Overview

The DASH diet is an eating plan that can help lower your blood pressure. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or nonfat dairy. It also includes fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and seeds.

Here is a sample menu for the DASH diet. It is based on a 2,000-calorie diet with 1,500 mg of sodium. This is a menu for one day.

Breakfast

• 3/4 cup bran flakes cereal
• 8 ounces fat-free milk
• 1 medium banana
• 1 slice whole wheat toast
• 1 teaspoon jelly
• 4 ounces orange juice

Lunch

• 3 oz skinless chicken breast
• 1 pita bread
• 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
• Raw vegetables: 3 or 4 carrot sticks, celery sticks, radishes, 2 loose lettuce leaves
• 1 peach

Snacks

• 1/4 cup dried apricots
• 1/3 cup mixed, unsalted nuts
• 1 cup fat-free milk

Dinner

• 3 ounces grilled salmon
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1 cup steamed broccoli
• Spinach salad with 1 cup raw spinach, 2 cherry tomatoes, 2 cucumber slices
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium, homemade vinaigrette salad dressing
• 1 cup melon cubes