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DASH diet: Guide to recommended servings

By Mayo Clinic staff

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet can help you control your blood pressure. The DASH diet is rich in grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. It limits total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol and provides plenty of fiber, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The DASH diet also limits sodium to between 1,500 milligrams and 2,300 milligrams a day.

Here are recommended servings from the food groups for the two calorie levels of the DASH diet, along with examples of serving sizes. Use these details as you plan your meals.

Food groupServings for 1,600 calories a dayServings for 2,000 calories a dayExamples of 1 serving
Grains (mainly whole grains) 6 a day 6 to 8 a day
  • 1 slice whole-wheat bread
  • 1 ounce (oz.) dry cereal
  • 1/2 cup cooked cereal
  • 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta
Vegetables 3 to 4 a day 4 to 5 a day
  • 1/2 cup (4 fluid oz.) low-sodium vegetable juice
  • 1 cup raw leafy green vegetables
  • 1/2 cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables
Fruits 4 a day 4 to 5 a day
  • 1/2 cup (4 fluid oz.) 100% fruit juice
  • 1 medium fruit
  • 1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit
Low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products 2 to 3 a day 2 to 3 a day
  • 1 cup (8 fluid oz.) milk
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1 1/2 oz. cheese
Lean meats, poultry and fish 3 to 4 or fewer a day 6 or fewer a day
  • 1 oz. cooked lean meat, skinless poultry or fish
  • 1 egg (no more than 4 a week)
  • 2 egg whites
Nuts, seeds and legumes 3 to 4 a week 4 to 5 a week
  • 1/3 cup (1.5 oz.) nuts
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons (1/2 oz.) seeds
  • 1/2 cup cooked legumes (dried beans or peas)
Fats and oils 2 a day 2 to 3 a day
  • 1 teaspoon soft margarine
  • 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons light salad dressing
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Sweets and added sugars 3 or fewer a week 5 or fewer a week
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon jelly or jam
  • 1/2 cup sorbet
  • 1 cup (8 fluid oz.) sugar-sweetened lemonade

Adapted from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2011

References
  1. Following the DASH eating plan. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/dash/dash_follow.html. Accessed May 3, 2011.
  2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm. Accessed May 3, 2011.
HI00048 June 7, 2011

Source: Adapted from the National Institutes of Health, Facts About the DASH Eating Plan, 2006

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