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    Eating Heart-Healthy Food: Using the DASH Plan

    Eating for your heart doesn’t have to be hard or boring. You just need to know how to make healthier choices. The DASH eating plan was created to help you do just that. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This plan is proven to be healthier for your heart and to lower your risk for high blood pressure. It can also help lower your risk for cancer, stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

    Man making salad in kitchen.

    Choosing from each food group

    Choose foods from each of the food groups below each day. Try to get the recommended number of servings for each food group. The serving numbers are based on a diet of 2,000 calories a day. Talk with your healthcare provider if you’re not sure about your calorie needs. Along with getting the correct servings, the DASH plan also advises less than 2,300 mg of salt (sodium) per day. Lowering sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day lowers blood pressure even more. (There's about 2,300 mg of sodium in 1 teaspoon of salt.)

    Food group

    Amounts

    Best choices

    Grains

    Servings: 6 to 8 a day

    A serving is:

    • 1 slice bread

    • 1 ounce dry cereal

    • Half a cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal

    Whole grains and any high-fiber grains

    Vegetables

    Servings: 4 to 5 a day

    A serving is:

    • 1 cup raw leafy vegetable

    • Half a cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetable

    • Half a cup vegetable juice

    Fresh or frozen vegetables cooked without added salt or fat

    Fruits

    Servings: 4 to 5 a day

    A serving is:

    • 1 medium fruit

    • One-quarter cup dried fruit

    • Half a cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit

    • Half a cup of 100% fruit juices

    A variety of fresh fruits of different colors. Whole fruits are a better choice than fruit juices.

    Low-fat or fat-free dairy

    Servings: 2 to 3 a day

    A serving is:

    • 1 cup milk

    • 1 cup yogurt

    • One and a half ounces cheese

    Skim or 1% milk, low-fat or fat-free yogurt or buttermilk, and low-fat cheeses

    Lean meats, poultry, fish

    Servings: 6 or fewer a day

    A serving is:

    • 1 ounce cooked meats, poultry, or fish

    • 1 egg

    Lean poultry and fish. Trim away visible fat. Broil, grill, roast, or boil instead of frying. Remove skin from poultry before eating. Limit how much red meat you eat.

    Nuts, seeds, beans

    Servings: 4 to 5 a week

    A serving is:

    • One-third cup nuts (1.5 ounces)

    • 2 tablespoons nut butter or seeds

    • Half a cup cooked dry beans or legumes

    Dry roasted nuts with no salt added, lentils, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and whole pinto beans

    Fats and oils

    Servings: 2 to 3 a day

    A serving is:

    • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

    • 1 teaspoon soft margarine

    • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

    • 2 tablespoons salad dressing

    Nut and vegetable oils (nontropical vegetable oils), such as olive and canola oil

    Sweets

    Servings: 5 a week or fewer

    A serving is:

    • 1 tablespoon sugar, maple syrup, or honey

    • 1 tablespoon jam or jelly

    • 1 half-ounce jellybeans (about 15)

    • 1 cup lemonade

    Dried fruit can be a satisfying sweet. Choose low-fat sweets. And watch your serving sizes!

    Online Medical Reviewer: Robyn Zercher FNP
    Online Medical Reviewer: Ronald Karlin MD
    Online Medical Reviewer: Stacey Wojcik MBA BSN RN
    Date Last Reviewed: 3/1/2024
    © 2000-2024 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
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    Southern New Mexico
    Surgery Center

    2301 Indian Wells Rd. Suite B
    Alamogordo, NM 88310
    www.snmsc.org

    Phone: 575.437.0890
    Fax: 575.437.0905
    Email: info@snmsc.org

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