Discover the DASH Eating Plan: A Path to a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
Are you seeking a dietary approach that promotes overall well-being and supports cardiovascular health? The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan offers a flexible and balanced path to adopting a heart-healthy eating style for life. Recognised for its effectiveness, the DASH plan has consistently received accolades, including being named the “Best Heart-Healthy Diet” and “Best Diet for High Blood Pressure” by U.S. News & World Report in 2025.
What is the DASH Eating Plan?
The DASH eating plan is not about restricting yourself to special, hard-to-find foods. Instead, it focuses on providing daily and weekly nutritional goals that guide you towards healthier choices. This approach makes it a practical and sustainable way to improve your diet. In addition to being top-rated for heart health and high blood pressure, the DASH diet was also ranked as the second “best overall diet” and “best diet for healthy eating” in the 2025 Best Diets report.
Key Recommendations of the DASH Eating Plan
The core principles of the DASH eating plan involve smart food choices that are rich in essential nutrients and lower in harmful fats and sodium. When following the DASH eating plan, it is important to choose foods that are:
- Low in saturated and trans fats
- Rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fibre, and protein
- Lower in sodium
The plan specifically recommends:
- Eating more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These provide vital fibre, vitamins, and minerals.
- Including fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils. These offer lean protein and healthier fats.
- Limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils (e.g., coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils).
- Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets. Reducing added sugars is crucial for overall health.
- Lowering sodium intake. While a target of 2,300 mg of sodium daily is suggested, reducing this further to 1,500 mg can lower blood pressure even more effectively.
Daily and Weekly Serving Targets for a 2,000-Calorie Diet
To give you an idea of the quantities involved, here are examples of daily and weekly servings for an individual following a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. Please remember that the number of servings you should have each day depends on your individual daily calorie needs.
| Food Group | Daily Servings | Weekly Servings |
|---|---|---|
| Grains | 6–8 | |
| Meats, poultry, and fish | 6 or less | |
| Vegetables | 4–5 | |
| Fruit | 4–5 | |
| Low-fat or fat-free dairy | 2–3 | |
| Fats and oils | 2–3 | |
| Sodium | 2,300 mg* | |
| Nuts, seeds, dry beans, peas | 4–5 | |
| Sweets | 5 or less |
- Note: 1,500 milligrams (mg) sodium lowers blood pressure even further than 2,300 mg sodium daily.
Resources are available to help you understand what counts as a serving size and how your current eating habits compare to the DASH plan across various calorie levels, from 1,200 to 2,600 calories per day.
In summary: Eat this: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, fish, poultry, beans, nuts and seeds, vegetable oils. Limit this: fatty meats, full-fat dairy, sugar sweetened beverages, sweets, sodium intake.
Why Choose DASH?
The DASH eating plan is more than just a diet; it’s a comprehensive approach to creating a heart-healthy eating style for life. Its focus on nutrient-rich foods and moderation helps in managing and preventing high blood pressure, while also supporting overall cardiovascular wellness. By embracing the flexible and balanced principles of DASH, individuals can take significant steps towards improving their health and well-being.