A Week With the DASH Eating Plan

A Week With the DASH Eating Plan

Here is a week of menus from the DASH eating plan. The menus allow you to have a daily sodium level of either 2,300 mg or, by making the noted changes, 1,500 mg. You'll also find that the menus sometimes call for you to use lower sodium, low-fat, fat-free, or reduced fat versions of products.
The menus are based on 2,000 calories a day—serving sizes should be increased or decreased for other calorie levels. To ease the calculations, some of the serving sizes have been rounded off. Also, some items may be in too small a quantity to have a listed food group serving. Recipes for starred items are given on the later pages. Some of these recipes give changes that can be used to lower their sodium level. Use the changes if you want to follow the DASH eating plan at 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.


Abbreviations:
oz = ounce
tsp = teaspoon
Tbsp = tablespoon
g = gram
mg = milligram

Day One

Breakfast
				Number of Servings by DASH Food Group
2,300 mg Sodium Menu	Sodium (mg)	Substitution To Reduce Sodium to 1,500 mg	Sodium (mg)	Grains	Vegetables	Fruits	Milk Products	Meats, fish, and poultry	Nuts, seeds, and legumes	Fats and oils	Sweets and added sugars
3/4 cup bran flakes cereal:	220	3/4 cup shredded wheat cereal	1	1
1 medium banana	1					1
1 cup low-fat milk	107						1
1 slice whole wheat bread:	149			1
1 tsp soft (tub) margarine	26	1 tsp unsalted soft (tub) margarine	0							1
1 cup orange juice	5					2
Lunch
3/4 cup chicken salad:(view recipe)	179	Remove salt from the recipe (view recipe)	120					3
2 slices whole wheat bread	299			2
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard	373	1 Tbsp regular mustard	175							1
salad:
1/2 cup fresh cucumber slices	1				1
1/2 cup tomato wedges	5				1
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds	0								1/2
1 tsp Italian dressing, low calorie	43
1/2 cup fruit cocktail, juice pack	5					1
Dinner
3 oz beef, eye of the round:	35							3
2 Tbsp beef gravy, fat-free	165
1 cup green beans, sautéed with:	12				2
1/2 tsp canola oil	0									1/2
1 small baked potato:	14				1
1 Tbsp sour cream, fat-free	21
1 Tbsp grated natural cheddar cheese, reduced fat	67	1 Tbsp natural cheddar cheese, reduced fat, low sodium	1
1 Tbsp chopped scallions	1
1 small whole wheat roll:	148			1
1 tsp soft (tub) margarine	26	1 tsp unsalted soft (tub) margarine	0							1
1 small apple	1					1
1 cup low-fat milk	107						1
Snacks
1/3 cup almonds, unsalted	0								1
1/4 cup raisins	4					1
1/2 cup fruit yogurt, fat-free, no sugar added	86						1/2
Totals
Totals	2,101		1,507	5	5	6	2 1/2	6	1 1/2	3 1/2	0

	Sodium Level
Nutrients Per Day	2,300 mg	1,500 mg
Calories	2,062	2,037
Total fat	63 g	59 g
Calories from fat	28%	26 %
Saturated fat	13 g	12 g
Calories from saturated fat	6 %	5 %
Cholesterol	155 mg	155 mg
Sodium	2,101 mg	1,507 mg
Carbohydrate	284 g	284 g
Protein	114 g	115 g
Calcium	1,220 mg	1,218 mg
Magnesium	594 mg	580 mg
Potassium	4,909 mg	4,855 mg
Fiber	37 g	36 g

Day Two

Breakfast
				Number of Servings by DASH Food Group
2,300 mg Sodium Menu	Sodium (mg)	Substitution To Reduce Sodium to 1,500 mg	Sodium (mg)	Grains	Vegetables	Fruits	Milk Products	Meats, fish, and poultry	Nuts, seeds, and legumes	Fats and oils	Sweets and added sugars
1/2 cup instant oatmeal	54	1/2 cup regular oatmeal with 1 tsp cinnamon	5	1
1 mini whole wheat bagel:	84			1
1 Tbsp peanut butter	81								1/2
1 medium banana	1					1
1 cup low-fat milk	107						1
Lunch
chicken breast sandwich:
3 oz chicken breast, skinless	65							3
2 slices whole wheat bread	200			2
1 slice (3/4 oz) natural cheddar cheese, reduced fat	202	1 slice (3/4 oz) natural Swiss cheese, low sodium	3				1/2
1 large leaf romaine lettuce	1				1/4
2 slices tomato	2				1/2
1 Tbsp mayonnaise, low-fat	101									1
1 cup cantaloupe chunks	26					2
1 cup apple juice	21					2
Dinner
1 cup spaghetti:	1			2
3/4 cup vegetarian spaghetti sauce (view recipe)	479	Substitute low-sodium tomato paste (6 oz) in recipe	253		1 1/2
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese	287						1/2
spinach salad:
1 cup fresh spinach leaves	24				1
1/4 cup fresh carrots, grated	19				1/2
1/4 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced	1				1/2
1 Tbsp vinaigrette dressing (view recipe)	1									1/2
1/2 cup corn, cooked from frozen	1				1
1/2 cup canned pears, juice pack	5					1
Snacks
1/3 cup almonds, unsalted	0								1
1/4 cup dried apricots	3					1
1 cup fruit yogurt, fat-free, no sugar added	173						1
Totals
Totals	2,035		1,560	6	5 1/4	7	3	3	1 1/2	1 1/2	0

	Sodium Level
Nutrients Per Day	2,300 mg	1,500 mg
Calories	2,027	2,078
Total fat	64 g	68 g
Calories from fat	28%	30 %
Saturated fat	13 g	16 g
Calories from saturated fat	6 %	7 %
Cholesterol	114 mg	129 mg
Sodium	2,035 mg	1,560 mg
Carbohydrate	288 g	290 g
Protein	99 g	100 g
Calcium	1,370 mg	1,334 mg
Magnesium	535 mg	542 mg
Potassium	4,715 mg	4,721 mg
Fiber	34 g	34 g

Day Three

Breakfast
				Number of Servings by DASH Food Group
2,300 mg Sodium Menu	Sodium (mg)	Substitution To Reduce Sodium to 1,500 mg	Sodium (mg)	Grains	Vegetables	Fruits	Milk Products	Meats, fish, and poultry	Nuts, seeds, and legumes	Fats and oils	Sweets and added sugars
3/4 cup bran flakes cereal:	220	2 cups puffed wheat cereal	1	1
1 medium banana	1					1
1 cup low-fat milk	107						1
1 slice whole wheat bread:	149			1
1 tsp soft (tub) margarine	26	1 tsp unsalted soft (tub) margarine	0							1
1 cup orange juice	6					2
Lunch
beef barbeque sandwich:
2 oz beef, eye of round	26							2
1 Tbsp barbeque sauce	156
2 slices (11/2 oz) natural cheddar cheese, reduced fat	405	11/2 oz natural cheddar cheese, reduced fat, low sodium	9				1
1 hamburger bun	183			2
1 large leaf romaine lettuce	1				1/4
2 slices tomato	2				1/2
1 cup new potato salad (view recipe)	17				2
1 medium orange	0					1
Dinner
3 oz cod:	70							3
1 tsp lemon juice	1
1/2 cup brown rice	5			1
1 cup spinach, cooked from frozen, sautéed with:	184				2
1 tsp canola oil	0									1
1 Tbsp almonds, slivered	0								1/4
1 small cornbread muffin, made with oil:	119			1
1 tsp soft (tub) margarine	26	1 tsp unsalted soft (tub) margarine	0							1
Snacks
1 cup fruit yogurt, fat-free, no added sugar:	173							1
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds, unsalted	0								1/2
2 large graham cracker rectangles:	156
1 Tbsp peanut butter	81								1/2
Totals
Totals	2,114		1,447	7	4 3/4	4	3	5	1 1/4	3	0

	Sodium Level
Nutrients Per Day	2,300 mg	1,500 mg
Calories	1,997	1,995
Total fat	56 g	52 g
Calories from fat	25 %	24 %
Saturated fat	12 g	11 g
Calories from saturated fat	6 %	5 %
Cholesterol	140 mg	140 mg
Sodium	2,114 mg	1,447 mg
Carbohydrate	289 g	283 g
Protein	103 g	104 g
Calcium	1,537 mg	1,524 mg
Magnesium	630 mg	598 mg
Potassium	4,676 mg	4,580 mg
Fiber	34 g	31 g

Day Four

Breakfast
				Number of Servings by DASH Food Group
2,300 mg Sodium Menu	Sodium (mg)	Substitution To Reduce Sodium to 1,500 mg	Sodium (mg)	Grains	Vegetables	Fruits	Milk Products	Meats, fish, and poultry	Nuts, seeds, and legumes	Fats and oils	Sweets and added sugars
1 slice whole wheat bread:	149			1
1 tsp soft (tub) margarine	26	1 tsp unsalted soft (tub) margarine	0							1
1 cup fruit yogurt, fat-free, no added sugar	173						1
1 medium peach	0					1
1/2 cup grape juice	4					1
Lunch
ham and cheese sandwich:
2 oz ham, low-fat, low sodium	549	2 oz roast beef tenderloin	23					2
1 slice (3/4 oz) natural cheddar cheese, reduced fat	202	1 slice (3/4 oz) natural cheddar cheese, reduced fat, low sodium	4				1/2
2 slices whole wheat bread	299			2
1 large leaf romaine lettuce	1				1/4
2 slices tomato	2				1/2
1 Tbsp mayonnaise, low-fat	101									1
1 cup carrot sticks	84				2
Dinner
chicken and Spanish rice (view recipe)	341	substitute low-sodium tomato sauce (4 oz) in recipe	215	1				3
1 cup green peas, sautéed with:	115				2
1 tsp canola oil	0									1
1 cup cantaloupe chunks	26					2
1 cup low-fat milk	107						1
Snacks
1/3 cup almonds, unsalted	0								1
1 cup apple juice	21					2
1/4 cup apricots	3					1
1 cup low-fat milk	107						1
Totals
Totals	2,312		1,436	4	4 3/4	7	3 1/2	5	1	3	0

	Sodium Level
Nutrients Per Day	2,300 mg	1,500 mg
Calories	2,024	2,045
Total fat	59 g	59 g
Calories from fat	26%	26 %
Saturated fat	12 g	12 g
Calories from saturated fat	5%	5 %
Cholesterol	148 mg	150 mg
Sodium	2,312 mg	1,436 mg
Carbohydrate	279 g	278 g
Protein	110 g	116 g
Calcium	1,417 mg	1,415 mg
Magnesium	538 mg	541 mg
Potassium	4,575 mg	4,559 mg
Fiber	35 g	35 g

Day Five

Breakfast
				Number of Servings by DASH Food Group
2,300 mg Sodium Menu	Sodium (mg)	Substitution To Reduce Sodium to 1,500 mg	Sodium (mg)	Grains	Vegetables	Fruits	Milk Products	Meats, fish, and poultry	Nuts, seeds, and legumes	Fats and oils	Sweets and added sugars
1 cup whole grain oat rings cereal:	273	1 cup frosted shredded wheat	4	1
1 medium banana	1					1
1 cup low-fat milk	107						1
1 medium raisin bagel:	272			2
1 Tbsp peanut butter	81	1 Tbsp peanut butter, unsalted	3						1/2
1 cup orange juice	5					2
Lunch
tuna salad plate:
1/2 cup tuna salad (view recipe)	171							3
1 large leaf romaine lettuce	1				1/4
1 slice whole wheat bread	149	6 whole wheat crackers, low sodium	53	1
cucumber salad:
1 cup fresh cucumber slices	2				2
1/2 cup tomato wedges	5				1
1 Tbsp vinaigrette dressing	133	2 Tbsp yogurt dressing, fat-free in recipe	66							1
1/2 cup cottage cheese, low-fat:	459						1/4
1/2 cup canned pineapple, juice pack	1					1
1 Tbsp almonds, unsalted	0								1/4
Dinner
3 oz turkey meatloaf (view recipe)	205	substitute low-sodium ketchup in recipe	74					3
1 small baked potato:	14				1
1 Tbsp sour cream, fat-free	21									1
1 Tbsp natural cheddar cheese, reduced fat, grated	67	1 Tbsp natural cheddar cheese, reduced fat, and low sodium	1
1 scallion stalk, chopped	1
1 cup collard greens, sautéed with:	85				2
1 tsp canola oil	0
1 small whole wheat roll	148	6 small melba toast crackers, unsalted	1	1
1 medium peach	0					1
Snacks
1 cup fruit yogurt, fat-free, no added sugar	173						1
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds, unsalted	0								1
Totals
Totals	2,373		1,519	5	6 1/4	5	2 1/4	6	1 3/4	2	0

	Sodium Level
Nutrients Per Day	2,300 mg	1,500 mg
Calories	1,976	2,100
Total fat	57 g	52 g
Calories from fat	26%	22%
Saturated fat	11 g	11 g
Calories from saturated fat	5%	5%
Cholesterol	158 mg	158 mg
Sodium	2,373 mg	1,519 mg
Carbohydrate	275 g	314 g
Protein	111 g	114 g
Calcium	1,470 mg	1,412 mg
Magnesium	495 mg	491 mg
Potassium	4,769 mg	4,903 mg
Fiber	30 g	31 g

Day Six

Breakfast
				Number of Servings by DASH Food Group
2,300 mg Sodium Menu	Sodium (mg)	Substitution To Reduce Sodium to 1,500 mg	Sodium (mg)	Grains	Vegetables	Fruits	Milk Products	Meats, fish, and poultry	Nuts, seeds, and legumes	Fats and oils	Sweets and added sugars
1 low-fat granola bar	81			1
1 medium banana	1					1
1/2 cup fruit yogurt, fat-free, no sugar added	86						1/2
1 cup orange juice	5					2
1 cup low-fat milk	107						1
Lunch
turkey breast sandwich:
3 oz turkey breast	48							3
2 slices whole wheat bread	299			2
1 large leaf romaine lettuce	1				1/4
2 slices tomato	2				1/2
2 tsp mayonnaise, low-fat	67									2/3
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard	373	1 Tbsp regular mustard	175
1 cup steamed broccoli, cooked from frozen	11				2
1 medium orange	0					1
Dinner
3 oz spicy baked fish (view recipe)	50							3
1 cup scallion rice (view recipe)	18			2
spinach sauté:
1/2 cup spinach, cooked from frozen, sautéed with:	92				1
2 tsp canola oil	0									2
1 Tbsp almonds, slivered, unsalted	0								1/4
1 cup carrots, cooked from frozen	84				2
1 small whole wheat roll:	148			1
1 tsp soft (tub) margarine	26									1
1 small cookie	60										1
Snacks
2 Tbsp peanuts, unsalted									1/2
1 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup dried apricots
Totals
Totals	1,671		1,472	6	5 3/4	5	2 1/2	6	3/4	3 2/3	1

	Sodium Level
Nutrients Per Day	2,300 mg	1,500 mg
Calories	1,939	1,935
Total fat	58 g	57 g
Calories from fat	27%	27 %
Saturated fat	12 g	12 g
Calories from saturated fat	6%	6%
Cholesterol	171 mg	171 mg
Sodium	1,671 mg	1,472 mg
Carbohydrate	268 g	268 g
Protein	105 g	105 g
Calcium	1,210 mg	1,214 mg
Magnesium	548 mg	545 mg
Potassium	4,710 mg	4,710 mg
Fiber	36 g	36 g

Day Seven

Breakfast
				Number of Servings by DASH Food Group
2,300 mg Sodium Menu	Sodium (mg)	Substitution To Reduce Sodium to 1,500 mg	Sodium (mg)	Grains	Vegetables	Fruits	Milk Products	Meats, fish, and poultry	Nuts, seeds, and legumes	Fats and oils	Sweets and added sugars
1 cup whole grain oat rings:	273	1 cup regular oatmeal	5
1 medium banana	1
1 cup low-fat milk	107
1 cup fruit yogurt, fat-free, no sugar added	173
Lunch
tuna salad sandwich:
1/2 cup tuna, drained, rinsed	39
1 Tbsp mayonnaise, low-fat	101
1 large leaf romaine lettuce	1
2 slices tomato	2
2 slices whole wheat bread	299
1 medium apple	1
1 cup low-fat milk	107
Dinner
1/6 recipe zucchini lasagna: (view recipe)	368	substitute cottage cheese, low-fat, no salt added in recipe	165
salad:
1 cup fresh spinach leaves	24
1 cup tomato wedges	9
2 Tbsp croutons, seasoned	62
1 Tbsp vinaigrette dressing, reduced calorie	133	1 Tbsp low-sodium vinaigrette dressing, from recipe	1
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds	0
1 small whole wheat roll:	148
1 tsp soft (tub) margarine	45	1 tsp unsalted soft (tub) margarine	0
1 cup grape juice	8
Snacks
1/3 cup almonds, unsalted	0
1/4 cup dry apricots	3
6 whole wheat crackers	166
Totals
Totals	2,069		1,421

	Sodium Level
Nutrients Per Day	2,300 mg	1,500 mg
Calories	1,993	1,988
Total fat	64 g	60 g
Calories from fat	29 %	27 %
Saturated fat	13 g	13 g
Calories from saturated fat	6%	6%
Cholesterol	71 mg	72 mg
Sodium	2,069 mg	1,421 mg
Carbohydrate	283 g	285 g
Protein	93 g	97 g
Calcium	1,616 mg	1,447 mg
Magnesium	537 mg	553 mg
Potassium	4,693 mg	4,695 mg
Fiber	32 g	33 g

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/