Introduction
The DASH eating plan is a Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. It is a science based heart healthy diet and consistently found to be one of the healthiest diets along with the Mediterranean diet.
With the DASH eating plan you…
EAT: Fruit, Vegetables, Whole Grains, Fish, Poultry, Low Fat Dairy, Beans, Nuts and Vegetable Oils.
LIMIT: Salt, Sugar and Full Fat.
Servings
As with any healthy eating program, portion control is important. With the DASH eating plan you aim to eat:
Vegetables: 4 to 5 servings a day,
Fruits: 4 to 5 servings a day,
Grains: 6 to 8 servings a day,
Lean meat, poultry and fish: 6 one-ounce servings or fewer a day,
Dairy: 2 to 3 servings a day,
Nuts, seeds and legumes: 4 to 5 servings a week,
Sodium: less than 1500mg/day,
A serving size is about a cup or the size of a persons hand. A really easy way to stick to the servings is at every meal have 2 handfuls of vegetables, 1 handful of protein (poultry or beans) and one handful of whole grains.
In addition aim for a 30 minutes serving of physical exercise a day. Walking is the best form of exercise.
Foods
Below are examples of which specific foods are in each category.
Vegetables
- Broccoli.
- Cauliflower.
- Carrots.
- Green beans.
- Onions/green onions/shallots.
- Garlic.
- Lima beans.
- Squash.
- Tomatoes.
Lean Meats, Poultry and Fish
- Eggs.
- Lean poultry (skin removed.)
- Fish.
Grains
- Whole wheat bread.
- Whole wheat pasta.
- Brown rice.
- Whole oats (e.g. steel cut oats.)
Fruits
- Apples.
- Apricots.
- Bananas.
- Grapes.
- Melons.
- Peaches.
- Pineapples.
- Raisins.
- Strawberries.
- Raspberries.
- Blueberries.
- Black berries.
Dairy
- Fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk or buttermilk.
- Fat-free, low-fat, or reduced-fat cheese.
- Fat-free or low-fat regular or frozen yogurt.
Nuts, Seeds and Legumes
- Almonds.
- Hazelnuts.
- Mixed nuts.
- Peanuts.
- Walnuts.
- Peanut butter.
- Kidney beans.
- Chickpeas.
- Lentils.
Fats & Oils
- Extra virgin olive oil.
Sugars (extremely limited quantities only)
- Honey.
- Agave syrup.
- Maple syrup.
- Sugar.
Examples
Below are some examples of what you might eat at each meal when following the DASH eating plan.
Breakfast
- Low fat\greek yoghurt w/granola
- Whole wheat toast
- Egg w/ whole wheat toast
- Omelette w/veg
- Apple.
- Banana.
- Nuts.
- Chef salad (grilled chicken.)
- Chicken/Turkey sandwich.
- Vegetables
- Chicken or fish.
- Rice or pasta.
Summary
Eat more: veg, protein and grains.
Eat less: salt, fat and sugar.
Get more: physical exercise.