DASH Diet
- includes samples menus for 1500, 1800, and 2000 calories/day DASH Diet -

The DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) found risk of elevated blood pressure could be reduced with a low-fat eating plan rich in dairy, fruits, and vegetables. The plan is also rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium, and protein (especially from fish, poultry, and nuts) and fiber (from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains). A second DASH study found that eating the DASH diet in combination with a reduced sodium intake results in the greatest benefit towards lowering high blood pressure. The DASH diet can be used to maintain or achieve a healthy weight and promote overall health. The diet is rich in fruits and vegetables which have been shown to lower cancer risk, high in dairy which is shown to lower osteoporosis risk, and low in saturated fat, trans fats, and cholesterol which have been shown to lower cardiovascular disease risk. Exercise is also a key element in maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy weight is a factor in normal blood pressure control.

WHERE’S THE SODIUM?
Only a small amount of sodium occurs naturally in foods. Most sodium is added during processing. The following table provides examples of the varying amounts of sodium in some foods. When reading the nutrition label, look for sodium and milligrams instead of percentages.

Food groups	Amount	Sodium (mg.)
Grains and Grain Products Cooked cereal, rice, pasta (all unsalted) Ready-to-eat cereal Bread	½ cup 1 cup 1 slice	0-5 100-360 110-175
Vegetables Fresh or frozen, (cooked without salt) Canned or frozen with sauce Tomato juice, canned	½ cup ½ cup ¾ cup	1-70 140-460 820
Fruit Fresh, frozen, canned	½ cup	0-5
Lowfat or fat-free dairy foods Milk Yogurt Natural cheeses Processed cheeses	1 cup 8 oz. 1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz.	120 160 110-450 600
Nuts, seeds and dry beans Peanuts, salted Peanuts, unsalted Beans, cooked from dried or frozen without salt Beans, canned	1/3 cup 1/3 cup ½ cup ½ cup	120 0-5 0-5 400
Meats, fish and poultry Fresh meat, fish, poultry Tuna canned, water pack, no salt added Tuna canned, water pack Ham, lean, roasted	3 oz. 3 oz. 3 oz. 3 oz.	30-90 34-45 250-350 1,020

TIPS TO REDUCE SALT AND SODIUM

• Use reduced sodium or no-salt-added products. For example, choose low or reduced sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods and condiments when available.

• Buy fresh, plan frozen, or canned with “no-salt-added” vegetables.

• Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned, smoked, or processed types.

• Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.

• Limit cured foods (such as bacon and ham), foods packed in brine (such as pickles, pickled vegetables, olives, and sauerkraut), and condiments (such as MSG, mustard, horseradish, catsup, and barbecue sauce). Limit even lower sodium versions of soy sauce and teriyaki sauce.

• Use spices instead of salt. In cooking and at the table, flavor foods with herbs, spices, lemon, lime, vinegar, or salt-free seasoning blends (like Mrs. Dash). Start by removing the salt shaker from the house.

• Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt. Try to make more food from “scratch.”

• Choose “convenience” foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, mixed dishes such as pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressing – these often have a lot of sodium.

• Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, canned vegetables, and beans to remove some sodium.

• Look for frozen dinner foods with less than 500 milligrams of sodium. Look for brands such as “Healthy Choice^®, Smart Ones^®, Lean Cuisine^®, Lean Gourmet^®, etc.

REDUCING SODIUM WHEN EATING OUT

• Ask how foods are prepared. Ask that they be prepared without added salt, MSG, or salt-containing ingredients. Most restaurants are willing to accommodate requests.

• Know the terms that indicate high sodium content: pickled, cured, soy sauce, broth.

• Move the salt shaker away.

• Limit condiments, such as mustard, catsup, pickles, and sauces with salt-containing ingredients.

• Choose fruit or vegetables instead of salty snack foods.

LABEL LANGUAGE
Food labels can help you to choose items lower in sodium and saturated and total fat. Look for the following labels on cans, boxes, bottles, bags, and other packaging:

Phrase	What it means
Sodium Sodium free or salt free	Less than 5 mg. per serving
Very low sodium	35 mg. or less of sodium per serving
Low sodium	140 mg. or less of sodium per serving
Low sodium meal	140 mg. or less of sodium per 3 ½ oz. (100 g.)
Reduced or less sodium	At least 25 percent less sodium than the regular version
Light in sodium	50 percent less sodium than the regular version
Unsalted or no salt added	No salt added to the product during processing
Phrase	What it means
Fat Fat free	Less than 0.5 g. per serving
Low saturated fat	1 g. or less per serving
Lowfat	3 g. or less per serving
Reduced fat	At least 25 percent less fat than the regular version
Light in fat	Half the fat compared to the regular version

      Sample menus are listed below

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1500 Calories/Day DASH Diet - Sample Menu

Food	Amount	Servings Provided	Total number of servings in 1500 calories/day menu: 5-1/2 - Grains 4 - Vegetables 4 - Fruits 3 - Dairy Foods 2 - Meats, Poultry, Fish ¾ - Nuts 1½ - Fats & Oils Tips on eating the DASH way: Start small. Make gradual changes in your eating habits. Center your meal around carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice, beans, or vegetables. Treat meat as one part of the whole meal, instead of the focus. Use fruits or low-fat, low-calorie foods such as sugar-free gelatin for desserts and snacks. REMEMBER! If you use the DASH diet to help prevent or control high blood pressure, make it part of a lifestyle that includes choosing foods lower in salt and sodium, keeping a healthy weight, being physically active, and, if you drink alcohol, doing so in moderation.
Breakfast
Orange juice	6 ounces	1 fruit
Skim milk	8 ounces (1 cup)	1 dairy
Corn flakes (with 1 tsp sugar)	3/4 cup	1 1/2 grains
Banana	1 medium	1 fruit
Light whole wheat bread (with 1 TBSP jelly)	1 slice	1 grain
Lunch
Baked chicken	3 ounces	1 poultry
Pita bread	1/2 slice, large	1 grain
Raw vegetable medley consisting of: Carrot and celery sticks Radishes Loose-leaf lettuce	3-4 sticks of each 2 2 leaves	All equal 1 vegetable
Part skim mozzarella cheese	1 1/2 slices (1 1/2 ounces)	1 dairy
Skim milk	8 ounces (1 cup)	1 dairy
Fruit cocktail in water	1/2 cup	1 fruit
Dinner
Herb baked cod	3 ounces	1 fish
Scallion rice	1/2 cup	1 grain
Steamed broccoli	1/2 cup	1 vegetable
Stewed tomatoes	1/2 cup	1 vegetable
Spinach salad consisting of: Raw spinach Cherry tomatoes Cucumber	1/2 cup 2 2 slices	All equal 1 vegetable
Light Italian salad dressing	1 tbsp	1/2 fat
Soft margarine	1 tsp	1 fat
Melon balls	1/2 cup	1 fruit
Snacks
Mini pretzels	1 ounce (3/4 cup)	1 grain
Mixed nuts	2 tbsp	3/4 nuts
Diet Ginger Ale	12 ounces	0

1800 Calories/Day DASH Diet - Sample Menu

Food	Amount	Servings Provided	Total number of servings in 1800 calories/day menu: 8 - Grains 4 - Vegetables 4 - Fruits 3 - Dairy Foods 1¾ - Meats, Poultry, Fish 1 - Nuts 2½ - Fats & Oils Tips on eating the DASH way: Start small. Make gradual changes in your eating habits. Center your meal around carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice, beans, or vegetables. Treat meat as one part of the whole meal, instead of the focus. Use fruits or low-fat, low-calorie foods such as sugar-free gelatin for desserts and snacks. REMEMBER! If you use the DASH diet to help prevent or control high blood pressure, make it part of a lifestyle that includes choosing foods lower in salt and sodium, keeping a healthy weight, being physically active, and, if you drink alcohol, doing so in moderation.
Breakfast
Orange juice	6 ounces	1 fruit
Skim milk	8 ounces (1 cup)	1 dairy
Corn flakes (with 1 tsp sugar)	1 cup	2 grains
Banana	1 medium	1 fruit
Whole wheat bread (with 1 TBSP jelly)	1 slice	1 grain
Soft margarine	1 teaspoon	1 fat
Lunch
Chicken salad	1/2 cup	3/4 poultry
Pita bread	1/2 slice, large	1 grain
Raw vegetable medley consisting of: Carrot and celery sticks Radishes Loose-leaf lettuce	3-4 sticks of each 2 2 leaves	All equal 1 vegetable
Part skim mozzarella cheese	1 1/2 slices (1 1/2 ounces)	1 dairy
Skim milk	8 ounces (1 cup)	1 dairy
Fruit cocktail in water	1/2 cup	1 fruit
Dinner
Herb baked cod	3 ounces	1 fish
Scallion rice	1 cup	2 grains
Steamed broccoli	1/2 cup	1 vegetable
Stewed tomatoes	1/2 cup	1 vegetable
Spinach salad consisting of: Raw spinach Cherry tomatoes Cucumber	1/2 cup 2 2 slices	All equal 1 vegetable
Light Italian salad dressing	1 tbsp	1/2 fat
Whole wheat dinner roll	1 small	1 grain
Soft margarine	1 tsp	1 fat
Melon balls	1/2 cup	1 fruit
Snacks
Mini pretzels	1 ounce (3/4 cup)	1 grain
Mixed nuts	1½ ounces	1 nuts
Diet Ginger Ale	12 ounces	0

2000 Calories/Day DASH Diet - Sample Menu

Food	Amount	Servings Provided	Total number of servings in 2000 calories/day menu: 8 - Grains 4 - Vegetables 5 - Fruits 3 - Dairy Foods 2 - Meats, Poultry, Fish 1 - Nuts 2½ - Fats & Oils Tips on eating the DASH way: Start small. Make gradual changes in your eating habits. Center your meal around carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice, beans, or vegetables. Treat meat as one part of the whole meal, instead of the focus. Use fruits or low-fat, low-calorie foods such as sugar-free gelatin for desserts and snacks. REMEMBER! If you use the DASH diet to help prevent or control high blood pressure, make it part of a lifestyle that includes choosing foods lower in salt and sodium, keeping a healthy weight, being physically active, and, if you drink alcohol, doing so in moderation.
Breakfast
Orange juice	6 ounces	1 fruit
1% low fat milk	8 ounces (1 cup)	1 dairy
Corn flakes (with 1 tsp sugar)	1 cup	2 grains
Banana	1 medium	1 fruit
Light whole wheat bread (with soft margarine) (1 TBSP jelly)	1 slice 1 teaspoon	1 grain 1 fat
Lunch
Chicken Salad	3/4 cup	1 poultry
Pita bread	1/2 slice, large	1 grain
Raw vegetable medley consisting of: Carrot and celery sticks Radishes Loose-leaf lettuce	3-4 sticks of each 2 2 leaves	All equal 1 vegetable
Part skim mozzarella cheese	1 1/2 slices (1 1/2 ounces)	1 dairy
1% low fat milk	8 ounces (1 cup)	1 dairy
Fruit cocktail in water	1/2 cup	1 fruit
Dinner
Herb baked cod	3 ounces	1 fish
Scallion rice	1 cup	2 grains
Steamed broccoli	1/2 cup	1 vegetable
Stewed tomatoes	1/2 cup	1 vegetable
Spinach salad consisting of: Raw spinach Cherry tomatoes Cucumber	1/2 cup 2 2 slices	All equal 1 vegetable
Light Italian salad dressing	1 tbsp	1/2 fat
Whole wheat dinner roll	1 small	1 grain
Soft margarine	1 tsp	1 fat
Melon balls	1/2 cup	1 fruit
Snacks
Dried apricots	1 ounce (3/4 cup)	1 fruit
Mini pretzels	1 ounce (3/4 cup)	1 grain
Mixed nuts	2 tbsp	3/4 nuts
Diet Ginger Ale	12 ounces	0

A registered dietitian can tell you the number of calories you need per day.

Additional information is available from the following web sites: DASH Eating Plan 

Sources
Zernel, M. B. (1997), Dietary Patterns and Hypertension: The DASH Study. Nutrition Review, 55: 303-305.

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