The DASH Diet

How Many Servings Do You Need?

Grains and Grain Products

• 1 slice of bread
• 1 ounce of dry cereal (½ to 1-¼ cup; check the Nutrition Facts label on the cereal box)
• ½ cup of cooked rice, pasta, or cereal

Vegetables

• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
• ½ cup of cooked vegetables
• 6 ounces of vegetable juice

• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Squash
• Broccoli
• Turnips
• Greens, like collards, kale, and spinach
• Artichokes
• Beans, including green beans and lima beans
• Sweet potatoes
• Potatoes

Fruits

• 6 ounces of fruit juice
• 1 medium piece of fruit
• ¼ cup of dried fruit
• ½ cup of fresh (cut up), frozen, or canned fruit

• Apricots
• Bananas
• Dates
• Grapes
• Citrus, such as oranges and orange juice, and grapefruit and grapefruit juice
• Mangoes
• Melons
• Peaches
• Pineapples
• Prunes
• Raisins
• Strawberries
• Tangerines

Low-fat or Fat-free Dairy Foods

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup of yogurt
• 1-½ ounces of cheese

• Fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk
• Fat-free or low-fat buttermilk
• Fat-free or low-fat regular or frozen yogurt
• Fat-free or low-fat cheese (Remember, though that most cheeses—including cottage cheese—can be quite high in salt.)

Meats, Poultry, and Fish

• Select lean meats
• Trim away visible fat
• Use lowfat cooking methods, such as broiling, roasting, or boiling
• Remove skin from poultry before eating
• Try not to eat more than 4 egg yolks per week since they are high in cholesterol

Nuts, Seeds, and Dry Beans

• 1/3 cup or 1-½ ounces of nuts
• 2 tablespoons or ½ ounce of seeds
• ½ cup of cooked dry beans

• Nuts: almonds, filberts, mixed nuts, peanuts, and walnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Dry beans: kidney beans, black beans, lentils, peas

Fats and Oils

• 1 teaspoon of soft margarine
• 1 tablespoon of lowfat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons of light salad dressing
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil

• Soft margarine (The softer the margarine, the less trans fatty acids it has; trans fats are as dangerous to your heart as saturated fats found in butter.)
• Low-fat mayonnaise
• Light salad dressing
• Vegetable oils: olive, corn, canola, safflower

Sweets

• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of jelly or jam
• ½ ounce of jelly beans
• 8 ounces of lemonade or fruit punch

• Maple syrup
• Jellies and jams
• Fruit-flavored gelatin
• Candy: jelly beans and hard candy
• Fruit punch
• Sorbet

Reducing Your Sodium Intake

• Choose low- or reduced-sodium versions of foods and condiments when available.
• Buy fruits and vegetables fresh, frozen plain, or canned in water, with no salt added.
• Use fresh meats, poultry, and fish rather than canned, smoked, or processed versions.
• Check the Nutrition Facts label on breakfast cereals and snacks, choose those lowest in sodium.
• Limit cured foods, such as bacon and ham.
• Limit foods packed in brine, such as pickles, pickled vegetables, olives, and sauerkraut.
• Limit condiments, such as MSG, mustard, horseradish, ketchup, and barbecue sauce.
• Add half the amount of salt than you normally would to your foods; gradually decrease this amount.
• Instead of seasoning with salt, use other sources of flavor—herbs, spices, lemon, lime, vinegar, or salt-free seasoning blends.
• Do not add salt when you are cooking rice, pasta, and hot cereal. Cut back on instant mixes of these foods; they are usually high in salt.
• Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium
• Cut back on convenience foods, such as frozen dinners, packaged mixes, and canned soups or broths.

Putting It All Together

Revision Information

• Reviewer: Brian Randall, MD
• Review Date: 06/2012
• Update Date: 06/22/2012