DASH Diet

This post is largely a reproduction of a report on the DASH diet. I don’t necessarily agree with all of these recommendations. These are simply the recommendations for the DASH Diet.

DASH stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.”

The DASH Diet is a healthy eating plan that has been shown to reduce high blood pressure (hypertension). It may also reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The DASH eating plan may also help with weight loss.

What are tips for following the DASH Diet?

General guidelines for the DASH Diet

1) Avoid eating more than 2,300 mg (milligrams) of salt (sodium) a day. If you have hypertension, you may need to reduce your sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day.

2) Limit alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink a day for non-pregnant women and 2 drinks a day for men. One drink equals 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1½ oz of hard liquor.

3) Maintain a healthy body weight or to lose weight. Ask what an ideal weight is for you.

4) Get at least 30 minutes of exercise that causes your heart to beat faster (aerobic exercise) most days of the week. Activities may include walking, swimming, or biking.

5) Work with your health care provider or diet and nutrition specialist (dietitian) to adjust your eating plan to your individual calorie needs.

Reading food labels

Check food labels for the amount of sodium per serving. Choose foods with less than 5 percent of the Daily Value of sodium.

Generally, foods with less than 300 mg of sodium per serving fit into this eating plan.

To find whole grains, look for the word “whole” as the first word in the ingredient list.

Shopping

Buy products labeled as “low-sodium” or “no salt added.”

Buy fresh foods. Avoid canned foods and premade or frozen meals.

Cooking

Avoid adding salt when cooking. Use salt-free seasonings or herbs instead of table salt or sea salt. Check with your health care provider or pharmacist before using salt substitutes.

Do not fry foods. Cook foods using healthy methods such as baking, boiling, grilling, and broiling instead.

Cook with heart-healthy oils, such as olive, soybean, or sunflower oil.

Meal planning

Eat a balanced diet that includes:

• 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. At each meal, try to fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables.
• Up to 6–8 servings of whole grains each day.
• Less than 6 oz of lean meat, poultry, or fish each day. A 3-oz serving of meat is about the same size as a deck of cards. One egg equals 1 oz.
• 2 servings of low-fat dairy each day.
• A serving of nuts, seeds, or beans 5 times each week.
• Heart-healthy fats. Healthy fats called Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods such as flaxseeds and coldwater fish, like sardines, salmon, and mackerel.

Limit how much you eat of the following:

• Canned or prepackaged foods.
• Food that is high in trans fat, such as fried foods.
• Food that is high in saturated fat, such as fatty meat.
• Sweets, desserts, sugary drinks, and other foods with added sugar.
• Full-fat dairy products.
• Do not salt foods before eating.
• Try to eat at least 2 vegetarian meals each week.
• Eat more home-cooked food and less restaurant, buffet, and fast food.
• When eating at a restaurant, ask that your food be prepared with less salt or no salt, if possible.

What foods are recommended on the DASH Diet?

The items listed may not be a complete list. Talk with your dietitian about what dietary choices are best for you.

Grains

Whole-grain or whole-wheat bread. Whole-grain or whole-wheat pasta. Brown rice. Oatmeal. Quinoa. Bulgur. Whole-grain and low-sodium cereals. Pita bread. Low-fat, low-sodium crackers. Whole-wheat flour tortillas.

Vegetables

Fresh or frozen vegetables (raw, steamed, roasted, or grilled). Low-sodium or reduced-sodium tomato and vegetable juice. Low-sodium or reduced-sodium tomato sauce and tomato paste. Low-sodium or reduced-sodium canned vegetables.

Fruits

All fresh, dried, or frozen fruit. Canned fruit in natural juice (without added sugar).

Meat and other protein foods

Skinless chicken or turkey. Ground chicken or turkey. Pork with fat trimmed off. Fish and seafood. Egg whites. Dried beans, peas, or lentils. Unsalted nuts, nut butters, and seeds. Unsalted canned beans. Lean cuts of beef with fat trimmed off. Low-sodium, lean deli meat.

Dairy

Low-fat (1%) or fat-free (skim) milk. Fat-free, low-fat, or reduced-fat cheeses. Nonfat, low-sodium ricotta or cottage cheese. Low-fat or nonfat yogurt. Low-fat, low-sodium cheese.

Fats and oils

Soft margarine without trans fats. (Doc Edwards’ note: do not eat margarine!!) Vegetable oil. Low-fat, reduced-fat, or light mayonnaise and salad dressings (reduced-sodium). Canola, safflower, olive, soybean, and sunflower oils. Avocado.

Seasoning and other foods

Herbs. Spices. Seasoning mixes without salt. Unsalted popcorn and pretzels. Fat-free sweets.

What foods are not recommended on the DASH Diet?

The items listed may not be a complete list. Talk with your dietitian about what dietary choices are best for you.

Grains

Baked goods made with fat, such as croissants, muffins, or some breads. Dry pasta or rice meal packs.

Vegetables

Creamed or fried vegetables. Vegetables in a cheese sauce. Regular canned vegetables (not low-sodium or reduced-sodium). Regular canned tomato sauce and paste (not low-sodium or reduced-sodium). Regular tomato and vegetable juice (not low-sodium or reduced-sodium). Pickles. Olives.

Fruits

Canned fruit in a light or heavy syrup. Fried fruit. Fruit in cream or butter sauce.

Meat and other protein foods

Fatty cuts of meat. Ribs. Fried meat. Bacon. Sausage. Bologna and other processed lunch meats. Salami. Fatback. Hotdogs. Bratwurst. Salted nuts and seeds. Canned beans with added salt. Canned or smoked fish. Whole eggs or egg yolks. Chicken or turkey with skin.

Dairy

Whole or 2% milk, cream, and half-and-half. Whole or full-fat cream cheese. Whole-fat or sweetened yogurt. Full-fat cheese. Nondairy creamers. Whipped toppings. Processed cheese and cheese spreads.

Fats and oils

Butter. Stick margarine. Lard. Shortening. Ghee. Bacon fat. Tropical oils, such as coconut, palm kernel, or palm oil.

Seasoning and other foods

Salted popcorn and pretzels. Onion salt, garlic salt, seasoned salt, table salt, and sea salt. Worcestershire sauce. Tartar sauce. Barbecue sauce. Teriyaki sauce. Soy sauce, including reduced-sodium. Steak sauce. Canned and packaged gravies. Fish sauce. Oyster sauce. Cocktail sauce. Horseradish that you find on the shelf. Ketchup. Mustard. Meat flavorings and tenderizers. Bouillon cubes. Hot sauce and Tabasco sauce. Premade or packaged marinades. Premade or packaged taco seasonings. Relishes. Regular salad dressings.

Where to find more information:

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: www.nhlbi.nih.gov
• American Heart Association: www.heart.org

Summary

The DASH Diet is a healthy eating plan that has been shown to reduce high blood pressure (hypertension). It may also reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

With the DASH Diet, you should limit salt (sodium) intake to 2,300 mg a day. If you have hypertension, you may need to reduce your sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day.

When on the DASH Diet, aim to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, and heart-healthy fats.

Work with your health care provider or diet and nutrition specialist (dietitian) to adjust your eating plan to your individual calorie needs.

This information is not intended to replace advice given to you by your health care provider. Make sure you discuss any questions you have with your health care provider.
Document Released: 12/06/2012 Document Revised: 12/11/2017 Document Reviewed: 12/11/2017
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