FOLLOWING THE DASH DIET
The DASH eating plan shown below is based on 2,000 calories a day. The number of daily servings in a food group may vary from those listed depending on your caloric needs.
Use this chart to help you plan your menus or take it with you when you go to the store.
| Food Group | Daily Servings (except as noted) | Serving Sizes | Examples and Notes | Significance of Each Food Group to the DASH Eating Plan |
| Grains & grain products | 7–8 | 1 slice bread 1 cup dry cereal* 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal |
whole wheat bread, English muffin, pita bread, bagel, cereals, grits, oatmeal, crackers, unsalted pretzels and popcorn | major sources of energy and fiber |
| Vegetables | 4–5 | 1 cup raw leafy vegetable 1/2 cup cooked vegetable 6 oz vegetable juice |
tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, green peas, squash, broccoli, turnip greens, collards, kale, spinach, artichokes, green beans, lima beans, sweet potatoes | rich sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber |
| Fruits | 4–5 | 6 oz fruit juice 1 medium fruit 1/4 cup dried fruit 1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit |
apricots, bananas, dates, grapes, oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, grapefruit juice, mangoes, melons, peaches, pineapples, prunes, raisins, strawberries, tangerines | important sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber |
| Lowfat or fat free dairy foods | 2–3 | 8 oz milk 1 cup yogurt 1 1/2 oz cheese |
fat free (skim) or lowfat (1%) milk, fat free or lowfat buttermilk, fat free or lowfat regular or frozen yogurt, lowfat and fat free cheese | major sources of calcium and protein |
| Meats, poultry, and fish | 2 or less | 3 oz cooked meats, poultry, or fish | select only lean; trim away visible fats; broil, roast, or boil, instead of frying; remove skin from poultry | rich sources of protein and magnesium |
| Nuts, seeds, and dry beans | 4–5 per week | 1/3 cup or 1 1/2 oz nuts 2 Tbsp or 1/2 oz seeds 1/2 cup cooked dry beans |
almonds, filberts, mixed nuts, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, kidney beans, lentils and peas | rich sources of energy, magnesium, potassium, protein, and fiber |
| Fats & oils** | 2–3 | 1 tsp soft margarine 1Tbsp lowfat mayonnaise 2 Tbsp light salad dressing 1 tsp vegetable oil |
soft margarine, lowfat mayonnaise, light salad dressing, vegetable oil(such as olive, corn, canola, or safflower) | Besides fats added to foods, remember to choose foods that contain less fats |
| Sweets | 5 per week | 1 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp jelly or jam 1/2 oz jelly beans 8 oz lemonade |
maple syrup, sugar, jelly, jam, fruit-flavored gelatin, jelly beans, hard candy, fruit punch, sorbet, ices | Sweets should be low in fat |
| * | Serving sizes vary between 1/2-1 1/4 cups. Check the product's nutrition label. |
| ** | Fat content changes serving counts for fats and oils: For example, 1 Tbsp of regular salad dressing equals 1 serving; 1 Tbsp of a lowfat dressing equals 1/2 serving; 1 Tbsp of a fat free dressing equals 0 servings. |
Table of Contents
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The information contained in these pages
is for educational / reference use only.
Sources:
National Institutes of Health
Graphics:
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