
The DASH diet is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. It was named the 'Best Heart-Healthy Diet' and 'Best Diet for High Blood Pressure' by U.S. News & World Report in 2025. The DASH diet requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. This plan recommends limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils. It also encourages eating plenty of vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes and low-fat dairy.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Flexibility | The DASH diet is flexible and can be adapted to the individual's calorie needs |
Food groups | The diet includes daily servings from different food groups, including vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and low-fat dairy |
Salt content | The diet recommends lowering salt content and reducing sodium intake |
Meat | The diet suggests reducing meat consumption or choosing lean, skinless meats |
Dairy | The diet recommends limiting full-fat dairy and opting for low-fat alternatives |
Oils | The diet suggests replacing solid oils with unsaturated oils like olive, canola, or avocado oil |
Sugar | The diet recommends reducing sugar intake, including high-sugar foods and drinks |
What You'll Learn
- The DASH diet is flexible and balanced, helping to create a heart-healthy eating style for life
- The number of servings you should have depends on your daily calorie needs, which are determined by your age and physical activity level
- The DASH diet recommends limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy, and tropical oils
- Vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes are all important parts of the DASH diet
- Beans are also a key component of the DASH diet; if you don't have time to prepare dry beans, canned beans are a good alternative
The DASH diet is flexible and balanced, helping to create a heart-healthy eating style for life
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. It was named the "Best Heart-Healthy Diet" and "Best Diet for High Blood Pressure" by U.S. News & World Report in 2025. The DASH diet requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. The number of servings you should have depends on your daily calorie (energy) needs, which are determined by your age and physical activity level.
The DASH diet recommends limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils like coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils. It also encourages cutting back on foods that can raise your blood pressure, including high-sugar foods and drinks.
To follow the DASH diet, you can build your meals around foods you like that fit into the plan. For example, if you don't like green peppers, you can enjoy red peppers, celery, or carrots instead. You can also make your favourite recipes more DASH-friendly by lowering the salt content and adding more vegetables.
The DASH diet is easy to follow using common foods available in your grocery store. It includes plenty of vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and low-fat dairy. By making simple substitutions and reducing your intake of certain foods, you can create a heart-healthy eating style that is both flexible and balanced.
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The number of servings you should have depends on your daily calorie needs, which are determined by your age and physical activity level
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan is a flexible and balanced plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. It was named the "Best Heart-Healthy Diet" and the "Best Diet for High Blood Pressure" by U.S. News & World Report in 2025. The number of servings you should have depends on your daily calorie needs, which are determined by your age and physical activity level.
The DASH eating plan requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. The plan recommends limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils. It also encourages you to cut back on foods that can raise your blood pressure, including high-sugar foods and drinks.
To figure out your calorie needs, you need to consider your age and physical activity level. If you want to maintain your current weight, you should eat only as many calories as you burn by being physically active. For example, the DASH eating plan targets for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet recommend the following daily and weekly servings:
- Vegetables: Plenty of vegetables are recommended, and you can add more veggies to your recipes.
- Whole grains: Choose whole grains instead of processed white bread and grains.
- Nuts, seeds, and legumes: Include these in your diet.
- Low-fat dairy: Opt for low-fat dairy products instead of full-fat options.
- Beans: Include beans in your diet, either dry or canned. Look for no-salt-added versions and be sure to rinse them.
- Fruits: Add more fruits to your recipes.
- Meats: Reduce meat or choose lean, skinless meats. Avoid fatty meats and poultry with the skin on.
- Oils: Replace butter or solid oils with unsaturated oils like olive, canola, or avocado oil.
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The DASH diet recommends limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy, and tropical oils
The DASH diet is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. It is easy to follow using common foods available in your grocery store. The plan includes daily servings from different food groups, and the number of servings you should have depends on your daily calorie (energy) needs. To figure out your calorie needs, you need to consider your age and physical activity level. If you want to maintain your current weight, you should eat only as many calories as you burn by being physically active.
You can also make some simple swaps to make your favourite recipes DASH-friendly. For example, you can reduce the amount of meat you use or choose lean, skinless meats. You can also replace butter or solid oils with unsaturated oils like olive, canola, or avocado oil. Swapping processed white bread and grains for whole grains is another easy way to make your diet more DASH-friendly.
Beans are also an important part of the DASH diet. If you don't have time to prepare dry beans, canned beans are a good alternative. Just be sure to look for no-salt-added versions and rinse them before using. You can also add more vegetables and fruit to your recipes and reduce the amount of salt you use.
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Vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes are all important parts of the DASH diet
The DASH diet is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. It was named the "Best Heart-Healthy Diet" and the "Best Diet for High Blood Pressure" by U.S. News & World Report in 2025. The DASH diet requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. It recommends limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils.
When it comes to vegetables, aim for a variety of colours and types to get a range of nutrients. Some good options include leafy greens like spinach and kale, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, and colourful options like peppers, carrots, and tomatoes. Whole grains provide fibre and nutrients, so try to include options like whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, and oats in your diet. Nuts and seeds are a great source of healthy fats, protein, and fibre. You can add them to your meals or snacks, such as sprinkling chopped nuts over a salad or yogurt, or enjoying a handful of seeds as a snack. Legumes, such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas, are a good source of plant-based protein and fibre. They can be added to soups, salads, or curries, or used as a meat alternative in dishes like chilli or tacos.
It's important to note that the DASH diet is flexible and can be adapted to your personal preferences and calorie needs. You can build your meals around foods you like that fit into the plan. For example, if you don't like green peppers, you can enjoy red peppers, celery, or carrots instead. You can also make your favourite recipes more DASH-friendly by reducing the salt content and adding more vegetables.
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Beans are also a key component of the DASH diet; if you don't have time to prepare dry beans, canned beans are a good alternative
The DASH diet is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. It was named the "Best Heart-Healthy Diet" and "Best Diet for High Blood Pressure" by U.S. News & World Report in 2025. The DASH diet requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. The number of servings you should have depends on your daily calorie (energy) needs, which are determined by your age and physical activity level.
Beans are also a key component of the DASH diet. If you don't have time to prepare dry beans, canned beans are a good alternative. However, it is important to look for no-salt-added versions and be sure to rinse them before consuming. Beans are a great source of plant-based protein and fibre, which can help lower cholesterol and improve heart health. They are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, including iron, potassium, and magnesium.
In addition to beans, the DASH diet encourages eating plenty of vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. It is recommended to reduce meat consumption or choose lean, skinless meats. The DASH diet also suggests replacing butter or solid oils with unsaturated oils like olive, canola, or avocado oil. It is important to limit foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils.
Overall, the DASH diet is a healthy and flexible eating plan that can be easily adapted to individual preferences and calorie needs. By including beans and other recommended foods, individuals can improve their heart health and overall well-being.
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Frequently asked questions
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life.
The DASH diet recommends eating plenty of vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, and low-fat dairy. It also encourages you to cut back on foods that can raise your blood pressure, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy, solid oils, and high-sugar foods and drinks.
The DASH diet is easy to follow using common foods available in your grocery store. The plan includes daily servings from different food groups, with the number of servings depending on your daily calorie needs. You can build your meals around foods you like that fit into the DASH plan. For example, if you don't like green peppers, you can enjoy red peppers, celery, or carrots instead. You can also take recipes you already love and make them DASH-friendly by lowering the salt content and adding more vegetables.