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DASH diet: Guide to recommended servings

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet can help you control your blood pressure. The DASH diet — which has been clinically proved to reduce blood pressure — is rich in grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. It limits fat, saturated fat and cholesterol and provides plenty of fiber, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Here are the types and amounts of foods recommended in the DASH diet, along with specific examples of serving sizes. Use these details as you plan your own menus.

Food group Servings for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet Servings for a 1,600-calorie-a-day diet Serving samples
Grains and grain products 6 to 8 a day 6 a day 1 slice whole-wheat bread
1 ounce (oz.) dry cereal
1/2 cup cooked cereal
1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta
1/2 English muffin or small (2 oz.) bagel
Fruits 4 to 5 a day 4 a day 4 oz. 100 percent fruit juice
1 medium fruit
1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit
1/4 cup dried fruit
Vegetables 4 to 5 a day 3 to 4 a day

4 oz. low-sodium vegetable juice
1 cup raw leafy green vegetables
1/2 cup cooked vegetables
1 small potato
1 sweet potato
Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free) 2 to 3 a day 2 to 3 a day 1 cup skim or 1% milk
1 cup yogurt
1 1/2 oz. low-fat or fat-free cheese
Meats, poultry and fish 6 or less a day 3 to 6 a day 1 oz. cooked skinless poultry, seafood or lean meat
Nuts, seeds and dry beans 4 to 5 a week 3 a week 1/3 cup nuts
2 tablespoons (1/2 oz.) seeds
1/2 cup cooked beans or peas
Fats and oils 2 to 3 a day 2 a day 1 teaspoon soft margarine
1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons light salad dressing
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Sweets 2 or less a day 0 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon jelly or jam
1/2 oz. jelly beans
8 oz. lemonade

Also keep in mind your sodium intake. No more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day is recommended for most healthy adults. If you have prehypertension or high blood pressure, the recommended limit drops to 1,500 mg a day.

A 2005 study showed that replacing some carbohydrates in the DASH diet with protein or unsaturated fats may reduce blood pressure even more than may the standard DASH diet. Protein sources include nuts and seeds, beans, poultry, fish, meat, egg substitutes, fat-free dairy products and vegetable-based meat substitutes. Sources of unsaturated fats include olive oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

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May 17, 2008