RDToolkit2020-CC-FINAL_UPDATED-8-1-23

May Blood Pressure Education Month

Social posts

Celebrate #nationalhummusday on May 13 with this spicy sweetpotato hummus, a nutritious dip for chips, sandwiches, and more! ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipe/ spicy-sweet-potato-hummus/

May is full of food holidays, like Cinco de Mayo, National Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Day, and National Hummus Day. May is also National High Blood Pressure Awareness Month and a great time to review how dietary and lifestyle choices can impact blood pressure. Talking Points y Sweetpotatoes are a heart-healthy food that can also help reduce blood pressure. Rather than seasoning with salt, which can increase blood pressure, consider other options such as cinnamon, yogurt, olive oil, garlic powder, cumin, paprika or cayenne pepper, or olive oil and fresh herbs. y May is Mediterranean Diet Month and including plant foods, like fruits, vegetables, potatoes, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, are heart-healthy choices and align with the Mediterranean Diet, which has been named the best overall healthy sustainable diet and lifestyle. y While reducing sodium intake and eating foods high in potassium can help with blood pressure, there are some lifestyle changes that can be beneficial as well. Focus on reducing or moderating your alcohol intake, getting enough sleep, adding stress-relieving activities into your routine and including regular physical activity into your day. y Meal planning can be a great way to save time in the kitchen and reduce stress around meals. To do so, make sure to stock your pantry with healthy shelf-stable items like sweetpotatoes, low sodium canned goods, whole grains, nuts, tomato sauce, low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, tortillas and olive oil, all of which can be used in several types of recipes. Download our pantry essentials checklist from our March Teaching Tool Download.

#Recipe #NCSweetPotatoes or

DYK a medium baked sweetpotato with skin can have up to 800 mg of potassium? Eating foods high in potassium can help control blood pressure. #nationalbloodpressuremonth #NCSweetPotatoes

How are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo? We’ll be making this vegetable-rich sweetpotato tortilla soup. Pair with tacos, tortillas or chips and dip!

ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipe/tortilla-soup/ #Recipe #NCSweetPotatoes or

Celebrate National Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Day! Our Saint Martin Supper recipe is a great way to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Grab the recipe here: ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipe/saint-martin-supper/

Newsletter - Copy The foods we eat can play a role in controlling our blood pressure and aiding in overall health. Small dietary changes and promoting healthy habits, like consistent physical exercise, cessation of smoking, and practicing stress relief techniques, can also help play a role in improving blood pressure and heart health. Our recipe index on the NC SweetPotatoes website has several heart-healthy recipes to choose from: ncsweetpotatoes. com/recipes/

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