Sample menus for the DASH eating plan

Interested in following the DASH eating plan but not sure how? Here are sample menus to get you started.

The eating plan known as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) features menus with plenty of vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products, as well as whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts. It offers limited portions of red meats, sweets and sugary beverages.

The standard DASH diet has a proven record of reducing blood pressure. A November 2005 study showed that replacing some carbohydrates with more low-fat protein and unsaturated fats reduced blood pressure even more. To add a boost to your DASH diet, you might trade some whole grains for low-fat sources of protein, such as poultry or fish. Adding avocado to your salad and cooking with unsaturated fats found in olive oils also may help.

This healthy mix can help control your blood pressure and protect your heart. Maybe you want to eat healthier, too, but aren't quite sure how to incorporate DASH into your own daily menus.

To help you get started, here are three days' worth of menus that conform to the DASH plan. Use them as a basis for your own healthy meal planning.

Remember that on some days, you may eat more of or fewer than the recommended servings for a particular food group, or you may exceed your sodium goal. That's OK, as long as the average of several days or a week is close to the recommendations. Also note that the values for nutritional information may vary according to specific brands of ingredients you use or changes you make in meal preparation.

Note: In April 2006, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute changed the serving size recommendations for meats, poultry and fish. While the total daily amount of meats, poultry and fish remains the same — a total of 6 ounces (oz.) a day — the DASH diet guidelines now break down the total servings as six 1-oz. servings rather than three 2-oz. servings. This simply allows for more flexibility in meal and snack planning.

Day 1 menu

Breakfast

1 whole-wheat bagel

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 medium orange

1 cup fat-free milk

Decaffeinated coffee

Lunch

Spinach salad made with 4 cups of fresh spinach leaves, 1 sliced pear, 1/2 cup mandarin orange sections, 1/3 cup unsalted peanuts and 2 tablespoons reduced-fat red wine vinaigrette

12 reduced-sodium wheat crackers

1 cup fat-free milk

Dinner

Herb crusted baked cod

1 cup bulgur

1/2 cup fresh green beans, steamed

1 sourdough roll

1 teaspoon trans-free margarine

1 cup fresh berries with chopped mint

Herbal iced tea

Snack (anytime)

1 cup light yogurt

4 vanilla wafers

Day 1 nutrient analysis
Calories	1,834	Cholesterol	61 mg
Protein	94 g	Sodium	1,730 mg
Carbohydrate	269 g	Fiber	54 g
Total fat	54 g	Potassium	3,249 mg
Saturated fat	9 g	Calcium	1,132 mg
Monounsaturated fat	22 g

DASH eating plan servings
Grains and grain products	9
Vegetables	5
Fruits	5
Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free)	3
Meats, poultry and fish	3 (3 oz. of fish)
Nuts, seeds and dry beans	2
Fats and oils	2
Sweets	0

Day 2 menu

Breakfast

1 cup fresh mixed fruits (melons, banana, apple, berries) topped with 1 cup light vanilla-flavored yogurt and 1/3 cup toasted almonds

1 bran muffin

1 cup fat-free milk

Herbal tea

Lunch

Curried chicken wrap made with 1 medium flour tortilla filled with a mixture of 1/3 cup cooked, chopped chicken, 1/2 cup chopped apple, 2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise and 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup (about 8) raw baby carrots

1 reduced-sodium rye cracker (triple cracker)

1 nectarine

1 cup fat-free milk

Dinner

Baked macaroni

3 cups mixed salad greens

1 tablespoon low-fat Caesar dressing

1 whole-wheat roll

1 teaspoon trans-free margarine

Sparkling water

Frozen fruit bar

Snack (anytime)

Trail mix made with 2 tablespoons raisins, 1 ounce unsalted mini twist pretzels (about 22) and 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

Day 2 nutrient analysis
Calories	1,925	Cholesterol	76 mg
Protein	84 g	Sodium	2,077 mg
Carbohydrate	289 g	Fiber	42 g
Total fat	59 g	Potassium	3,384 mg
Saturated fat	10 g	Calcium	1,035 mg
Monounsaturated fat	24 g

DASH eating plan servings
Grains and grain products	7
Vegetables	6
Fruits	4
Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free)	3
Meats, poultry and fish	3.5 (1.5 oz. of chicken plus 2 oz. of meat in baked casserole)
Nuts, seeds and dry beans	2
Fats and oils	3
Sweets	1

Day 3 menu

Breakfast

1 cup old-fashioned cooked oatmeal topped with 1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 slices whole-wheat toast

2 teaspoons trans-free margarine

1 banana

1 cup fat-free milk

Note: To further reduce sodium, don't add salt when cooking the oatmeal.

Lunch

Tuna salad made with 1/2 cup drained, unsalted water-packed tuna, 2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise, 15 grapes and 1/4 cup diced celery served on 1 1/2 cups romaine lettuce

12 low-sodium wheat crackers

1 cup fat-free milk

Dinner

Beef and vegetable kebabs (made with 3 oz. of beef)

2 pineapple rings

Cran-raspberry spritzer (4 oz. cran-raspberry juice and 4 to 8 oz. sparkling water)

Snack (anytime)

1 cup light yogurt

1 peach

Day 3 nutrient analysis
Calories	1,687	Cholesterol	88 mg
Protein	90 g	Sodium	1,709 mg
Carbohydrate	282 g	Fiber	27 g
Total fat	26 g	Potassium	3,196 mg
Saturated fat	6 g	Calcium	819 mg
Monounsaturated fat	9 g

DASH eating plan servings
Grains and grain products	8
Vegetables	5
Fruits	5
Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free)	3
Meats, poultry and fish	5.5 (2.5 oz. tuna plus 3 oz. beef)
Nuts, seeds and dry beans	0
Fats and oils	3
Sweets	1