Description of the DASH Eating Plan
The DASH eating plan requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. This plan recommends:
- Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
- Including fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils
- Limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils
- Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets
Based on these recommendations, the following table shows examples of daily and weekly servings that meet DASH eating plan targets for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.
|
Food Group |
Daily Servings |
|---|---|
|
Grains |
6–8 |
|
Meats, poultry, and fish |
6 or less |
|
Vegetables |
4–5 |
|
Fruit |
4–5 |
|
Low-fat or fat-free dairy products |
2–3 |
|
Fats and oils |
2–3 |
|
Sodium |
2,300 mg* |
|
|
Weekly Servings |
|
Nuts, seeds, dry beans, and peas |
4–5 |
|
Sweets |
5 or less |
*1,500 milligrams (mg) lowers blood pressure even further than 2,300 mg sodium daily.
When following the DASH eating plan, it is important to choose foods that are:
- Low in saturated and trans fats
- Rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and protein
- Lower in sodium
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