The DASH eating plan is rich in various nutrients believed to benefit blood pressure and in other factors involved with good health. The amounts of nutrients vary by how much you eat. The DASH plan includes four to five servings of fruits and four to five servings of vegetables each day. To make this easier, have one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetable at each meal, and have one fruit and one vegetable each day as a snack. The plan also includes two to three servings of low-fat dairy foods again one at each meal.
Additional protein comes from four to five servings of nuts, seeds, and dry beans each week.
Added fats and oils are limited to two to three teaspoons per day and sweets to five per week. It's important that if you have high blood pressure and are taking medication, you should not stop your therapy. Use the DASH diet and talk with your doctor about your drug treatment. The brochure includes sample menus, many tips and some recipes as well. Named products are used for clarification and ease of discussion only and are not necessarily endorsed or promoted by the University of California Cooperative Extension.