7-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan for Healthy Blood Pressure, Created by a Dietitian

Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common chronic disease. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost half of adults in the United States have high blood pressure and only a fourth have blood pressure levels in a healthy range. Support a healthier blood pressure with this 7-day meal plan. Filled with fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, this meal plan includes anti-inflammatory meals that total no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day to help support a healthy heart.

Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You

High blood pressure is a sneaky disease you might not realize you have, since it doesn’t typically present any noticeable symptoms. However, lifestyle changes like diet, physical activity and regular blood pressure monitoring can help you manage your blood pressure. We based this meal plan on the DASH—or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension—diet, one of the best eating patterns for combating high blood pressure. It focuses on eating lots of whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and proteins like fish, poultry and low-fat dairy rather than red meat—while limiting sodium intake and ultra-processed foods.

There’s also a link between inflammation and high blood pressure. Chronic inflammation can damage your blood vessels and make them stiffer, which can lead to higher blood pressure. The good news is that an anti-inflammatory diet and the DASH diet have a lot in common, making them easy to follow together. While inflammation may not be the only issue behind high blood pressure, eating antioxidant-rich foods and avoiding inflammatory ones can help boost your overall heart health.

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.

Day 1

Breakfast (534 calories)

A.M. Snack (212 calories)

• ½ cup of non-fat greek yogurt

• 1 ½ cups of cherries

Lunch (412 calories)

P.M. Snack (204 calories)

Dinner (428 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,821 calories, 84g fat, 16g saturated fat, 75g protein, 197g carbohydrate, 37g fiber, 1,410 mg sodium 

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit eggs at breakfast and peanut butter at lunch

Make it 2,000 calories: Add ½ an avocado to dinner

Day 2

Breakfast (363 calories)

A.M. Snack (232 calories)

Lunch (441 calories)

P.M. Snack (264 calories)

Dinner (528 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,776 calories, 73g fat, 16g saturated fat, 86g protein, 204g carbohydrate, 51g fiber, 1,454 mg sodium 

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit P.M. snack

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 scrambled eggs to breakfast

Day 3

Breakfast (363 calories)

A.M. Snack (203 calories)

Lunch (477 calories)

P.M. Snack (212 calories)

• ½ cup of non-fat greek yogurt

• 1.5 cups of cherries

Dinner (516 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,772 calories, 71g fat, 17g saturated fat, 97protein, 203g carbohydrate, 53g fiber, 1,447 mg sodium 

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit the A.M. snack

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 scrambled eggs to breakfast

Day 4

Breakfast (363 calories)

A.M Snack (307 calories)

Lunch (441 calories)

P.M. Snack (204 calories)

Dinner (460 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,833 calories, 76g fat, 17g saturated fat, 91g protein, 205 carbohydrate, 53g fiber, 1,526 mg sodium 

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit A.M. snack

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 scrambled eggs to breakfast

Day 5

Breakfast (363 calories)

A.M. Snack (228 calories)

Lunch (498 calories)

P.M. Snack (294 calories)

• ½ cup of non-fat greek yogurt

• 1 ½ cups of cherries

• 2 tablespoon of walnuts, halves

Dinner (323 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,834 calories, 83g fat, 18g saturated fat, 82g protein, 205g carbohydrate, 55g fiber, 1,527 mg sodium 

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit the P.M. snack

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 scrambled eggs to breakfast

Day 6

Breakfast (322 calories)

P.M. Snack (204 calories)

Lunch (623 calories)

P.M. Snack (264 calories)

Dinner (406 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,819 calories, 81g fat, 16g saturated fat, 68g protein, 220g carbohydrate, 61g fiber, 1,337 mg sodium 

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit walnuts from A.M snack. and P.M. snack

Make it 2,000 calories: Add two scrambled eggs to breakfast

Day 7

Breakfast (281 calories)

A.M. Snack (228 calories)

Lunch (431 calories)

P.M. Snack (294 calories)

• ½ cup of non-fat greek yogurt

• 1 ½ cups of cherries

• 2 tablespoon of walnuts, halves

Dinner (578 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,790 calories, 74g fat, 156g saturated fat, 70g protein, 234g carbohydrate, 50g fiber, 1,518 mg sodium 

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit P.M. snack

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 slice of whole wheat bread and ½ and avocado to breakfast

How to Meal Prep Your Week of Meals:

Frequently asked Questions

​​Is it OK to mix and match meals if there is one I do not like?

Yes! This meal plan is meant to serve as a framework for an anti-inflammatory diet. It doesn’t need to be followed exactly to reap the benefits. When choosing recipes, we made sure to check calories, fiber, protein and sodium if you want them to align the parameters of this plan and be within our sodium limits. If you’re making a recipe swap, it may be helpful to choose a recipe with similar calories, fiber, protein and sodium levels. For more inspiration, check out these delicious beginner-friendly anti-inflammatory recipes.

Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day?

Definitely, it’s fine to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day. Each breakfast ranges from 280 to 533 calories while each lunch spans 431 to 622 calories. These ranges are fairly close, though if you’re closely monitoring your calories or other nutrients, like protein, you may want to adjust a snack or two.

Why is there not a modification for 1,200 calories?

We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting 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.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Focus On:

• Vegetables, especially leafy and dark-colored vegetables such as broccoli, beets and kale

• Fruits, especially berries

• Legumes (such as beans, lentils and soy products)

• Omega-3 rich seafood (such as salmon, tuna and shrimp)

• Nuts and seeds, including natural nut butters

• Olives and olive oil

• Avocado and avocado oil

• Whole grains

• Unsweetened fermented dairy, such as yogurt, kefir and cottage cheese

How We Create Meal Plans

Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.

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