Some sweets and snacks, for example baked goods (cakes and cookies), cheese crackers and some chips, often are high in saturated fat and can increase your blood pressure.  Avoid any products that are labeled refined, enriched, or fortified.  With these labels, the good nutrients have been removed and replaced with other nutrients, such as riboflavin, niacin, folate and iron, along with bad sugars and fats.  When grains are refined, fiber and important natural nutrients have been lost.  Eat only whole grain products if you can.  If you have high blood pressure, here are some low-fat sweets and snacks you can buy:

• Angel food cake topped with fruit puree or fresh fruit slices
• Fat-free or low-fat cookies like animal crackers, devil's food cookies, fig and other fruit bars, ginger snaps and vanilla or lemon wafers
• Frozen low-fat or non-fat yogurt, fruit ices, ice milk, sherbet and sorbet
• Puddings made with 1% or fat-free milk or Jell-O
• Whole grain pretzels

Just remember that while these treats are may be low in fat, most are not low in calories.  Choose these sweets and snacks only every now and then, especially if you are trying to control your weight to improve your blood cholesterol levels, as well as reducing your blood pressure.

Not all snack foods are high in saturated fat.  Eating is about balance, and you need to find your balance. Try some of these low-fat ones and keep them on hand for snack attacks:

• Ready-to-eat whole-food cereals or granola bars without added sugar
• Frozen grapes or banana slices; or other fresh fruit
• Fruit leather or other dried fruit – try to buy organic
• Low-fat or fat-free crackers like melba toast, rice cakes, rye crisps and soda crackers
• No-oil baked tortilla chips
• Popcorn (air-popped or "light") – avoid butter and try adding spices instead
• Pretzels
• Raw vegetables with non-fat or low-fat dip