Easy Lunch Recipes for Better Blood Pressure

 

You’ll be daydreaming about your lunch break, thanks to these delicious recipes. Each of these dishes—from salads and soups to flavorful grain bowls—are high in potassium as well as low in saturated fat and sodium to support healthy blood pressure levels. Plus, they take no more than 20 minutes of active cooking time to prepare.

Orange-Mango Chia Seed Smoothie

This sunny orange-turmeric smoothie gets its vibrant hue and earthy flavor from fresh turmeric, while frozen mango and banana add creaminess and natural

sweetness. Chia seeds add fiber and omega-3s, making this a refreshing and nourishing way to start your day.

• It’s a nutritious shake-like smoothie that can be made ahead for breakfast or a snack.
• This smoothie is loaded with immune-boosting vitamins C and A, plus antioxidants. 
• To change the flavor, try swapping the frozen mango for pineapple.

If you’re looking for a delicious way to support your immune system, this Orange-Mango Chia Seed Smoothie is it. It’s naturally sweetened with vitamin C-rich orange juice and mango. Plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt brings its protein and probiotics to this smoothie, and works with the chia seeds and banana to create a thick, creamy, shake-like consistency. Turmeric adds a warm, earthy tone and, combined with the rest of the ingredients in this smoothie, may help calm inflammation. Keep reading for our expert tips, including how to ensure the perfect consistency. 

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• When grating turmeric, wear gloves to prevent staining your hands and any surfaces it touches. If you get it on anything, you can try making a cleaning paste with baking soda and lemon.
• You can substitute frozen pineapple for the mango and use any milk of your choice—dairy or nondairy—in place of the orange juice.
• You can add peeled orange segments to enhance the orange flavor.
• To add sweetness, consider incorporating a date or a tablespoon of honey. For a fun snack, freeze the smoothie in a popsicle mold.

Nutrition Notes

• Orange juice is loaded with immune-supporting vitamin C and antioxidants. If it’s fortified, it will also add calcium to your smoothie. Be sure that it’s 100% juice and not an orange juice beverage or cocktail, which both contain just a fraction of actual juice. 
• Mango adds more vitamin C and antioxidants to this smoothie, along with vitamin A, another immune-booster. Mango’s fiber will help keep things moving through your gut.
• Chia seeds are tiny but mighty packages of fiber, plant protein and omega-3s. Eating chia seeds regularly may help support heart and brain health.
• Greek-style yogurt brings its calcium and protein to your glass. The probiotics in Greek-style yogurt will thrive by eating the fiber in the banana, mango and chia seeds, supporting a lush microbiome. A healthy gut contributes to better overall health.

Ingredients

·         1 medium frozen banana, sliced

·         2¼ cups refrigerated unsweetened orange juice

·         2 cups frozen mango chunks

·         ½ cup whole-milk plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt

·         2 tablespoons chia seeds

·         2 teaspoons grated fresh turmeric or ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Directions

Combine sliced frozen banana, 2¼ cups orange juice, 2 cups frozen mango, ½ cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons chia seeds and 2 teaspoons grated turmeric (or ½ teaspoon ground) in a blender. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide between 2 large glasses.

Southwestern Salad with Black Beans

Here, we top salad greens with black beans, sweet corn and grape tomatoes and bring it all together with a tangy avocado-lime dressing for a Mexican-inspired salad. To keep the salad greens from getting soggy, pack the greens, salad toppings and dressing in separate containers and toss them together just before eating.

• Fresh grape tomatoes and sweet corn bring natural sweetness to this Southwestern salad.
• Plant-based black beans supply protein, contributing to gut health.
• You can refrigerate any leftover dressing for up to three days.

Ingredients

·         ½ ripe avocado

·         ¾ cup packed fresh cilantro

·         ½ cup nonfat plain yogurt

·         2 scallions, chopped

·         1 clove garlic, quartered

·         1 tablespoon lime juice

·         ½ teaspoon sugar

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         3 cups mixed greens

·         ½ cup black beans, canned (rinsed) or cooked

·         ½ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)

·         ½ cup grape tomatoes

Directions

1.     Place avocado, cilantro, yogurt, scallions, garlic, lime juice, sugar and salt in a blender; blend until smooth.

2.     Place greens in an individual salad bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. (Refrigerate the remaining dressing.) Top the greens with black beans, corn and tomatoes.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate leftover dressing for up to 3 days.

 -Eatwell