The  DASH  Diet:  A  How-­‐To  Guide  The  DASH  Eating  Plan  Grains: • 7-8 Serving per day • Whole-grains highly recommended • 1 serving = 1 bread slice or ½ c. pasta, rice, or cereal Vegetables: • 4-5 servings per day • 1 serving = ½ c. cooked vegetable or

1 c. leafy green vegetable

Fruits: • 4-5 servings per day • 1 serving = 1 medium fresh fruit, 6 fl. oz. juice, ¼ c.

dried fruit, or ½ c. fresh, frozen, or canned fruit

Low-fat / Fat-free Dairy: • 2-3 servings per day • 1 serving = 8 fl. oz. milk, 1 c. yogurt, or 1 ½ oz. cheese

Meats / Fish / Poultry: • 2 or fewer servings per day • 1 serving = 3 oz. cooked

Nuts / Seeds / Dry Beans: • 4-5 servings per week • 1 serving = 1/3 c. (1 ½ oz.) nuts or 2 Tbsp. (½ oz.)

seeds

Fats / Oils: • 2-3 servings per day • 1 serving = 1 tsp. margarine or vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp.

low-fat mayonnaise, or 2 Tbsp. low-fat salad dressing

Sweets: • 5 or fewer servings per week • 1 serving = 1 Tbsp. jelly, jam, or sugar, 8 oz. lemonade,

or ½ oz. jelly beans

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In the 1990s, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute studied different food groups to find the best diet for patients with hypertension. During the studies, people following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension eating plan (a.k.a. the DASH Diet) saw their blood pressure drop dramatically within 2 weeks on the diet.

People following the DASH Diet are encouraged to eat fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, low-fat dairy, nuts, poultry, and fish. The recommended servings of each group can be found on the back of this handout. By eating the recommended amounts of these foods, people are getting enough fiber, protein, calcium, magnesium, and potassium to keep their bodies healthy.

The DASH Diet limits servings of red meat, sweets, candies, and beverages with sugar (like soda). When reading food labels, people following the DASH Diet should look for low levels of sodium, cholesterol, and fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat.

Alyssa  Snow  Callahan  NTRS  417L  Winter  2015  

What  is  the  DASH  Diet?   What  is  Hypertension?  

One in three American adults have hypertension, which is chronic high blood pressure, usually over 140/90 mmHg. A person does not need to have any other symptoms besides high blood pressure readings to be diagnosed with hypertension. Even if a person’s blood pressure goes down when taking medication for high blood pressure, they are still considered to have hypertension. If left untreated, hypertension can lead to more serious health complications, like heart disease or kidney disease. By reducing high blood pressure, people can lower their risk for these complications.

Image  source:  RealFoodForLife.com  

Image  sources:  MyFullLifeNutrition.com,  NutritionExpert.com,  and  

PaleoApproach.org  

Source:  Nelms,  M.,  Sucher,  K.,  &  Lacey,  K.  (2011).  Nutrition  Therapy  and  Pathophysiology  (3rd  ed.).  Boston,  MA:  Wadsworth,  Cengage  Learning.