The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) lowers blood pressure by cutting sodium while raising potassium, magnesium, calcium and fiber. Here is the printable list of foods to build your plate around, and the ones to keep to a minimum.
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The full food list, daily targets and low-sodium swaps in one two-page PDF you can print and keep on the fridge.
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, an eating pattern from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). It lowers blood pressure by cutting sodium while raising potassium, magnesium, calcium and fiber. Use this list to fill your plate with the foods DASH is built around, and to spot the high-sodium foods to keep to a minimum.
Every guideline on this list traces to a named source: the NHLBI DASH Eating Plan, the DASH clinical trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a BMJ review of potassium and blood pressure, and nutrient data from USDA FoodData Central. Full citations are at the end of this page.
For a roughly 2,000-calorie day, the NHLBI DASH eating plan sets these targets. In the original DASH trial (Appel et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 1997), this eating pattern lowered blood pressure within two weeks.
| Food group | Daily target |
|---|---|
| Sodium | Under 2,300 mg, or under 1,500 mg for a stronger effect. The DASH-Sodium trial (Sacks et al., 2001) found that cutting sodium to about 1,500 mg a day lowered blood pressure further than 2,300 mg. |
| Vegetables | 4 to 5 servings |
| Fruit | 4 to 5 servings |
| Whole grains | 6 to 8 servings |
| Low-fat dairy | 2 to 3 servings |
| Lean poultry, fish or eggs | 6 or fewer servings |
| Nuts, seeds and beans | 4 to 5 servings a week |
| Fats and oils | 2 to 3 servings |
| Sweets | 5 or fewer a week |
Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), DASH Eating Plan; DASH-Sodium trial (Sacks et al., N Engl J Med, 2001).
DASH is built around whole foods rich in potassium, fiber and other minerals that support healthy blood pressure. A 2013 BMJ review of clinical trials (Aburto et al.) linked higher potassium intake to lower blood pressure and a 24 percent lower risk of stroke.
Foods are grouped using nutrient values from USDA FoodData Central.
These are the biggest sources of hidden sodium, worth going easy on:
Also worth limiting: saturated fat (fatty red meat, full-fat dairy, butter, coconut and palm oil) and added sugar (sugar-sweetened drinks and sweets).
Small substitutions add up to a meaningfully lower-sodium day:
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| Regular soy sauce | Low-sodium soy sauce |
| Regular broth | Low-sodium broth |
| Canned beans and tomatoes | No-salt-added, and rinse canned beans |
| Table salt | Herbs, garlic, lemon, salt-free seasoning blends |
| Salted nuts | Unsalted nuts |
Does DASH work if you have kidney disease?
DASH is deliberately high in potassium. If you have kidney disease or take certain blood-pressure medicines such as ACE inhibitors or potassium-sparing diuretics, too much potassium can be a problem. Ask your doctor before increasing potassium-rich foods.
MedMenu is an information tool that compiles published dietary guidance and USDA nutrient data. It is not a substitute for your doctor or dietitian.
Want the full week planned for you?
The 7-Day DASH Meal Plan turns this list into 7 days of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, each with per-serving sodium, potassium and fiber shown, plus a grocery list. $14.99.
See the 7-Day DASH Meal PlanRelated: 7-Day DASH Diet Meal Plan · Mediterranean recipes for heart disease · Italian recipes for hypertension
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is an NHLBI eating pattern that lowers blood pressure by cutting sodium while raising potassium, magnesium, calcium and fiber.
The standard target is under 2,300 mg of sodium a day. The DASH-Sodium trial found an even stronger blood pressure effect at under 1,500 mg a day.
Cured and deli meats, canned soups and broths not labeled low-sodium, pickled and brined foods, soy sauce and other salty condiments, bouillon cubes, salty snacks, salty cheeses like feta and parmesan, regular canned vegetables, and frozen dinners or fast food. Saturated fat and added sugar are also worth limiting.
DASH is deliberately high in potassium, which can be a problem for people with kidney disease or those on ACE inhibitors or potassium-sparing diuretics. Ask your doctor before increasing potassium-rich foods.