20 Mediterranean Diet Dinners for High Blood Pressure (2024)

Finding recipes that help manage high blood pressure just got easier with these Mediterranean diet-inspired dinners. Recipes like our Spiced Grilled Chicken with Cauliflower "Rice" Tabbouleh and Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens are low in sodium and saturated fat, which is great for healthier blood pressure. Plus, they pack in blood pressure-friendly foods like potatoes, legumes and beans and contain at least 20% of your daily potassium needs to make eating heart healthy a delicious endeavor. With dinners like this, following a high blood pressure diet with Mediterranean flair will be easy and flavorful.

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Lemon-Herb Salmon with Caponata & Farro

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Dig into your farmers' market haul to cook this colorful and healthy Mediterranean diet dinner recipe that's packed with vegetables. Feel free to swap in any vegetables or cook up another whole grain, such as brown rice. Serve with a glass of your favorite red wine. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2017

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Grilled Eggplant & Tomato Pasta

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The combination of slightly smoky grilled eggplant and sweet tomatoes is delightful. The eggplant-tomato mixture served over whole-wheat pasta with fresh basil and a bit of salty cheese makes an easy, healthy weeknight dinner. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2019

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Chickpea & Quinoa Grain Bowl

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It seems grain bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies! Source: EatingWell.com, August 2017

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Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens

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In this healthy salmon dinner, you'll get a dose of greens and green dressing! Chowing down on 6 or more servings of dark leafy greens a week can help keep your brain in top shape. This dish features the Test Kitchen's current go-to method for doctoring a can of chickpeas: spice them up and roast until crispy. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2018

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Vegan Mushroom Bolognese

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This Bolognese sauce recipe is adapted from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. We swap out the beef and pork for button mushrooms to keep this traditional comfort food vegan yet weighty with umami flavor. And while some recipes call for red wine, this recipe sticks with Hazan's white wine selection.

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Spiced Grilled Chicken with Cauliflower "Rice" Tabbouleh

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Chicken breasts on the grill have a smoky flavor that's enhanced with an easy spice rub. We chose flat-leaf parsley in this salad because it has a stronger herbal taste than its sometimes-bitter curly counterpart.

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Sheet-Pan Chili-Lime Salmon with Potatoes & Peppers

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Busy weeknights beg for something simple like this salmon sheet-pan dinner. Like the name suggests, it's all cooked on one pan. The potatoes get a head start, followed by sweet bell peppers and finally chili-coated salmon fillets. It's a complete meal with easy cleanup!

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Shrimp-&-Grits-Stuffed Peppers

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Shrimp and grits are stuffed inside bell peppers and baked in this healthy stuffed peppers recipe. Add the optional hot sauce if you want to give the filling some kick. Look for bell peppers--use any color--with even bottoms, so that they stand upright on their own when they're cooked.

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One-Pan Chicken & Asparagus Bake

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In this chicken and asparagus recipe, we use one baking sheet to whip up dinner quickly, veggies included. Pounding the chicken thin helps it cook quickly alongside the carrots and potatoes, with asparagus rounding out the meal. This is one quick dinner recipe you'll be returning to again and again.

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Mushroom-Swiss Turkey Burgers

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In this gluten-free turkey burger recipe, lean ground turkey stands in for ground beef, and portobello mushrooms produce a juicy, flavorful alternative to the traditional bun. Melted Swiss cheese, sliced tomato and arugula top off this delicious low-carb dinner!

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Chicken Souvlaki Kebabs with Mediterranean Couscous

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Fennel adds a nice flavoring to the marinade in this Mediterranean-inspired chicken souvlaki dish. The kabobs are perfectly paired with a veggie-packed, yogurt-dressed Israeli couscous. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts

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Roasting salmon on top of Brussels sprouts and garlic, flavored with wine and fresh oregano, is simple enough for a weeknight meal yet sophisticated enough to serve to company. Serve with whole-wheat couscous. Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2011

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Lemon-Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowls

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Brimming with colorful roasted vegetables, these plant-based meal-prep lunch bowls are high in fiber to keep you full through the afternoon. The easy roasted veggies are based on a popular recipe from our sister magazine (see Associated Recipes). Feel free to use your favorite store-bought hummus to cut down on prep time, or make a batch of your own (see Tip). You can also sub in an 8-ounce microwaveable quinoa pouch to minimize cooking. Source: EatingWell.com, December 2019

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Simple Grilled Salmon & Vegetables

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Grilled salmon and veggies make for a colorful and balanced seafood dinner that's ready in just minutes. The grill turns the salmon flaky and moist while tenderizing the crispy pepper and onion pieces. Round out the meal with brown rice or quinoa. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2018

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Charred Shrimp & Pesto Grain Bowls

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These shrimp and pesto grain bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they're basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2019

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Seared Scallops with White Bean Ragu & Charred Lemon

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This recipe for seared scallops with white beans and spinach turns out a healthy dinner that looks impressive (and tastes great) in just 25 minutes. Giving lemons a quick sizzle in the skillet amps up the flavor of this piccata-inspired dish. The heat helps release even more citrus juice and sweetens it too. When shopping for scallops, look for ones labeled "dry." Some scallops are soaked in a solution that prevents them from searing properly and can give them a soapy flavor. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2019

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Shaved Artichoke Salad with Shrimp

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Venice was built on saltwater marshes in the 6th century, and many local crops like the city's Sant'Erasmo artichokes, have a delicate taste of the sea. For this healthy salad artichokes are sliced thin--a great use for a mandolin if you have one--and served raw. When paired with the sweet-salty shrimp the combo evokes the flavors of the lagoon. For tender and tasty results, buy the smallest, freshest artichokes you can find. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March 2020

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Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew

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This load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2019

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One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach

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Shrimp, spinach and garlic brown and cook quickly for a simple one-pot weeknight dinner. A fast pan sauce gets life from zesty lemon juice, warm crushed red pepper and herby parsley. Serve with a slice of whole-wheat baguette to swipe up every last drop of sauce. Source: EatingWell.com, December 2018

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Turkish Seared Tuna with Bulgur & Chickpea Salad

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This healthy tuna recipe combines many of Turkey's most beloved foods and flavors--fresh fish, olive oil, lemon juice, fresh herbs and chickpeas. Cooking for two? Flake the two leftover tuna steaks and mix them into the remaining bulgur salad, then serve over lettuce for lunch the next day. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Fall 2019