Doctor says you have high blood pressure? Here are the healthiest foods to buy

ATLANTA - If your doctor is telling you your blood pressure is too high, you may want to rethink what you’re putting in your grocery cart.

So, Dr. Norma Dawkins, Ph.D., a professor and department chair of the Tuskegee University Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, says there are certain foods to shop for and some you should leave on the shelf.

First, Dawkins recommends loading up on fresh fruits and vegetables.

"So, you do your apples, your collard greens, turnip greens, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potato greens," says.

You want to get a good mix of color, greens, oranges, yellows and reds, and you want some variety.

"Then make that be the biggest part on your plate," Dawkins says.

If you are not able to find the fruit or vegetable you are looking for in the produce aisle, Dawkins says, check the frozen vegetable section.

"Whether it’s frozen vegetables or frozen fruit, frozen foods are great," she says. "So, your first choice is fresh, and your second choice is frozen."

Your third choice, Dawkins says, should be canned produce, which is usually higher in salt, or sodium, which you need to cut back on if you have hypertension.

The American Heart Association recommends sticking to less than 1,500 milligrams (mg) of salt a day, but says going lower is better for your heart health.

Dawkins says check the Nutrition Facts label to see how much sodium is in each serving of the item you are thinking about buying.

"You want to make sure you look for those that says ‘reduce sodium’ are ‘no sodium,’" she says.

Next, choose lower fat dairy products, and whole grains.

"God with whole wheat bread versus white bread, things like quinoa, bulgur, and oatmeal," Dawkins explains.

And go for leaner meats, like poultry, and fatty fish.

"(Choose) your salmon, your cod, your mackerel, because all those help to protect the body against oxidative damage, which helps to improve your blood pressure," she says.

Finally, Dawkins says, try to cut back on processed, prepackaged and already prepared for you foods, which are typically higher in salt.Dawkins says processed meat can be especially high in sodium.

The Heart Association also recommends limiting sweets, saturated fats, sugar-sweetened drinks and red meats.

"Most importantly, I would add, exercise," Dawkins says. "The American Heart Association recommends moderate excess exercise at least 3 to 5 times per week. That would also help in controlling your hypertension."