THE DASH DIET Nutrition & Food Services
what is the DASH diet?
DASH stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. DASH is a balanced, heart-healthy
eating style. It emphasizes foods that are rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium. These nutrients help
lower blood pressure, decreasing your risk of heart disease and stroke. The DASH diet may also assist with
weight management, blood sugar control, and lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Choose Choose
DASH diet tips: MORE OFTEN LESS OFTEN
▪ Fruits and vegetables ▪ Salt (sodium)
▪ Whole grains ▪ Refined grains
▪ Lean meats, poultry, fish ▪ Red meat
▪ Low fat or nonfat dairy ▪ Full fat dairy
▪ Healthy fats and oils ▪ Sweets
▪ Nuts, seeds, legumes ▪ Sugar-sweetened beverages
How to follow the DASH diet:
Eat more fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide many vitamins and minerals and are rich in potassium and fiber. Choose fresh, frozen,
dried, or canned. When canned, drain and rinse to remove sugar and sodium or choose canned produce without salt.
Choose whole grains over refined grains
Whole grains provide energy, B-vitamins, magnesium, and fiber. Choose whole grains at least half of the time. Try brown
rice, oats, quinoa, and 100% whole grain breads, crackers, and cereals. Limit white rice and white breads.
Select low fat dairy products and alternatives
Dairy products and fortified milk alternatives including soy milk, almond milk and oat milk contain important
0% nutrients that help to lower blood pressure. Choose low fat or nonfat dairy rather than high fat dairy products like
whole milk, butter, and heavy cream. Select unsweetened or low sugar varieties of milk and yogurt.
Choose heart-healthy fats over saturated fats
saturated fats, found in red and processed meat, high fat dairy, baked goods and desserts, coconut oil, and palm oil,
may increase cholesterol and contribute to risk of heart disease.
Instead, choose lean meats, fish, skinless poultry, nuts, seeds, avocado, and low fat dairy. Use olive oil instead of butter.
Choose lower fat cooking methods such as baking, broiling, grilling, roasting, and steaming. Limit deep fried foods.
Reduce salt (sodium)
Focus on fresh, unprocessed foods. Season your foods with herbs and salt-free spices.Too much sodium can
increase your blood pressure. Avoid high sodium foods such as frozen dinners, cured meats, pickles, and fast food.
Limit sweets, desserts and sugar-sweetened beverages
Sweets, desserts, and sugar-sweetened beverages are low in nutrients and provide excess calories. Enjoy
whole fruits to satisfy your sweet tooth. Opt for flavored carbonated waters instead of sugary soft drinks.
SEPTEMBER 2023
DAILY SERVINGS Nutrition & Food Services
for a 2000-calorie DASH diet
DAILY examples of EXAMPLES /
CATEGORY SERVINGS 1 SERVING SIZE NOTES
▪ 1 small apple or orange ▪ apples ▪ oranges ▪ straw-
▪ bananas ▪ peaches berries
▪ ½ cup fresh, frozen, or
Fruits 4-5 ▪ dates ▪ pears
canned fruit ▪ grapes ▪ prunes
▪ 2 Tbsp dried fruit ▪ melons ▪ raisins
▪ asparagus ▪ green leafy ▪ potatoes
▪ 1 cup raw vegetable ▪ bell pepper vegetables ▪ squash
Vegetables 4-5 ▪ ½ cup cooked vegetable ▪ broccoli ▪ kale ▪ spinach
▪ ½ cup vegetable juice ▪ carrots ▪ lettuce ▪ tomatoes
▪ cauliflower ▪ mushrooms ▪ zucchini
Make most grains whole:
▪ 1 slice bread ▪ brown rice ▪ quinoa
Grains 6-8 ▪ ½ cup cooked rice, ▪ corn tortilla ▪ 100% whole
pasta or cereal ▪ farro grain breads or
▪ oats cereals
▪ egg whites ▪ seafood
Meats, 2 ▪ 3 ounces cooked meat, or
▪ fish ▪ skinless poultry
Poultry & Fish or less size of your palm
▪ lean meats
Nonfat (skim) or low fat (1%):
▪ 1½ ounces cheese
Low Fat Or ▪ milk ▪ unsweetened
2-3 ▪ 1 cup milk or soy milk ▪ reduced-sodium yogurt
Nonfat Dairy
▪ 1 cup yogurt cheeses ▪ calcium-fortified
substitutes
▪ 1 tsp vegetable oil ▪ avocados ▪ peanut oil
Fats ▪ avocado oil ▪ sesame oil
2-3 ▪ 1 Tbsp salad dressing ▪ canola oil ▪ vinaigrette
& Oils
▪ 2 Tbsp avocado ▪ olive oil dressing
▪ ⅓ cup or 5 Tbsp nuts ▪ almonds ▪ flaxseeds ▪ split peas
Nuts, Seeds 4-5 ▪ 2 Tbsp nut butters ▪ black beans ▪ lentils ▪ sunflower
Or Dry Beans per week ▪ 2 Tbsp seeds ▪ chia seeds ▪ peanuts seeds
▪ ½ cup cooked beans ▪ chickpeas ▪ pinto beans ▪ walnuts
▪ cakes ▪ sorbet
5 or less ▪ ½ cup juice or ice cream ▪ cookies ▪ syrup
Sweets
per week ▪ 1 Tbsp sugar or syrup ▪ ice cream ▪ sugar
▪ juice
JUNE 2023
