The eating plan known as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is used to lower or control high blood pressure. The DASH diet contains foods that are lower in sodium. A key goal is to include foods that are rich in nutrients that are also associated with lowering blood pressure — potassium, magnesium and calcium. The DASH diet features menus with plenty of vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products, as well as whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts. It offers limited portions of red meats, sweets and sugary beverages.
Maybe you want to try the DASH diet, but aren't quite sure how to incorporate DASH into your own daily menus. To help you get started, here are three days' worth of menus that conform to the DASH plan. Use these menus as a basis for your own healthy meal planning.
Remember that on some days, you may eat more of or fewer than the recommended servings for a particular food group, or you may exceed your sodium goal. That's OK, as long as the average of several days or a week is close to the recommendations. Also note that the values for nutritional information may vary according to specific brands of ingredients you use or changes you make in meal preparation.
Sample DASH Menu
| Day 1 menu | |
| Breakfast |
1 small whole-wheat bagel
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 medium orange
1 cup fat-free milk
Decaffeinated coffee |
| Lunch |
Spinach salad made with:
- 4 cups of fresh spinach leaves
- 1 sliced pear
- 1/2 cup canned mandarin orange sections
- 1/3 cup unsalted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat red wine vinaigrette
12 reduced-sodium wheat crackers
1 cup fat-free milk |
| Dinner |
Herb-crusted baked cod, 3 ounces
1/2 cup brown rice pilaf
1/2 cup fresh green beans, steamed
1 small sourdough roll
1 teaspoon trans fat-free margarine
1 cup fresh berries with chopped mint
Herbal iced tea |
| Snack (anytime) |
1 cup fat-free, low-calorie yogurt
4 vanilla wafers |
| Day 1 nutrient analysis | |
| Calories |
2,032 |
Cholesterol |
61 milligrams (mg) |
| Protein |
90 grams (g) |
Sodium |
1,838 mg |
| Carbohydrate |
256 g |
Fiber |
42 g |
| Total fat |
72 g |
Potassium |
3,084 mg |
| Saturated fat |
11 g |
Calcium |
1,226 mg |
| Monounsaturated fat |
23 g |
|
|
| Day 1 DASH servings | |
| Grains and grain products |
7 |
| Vegetables |
5 |
| Fruits |
5 |
| Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free) |
3 |
| Meats, poultry and fish |
3 |
| Nuts, seeds and dry beans |
2 |
| Fats and oils |
3 |
| Sweets |
0 |
| Day 2 menu | |
| Breakfast |
1 cup fresh mixed fruits, such as melons, banana, apple and berries, topped with 1 cup fat-free, low-calorie vanilla-flavored yogurt and 1/3 cup walnuts
1 bran muffin
1 cup fat-free milk
Herbal tea |
| Lunch |
Curried chicken wrap made with:
- 1 medium flour tortilla
- 2/3 cup cooked, chopped chicken, about 3 ounces
- 1/2 cup chopped apple
- 2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise*
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup, or about 8, raw baby carrots
1 cup fat-free milk |
| Dinner |
1 cup cooked whole-wheat spaghetti with 1/2 cup marinara sauce, no added salt
3 cups mixed salad greens
1 tablespoon low-fat Caesar dressing
1 whole-wheat roll
1 teaspoon trans fat-free margarine
1 nectarine
Sparkling water |
| Snack (anytime) |
Trail mix made with:
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 ounce, or about 22, unsalted mini twist pretzels
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
|
*Fat-free spreads still have calories so count as 1 fat serving.
| Day 2 nutrient analysis | |
| Calories |
2,028 |
Cholesterol |
97 mg |
| Protein |
94 g |
Sodium |
1,743 mg |
| Carbohydrate |
287 g |
Fiber |
48 g |
| Total fat |
56 g |
Potassium |
4,191 mg |
| Saturated fat |
7 g |
Calcium |
1,545 mg |
| Monounsaturated fat |
11 g |
|
| Day 2 DASH servings | |
| Grains and grain products |
7 |
| Vegetables |
6 |
| Fruits |
5 |
| Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free) |
3 |
| Meats, poultry and fish |
3 |
| Nuts, seeds and dry beans |
2 |
| Fats and oils |
3 |
| Sweets |
0 |
| Day 3 menu | |
| Breakfast |
1 cup old-fashioned cooked oatmeal* topped with 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 slice whole-wheat toast
1 teaspoon trans fat-free margarine
1 banana
1 cup fat-free milk |
| Lunch |
Tuna salad made with:
- 1/2 cup drained, unsalted water-packed tuna, 3 ounces
- 2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
- 15 grapes
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- Served on top of 2 cups romaine lettuce
8 Melba toast crackers
1 cup fat-free milk |
| Dinner |
Beef and vegetable kebab, made with:
- 3 ounces of beef
- 1 cup of peppers, onions, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes
1 cup cooked wild rice
1/3 cup pecans
2 pineapple rings
Cran-raspberry spritzer made with:
- 4 ounces cran-raspberry juice
- 4 to 8 ounces sparkling water
|
| Snack (anytime) |
1 cup light yogurt
1 peach |
*To further reduce sodium, don't add salt when cooking the oatmeal.
| Day 3 nutrient analysis | |
| Calories |
1,865 |
Cholesterol |
105 mg |
| Protein |
105 g |
Sodium |
893 mg |
| Carbohydrate |
260 g |
Fiber |
29 g |
| Total fat |
45 g |
Potassium |
4,192 mg |
| Saturated fat |
7 g |
Calcium |
1,197 mg |
| Monounsaturated fat |
21 g |
|
|
| Day 3 DASH servings | |
| Grains and grain products |
7 |
| Vegetables |
5 |
| Fruits |
5 |
| Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free) |
3 |
| Meats, poultry and fish |
6 |
| Nuts, seeds and dry beans |
1 |
| Fats and oils |
2 |
| Sweets |
1 |
Last Updated: 2011-03-04
