the amount, and sodium from crackers or other sides adds to the meal.

Look for a lower-sodium or no-salt-added version and compare similar products. You can also make soup with unsalted ingredients and season it with herbs, garlic or lemon. Strong clinical-trial evidence supports reducing total sodium; the cited studies do not establish a separate blood pressure effect for soup.

3. Salty sauces and condiments

Soy sauce, bottled marinades, salad dressings and other condiments can add sodium even when the rest of a meal is made from fresh ingredients. The amount that matters is what you actually use, not just the amount listed on the label.

Choose lower-sodium versions, measure a portion rather than pouring freely, and add flavor with vinegar, citrus, herbs or spices. Some reduced-sodium sauces can still be high in sodium. Evidence is strong for reducing overall sodium intake, although the cited trials did not test individual condiments.

4. Frozen pizza and ready meals

Frozen pizza and other ready meals can combine several sodium sources, such as cheese, sauce, processed meat and seasoned crust. A single package may contain more than one serving, so the sodium per serving may not reflect the amount you eat.

Compare the sodium for the full portion you plan to eat and select a lower-sodium meal when possible. Adding vegetables can make a meal more balanced, but it does not remove the sodium already present. Evidence supports lowering sodium across the diet, not avoiding every frozen meal.

5. Fast food and restaurant meals

Restaurant meals can be high in sodium from seasoned meats, sauces, cheese and sides. Sodium may be difficult to judge by taste, particularly when several ingredients are combined.

Check posted nutrition information when available. Ask for sauces or dressings on the side, request less added salt, and choose simpler preparations where practical. A randomized crossover trial found lower blood pressure during a lower-sodium diet, though it did not isolate restaurant meals as the cause of a change.

6. Salty snack foods

Chips, pretzels, salted crackers and flavored snack mixes can add sodium, especially when eaten straight from a large package. Frequent portions can make a meaningful contribution to the day's total.

Compare labels, choose unsalted or lower-sodium options, and put the amount you plan to eat in a bowl. Fruit, unsalted nuts or plain popcorn can be alternatives. The evidence is strong for reducing total dietary sodium; there is no separate conclusion from the cited trials that a particular snack must be eliminated.

7. Bread and rolls

Bread and rolls do not always taste salty, but sodium can add up when they are eaten often or used with salty fillings. Sodium content varies between products and serving sizes.

Compare similar breads using the nutrition label and consider the whole sandwich, including meat, cheese and condiments. Bread can still fit in an eating pattern for high blood pressure. Evidence supports reducing sodium overall; the cited trials did not show that bread itself needs to be avoided.

8. Pickles and olives

Pickles and olives are often prepared or stored in salty brine, making them concentrated sources of sodium in some meals. Their contribution depends on the product and the amount eaten.

Check the label, use a smaller portion as a garnish, or choose fresh vegetables when you want a crunchy side. Lower-sodium products may also be available. Strong evidence favors reducing overall sodium, but the cited studies did not test whether cutting out pickles or olives independently lowers blood pressure.

What foods are best for high blood pressure?

A useful approach is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, eating pattern. It emphasizes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and low-fat dairy, alongside appropriate portions of fish, poultry and other protein foods. Choose lower-sodium versions when buying packaged ingredients.

A meta-analysis of 30 randomized trials found that the DASH diet lowered blood pressure compared with control diets. A 2024 systematic review also found that sodium-restricted DASH diets may help, although many included studies had a high risk of bias. These findings support an overall eating pattern rather than a single food as a treatment.

For most adults, the general upper limit is 2,300 mg of sodium per day; the American Heart Association recommends an ideal limit of 1,500 mg per day for most adults, especially those with high blood pressure. Your clinician or dietitian can help set an appropriate target for you. Do not assume that a much lower intake is automatically better or necessary.

Use the Nutrition Facts label to compare foods:

A lower-sodium choice at several meals can be more practical than trying to make one meal perfect. Labels also help you compare products within the same category without giving up foods you enjoy.

What other foods should you limit?

Along with watching sodium, limit foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty cuts of meat and full-fat dairy, and foods with lots of added sugar, such as sweets and desserts. These choices fit with the broader DASH pattern, but the cited DASH studies tested whole diets rather than proving that removing one dessert or fatty food independently lowers blood pressure.

Avoid thinking of a food as safe solely because it tastes sweet or does not taste salty. Check its sodium label if it is packaged, and consider what you eat over the whole day.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

Talk with a clinician or registered dietitian before making major dietary changes if you have kidney disease, heart failure or another condition requiring an individual sodium or fluid plan. People with kidney disease and those taking medicines that can raise potassium, including ACE inhibitors, ARBs or spironolactone, should ask before using potassium-based salt substitutes. Children and people who are pregnant should get individualized advice rather than follow an adult target without guidance.

High blood pressure often has no symptoms. If readings are repeatedly high, arrange a medical review; food changes support care but do not replace prescribed medication. Do not stop or change medication without discussing it with your clinician.

If your blood pressure is 180 mm Hg systolic or higher, or 120 mm Hg diastolic or higher, and you have chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, numbness, vision changes or difficulty speaking, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Do not wait for another reading. If you have a reading at that level without those symptoms, wait at least 1 minute and measure again; if it remains that high, contact a healthcare professional promptly.

During pregnancy or after delivery, seek urgent medical care for a severe headache, vision changes, severe upper abdominal pain or trouble breathing, even if you do not have a blood pressure reading.