Patient education: DASH diet (The Basics)

What is the DASH diet? — DASH stands for "dietary approaches to stop hypertension." It is an eating plan that can help lower blood pressure. It can also help prevent high blood pressure, which doctors call "hypertension." You don't need special foods or recipes to follow the DASH diet. It is more about eating certain types of foods in certain amounts.

The DASH diet has lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, healthy fats, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products (figure 1). It is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, and sodium (salt).

The standard DASH diet limits sodium to no more than 2300 mg a day. Your doctor or nurse can talk to you about what your specific goals should be.

Why do I need the DASH diet? — The DASH diet can help you:

●Lower your blood pressure and cholesterol

●Lower your risk for cancer, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. It might also lower your risk for heart failure, kidney stones, and diabetes.

●Lose weight or keep a healthy weight

What can I eat and drink on the DASH diet? — Below are some guidelines and examples for your daily and weekly nutrition goals. These are based on a 2000-calorie-per-day eating plan.

Daily goals:

●Grains – Try to eat 6 to 8 servings of whole-grain, high-fiber foods each day. Examples of a serving include 1 slice of bread, 1 ounce (30 grams) of dry cereal, or 1/2 cup (120 grams) of cooked cereal, pasta, or brown rice.

●Fruits – Try to eat 4 to 5 servings of fruit each day. Examples of a serving include 1 medium fruit or 1/2 cup (75 grams) of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit. Try to eat different kinds and colors. Frozen or canned fruit should not have added sugar. Look for frozen or canned fruits with 100 percent fruit juice or water.

●Vegetables – Try to eat 4 to 5 servings of vegetables each day. Examples of a serving include 1 cup (40 grams) of leafy greens or 1/2 cup (75 grams) of fresh or cooked vegetables. Try to pick many kinds and colors. If you buy canned vegetables, look for "low sodium" or "salt free." Buy plain, frozen vegetables to avoid added fat and sodium.

●Dairy – Try to eat 2 to 3 servings of fat-free or low-fat milk products each day. Examples of a serving include 1 cup (240 mL) of milk or yogurt or 1.5 ounces (45 grams) of cheese.

●Lean meats, poultry, and seafood – Try to eat 6 or fewer servings of lean meat, poultry, and seafood each day. Examples of a serving include 1 egg or 1 ounce (30 grams) of cooked meat, poultry, or fish. Try to choose more low-fat or lean meats like chicken, fish, or turkey. Eat less red meat.

●Fats and oils – Try to eat 2 to 3 servings of fats and oils each day. Examples of a serving include 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of soft margarine or vegetable oil, or 1 tablespoon (18 grams) of mayonnaise. Eat healthy fats like those found in fish, nuts, and avocados. Try using olive oil or vegetable oils such as canola oil. You can also try corn, safflower, sunflower, or soybean oils. Use low-sodium and low-fat salad dressing and mayonnaise.

Weekly goals:

●Nuts, seeds, and legumes (dry beans and peas) – Try to eat 4 to 5 servings each week. Examples of a serving include 1/3 cup (45 grams) of nuts, 2 tablespoons (50 grams) of nut butter or seeds, or 1/2 cup (75 grams) of cooked legumes. Try almonds and walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanut or other nut butters, soybeans, lentils, kidney beans, and split peas.

●Sweets – Try to eat fewer than 5 servings each week. Examples of a serving include 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of sugar or jelly, or 1/2 cup (120 grams) of gelatin. Choose low-fat and trans fat-free desserts. These include fruit-flavored gelatin, sorbet, jellybeans, graham crackers, animal crackers, low-fat fig bars, and ginger snaps. Eat fruit to satisfy the desire for sweets.

To add flavor, use pepper, herbs, spices, vinegar, or lemon or lime juices. Choose low-sodium or salt-free products whenever you can. This is especially important for foods like broths, soups, or soy sauce.

What foods and drinks should I avoid on the DASH diet?

●Grains to avoid – Salted breads, rolls, crackers, quick breads, self-rising flours, biscuit mixes, regular breadcrumbs, instant hot cereals, commercially prepared rice, pasta, stuffing mixes.

●Fruits and vegetables to avoid – Store-bought prepared potatoes and vegetable mixes, regular canned vegetables and juices, vegetables frozen with sauce, pickled vegetables, processed fruits with salt or sodium.

●Dairy products to avoid – Whole milk, malted milk, chocolate milk, buttermilk, full-fat cheese, ice cream.

●Meats to avoid – Smoked, cured, salted, or canned fish such as sardines or anchovies. High-fat cuts of meat like beef, lamb, pork, bacon and sausage, and chicken with the skin on it.

●Fats and oils to avoid – Eat fewer solid fats like butter, lard, and hard stick margarine. Eat less saturated fat, trans fat, and total fat.

●Condiments and snacks to avoid – Salted and canned peas, beans, and olives. Salted snack foods, fried foods, soda, other sweetened drinks.

●Sweets to avoid – High-fat baked goods such as muffins, donuts, pastries, and commercial baked goods. Candy bars.

●Alcohol – If you choose to drink alcohol, limit the amount. Most doctors recommend limiting alcohol to no more than 1 drink a day (for females) or 2 drinks a day (for males).

What else do I need to know?

●Get regular physical activity to make this diet help you even more. Even gentle forms of activity, like walking, are good for your health.

●Try baking or broiling instead of frying foods.

●Write down the foods that you eat. This will help you track what you have eaten each week.

●When you go to the grocery store, have a list or a meal plan. Don't shop when you are hungry, since this might lead you to buy more unhealthy foods.

●Read food labels with care (figure 2). They show you how much is in a serving. The amount is given as a percentage of the total amount that you need each day. Reading labels helps you make healthy food choices.

More on this topic

Patient education: High blood pressure in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Controlling your blood pressure through lifestyle (The Basics)
Patient education: Diabetes and diet (The Basics)
Patient education: Renovascular hypertension (The Basics)
Patient education: High blood pressure emergencies (The Basics)
Patient education: Vegetarian diet (The Basics)

Patient education: High blood pressure in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: High blood pressure treatment in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Low-sodium diet (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Risks and benefits of alcohol (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Exercise (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Losing weight (Beyond the Basics)