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 eating fruits, vegetables, and low-fat or nonfat dairy foods. It also includes eating whole grains, fish, and poultry.

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