Yet, many people aren’t following this sensible style of eating.
The DASH diet was originally developed for people with hypertension (high blood pressure).
However, anyone can follow it!
What Is the DASH Diet?
The recommendation is to stay under 2,300 mg of sodium per day.
Different serving sizes of different food groups are recommended based on calorie needs.
TheNational Institute of Healthhas made it easy to figure out your individual calorie needs and serving sizes.
A typical 2,000-calorie-per-day diet includes the following quantities.
(Note that one serving here is generally 1 cup of veggies, 1 oz.
of grains or 1 oz.
of protein; see more information below, and on the NIH website.)
Become a nutrition facts label investigator and read the ingredients for packaged foods you buy.
(And for times when cooking can be challenging, we also like to considerlow-sodium meal deliveryoptions.)
it’s advisable to include at least four or five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
This has been shown to lower risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
When in doubt, refer toMyPlateand make half your plate fruits and vegetables at every meal.
The more variety, the better.
Try broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, squash, asparagus, peppers, mushrooms and cabbage.
Aim for three to six servings of fruit each day based on your calorie needs.
That’s at least three servings of whole grains per day.
Examples of a serving of whole grains include:
Learn More:What Is a Complex Carbohydrate?
Skip processed meats, deli meats and red meat.
White fish and shellfish are also good lean protein sources, but are not high in omega-3s.
Eat low-fat dairy
you could eat dairy on the DASH diet, but keep it low-fat.
Dairy delivers calcium and protein, but many dairy products, especially cheese, are high in sodium.
Check the labels to stay under the recommended 2,300 mg of sodium for the day.
Nuts and seeds provide healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, as well as protein, fiber and magnesium.
Evidence shows that incorporating these into your diet has cardioprotective benefits.
Add nuts to oatmeal, yogurt or salad.
Snack on roasted chickpeas.
Swap out meat for beans and legumes, which are a lean source of protein and packed with fiber.
Bonus: Beans are also cheaper than meat.
Get other healthy fats from nuts, seeds and avocado.
Cook with olive oil, and use butter and coconut oil sparingly to limit saturated fats.
Remember to check labels on margarines and salad dressings and avoid any with trans fats.
Bottom Line
Read More:
Healthy DASH Diet Recipes
