I N

B R I E F :

Your Guide To

Lowering Your Blood

Pressure With DASH
What you eat affects your chances of developing
high blood pressure (hypertension). Research
shows that high blood pressure can be prevented
and loweredby following the Dietary Approaches
to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, which
includes eating less salt and sodium.

But high blood pressure can be preventedand

loweredif you take these steps:

High blood pressure, which is blood pressure

higher than 140/90 mmHg,* affects more than
65 millionor 1 out of every 3American adults.
Another 59 million Americans have prehypertension, which is blood pressure between 120/80
and 140/89 mmHg. This increases their chances
of developing high blood pressure and its
complications.

Follow a healthy eating plan, such as DASH,

that includes foods lower in salt and sodium.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Be moderately physically active for at least
30 minutes on most days of the week.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in
moderation.

If you already have high blood pressure and

your doctor has prescribed medicine, take your
medicine, as directed, and also follow these steps.

The DASH Eating Plan

High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes
your heart work too hard, hardens the walls of
your arteries, and can cause
the brain to hemorrhage
or the kidneys to function
poorly or not at all.
If not controlled, high
blood pressure can lead
to heart and kidney
disease, stroke, and
blindness.
* Blood pressure is usually
measured in milligrams of
mercury, or mmHg.

The DASH eating plan is rich in fruits, vegetables,

fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, whole
grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts. It also
contains less salt and sodium; sweets, added sugars,
and sugar-containing beverages; fats; and red meats
than the typical American diet. This heart healthy
way of eating is also lower in saturated fat, trans
fat, and cholesterol and rich in nutrients that are
associated with lowering blood pressuremainly
potassium, magnesium, and calcium, protein, and
fiber.

How Do I Make the DASH?

The DASH eating plan requires no special foods and
has no hard-to-follow recipes. It simply calls for a
certain number of daily servings from various food
groups.
The number of servings depends on the number of
calories youre allowed each day. Your calorie level
depends on your age and, especially, how active you
are. Think of this as an energy balance systemif
you want to maintain your current weight, you
should take in only as many calories as you burn by
being physically active. If you need to lose weight,
eat fewer calories than you burn or increase your
activity level to burn more calories than you eat.
What is your physical activity level? Are you mostly:

Sedentary? You do only light physical activity

that is part of your typical day-to-day routine.
Moderately active? You do physical activity equal
to walking about 1.53 miles a day at 34 miles
per hour, plus light physical activity.
Active? You do physical activity equal to walking
more than 3 miles per day at 34 miles per hour,
plus light physical activity.

Use the chart below to estimate your daily calorie

needs.

Your Daily Calorie Needs

Calories Needed for Each Activity Level
Gender

Age
(years)

Female

Male

Sedentary

Moderately
Active

Active

1930
3150
51+

2,000
1,800
1,600

2,0002,200
2,000
1,800

2,400
2,200
2,0002,200

1930
3150
51+

2,400
2,200
2,000

2,6002,800
2,4002,600
2,2002,400

3,000
2,8003,000
2,4002,800

Now that you know how many calories youre

allowed each day, find the closest calorie level to
yours in the chart on page 3 called Following the
DASH Eating Plan. This shows roughly the number
of servings from each food group that you can eat
each day.

Next, compare DASH with your current eating

pattern. Fill in the Whats on Your Plate and How
Much Are You Moving? chart on page 4 for 12
days to compare what you usually eat with the
DASH planand note how active you are. This
should help you decide what changes you need to
make in your food choicesand in the sizes of the
portions you eat.
A Day With the DASH Eating Plan on page 6
shows a sample menu based on about 2,000 calories
a day. Increase or decrease the serving sizes for your
own calorie level. This chart also shows the two
levels of sodium, 2,300 and 1,500 milligrams,
that DASH allows each day. Because fruits and
vegetables are naturally lower in sodium than many
other foods, DASH makes it easier to eat less sodium. Try it at the 2,300-milligram level (about 1 teaspoon of table salt). Then, talk to your doctor about
gradually lowering it to 1,500 milligrams a day.
Keep in mind: The less salt you eat, the more you
may be able to lower your blood pressure.
Choose and prepare foods with less salt, and
dont bring the salt shaker to the table. Be
creativetry herbs, spices, lemon, lime, vinegar,
wine, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and
at the table. And, because most of the salt, or
sodium, that we eat comes from processed foods,
be sure to read food labels to check the amount of
sodium in different food products. Aim for foods
that contain 5 percent or less of the Daily Value of
sodium. Foods with 20 percent or more Daily Value
of sodium are considered high. These include baked
goods, certain cereals, soy sauce, some antacids
the range is wide.

DASH Tips for Gradual Change

Make these changes over a couple of days or weeks
to give yourself a chance to adjust and make them
part of your daily routine:

Add a serving of vegetables at lunch one day and

dinner the next, and add fruit at one meal or as
a snack.
Increase your use of fat-free and low-fat milk
products to three servings a day.
Limit lean meats to 6 ounces a day3 ounces a
meal, which is about the size of a deck of cards.
If you usually eat large portions of meats, cut
them back over a couple of daysby half or a
third at each meal.
Include two or more vegetarian-style, or meatless,
meals each week.

Following the DASH Eating Plan

Use this chart to help you plan your menusor take it with you when you go to the store.
Food Group

Servings Per Day

Serving Sizes

Examples and Notes

Significance of Each
Food Group to the
DASH Eating Plan

1 slice bread

Whole wheat bread and

rolls, whole wheat pasta,
English muffin, pita bread,
bagel, cereals, grits,
oatmeal, brown rice,
unsalted pretzels and
popcorn

Major sources of energy

and fiber

Broccoli, carrots, collards,

green beans, green
peas, kale, lima beans,
potatoes, spinach,
squash, sweet potatoes,
tomatoes

Rich sources of
potassium, magnesium,
and fiber

Apples, apricots,
bananas, dates, grapes,
oranges, grapefruit,
grapefruit juice, mangoes,
melons, peaches,
pineapples, raisins,
strawberries, tangerines

Important sources of
potassium, magnesium,
and fiber

Fat-free (skim) or low-fat

(1%) milk or buttermilk;
fat-free, low-fat, or
reduced-fat cheese;
fat-free or low-fat regular
or frozen yogurt

Major sources of calcium

and protein

Select only lean; trim

away visible fats; broil,
roast, or poach; remove
skin from poultry

Rich sources of protein

and magnesium

1,600
2,000
2,600
Calories Calories Calories
Grains*

68

1011

1 oz dry cereal
1/2 cup cooked rice,
pasta, or cereal

Vegetables

34

45

56

1 cup raw leafy vegetable

1/2 cup cut-up raw or
cooked vegetable
1/2

Fruits

45

56

cup vegetable juice

1 medium fruit
1/4

cup dried fruit

1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or

canned fruit
1/2

Fat-free or
low-fat milk
and milk
products

23

Lean meats,
poultry, and
fish

36

Nuts, seeds,
and legumes

3 per
week

23

cup fruit juice

1 cup milk or yogurt

11/2 oz cheese

6 or less

1 oz cooked meats,
poultry, or fish
1 egg

45 per
week

1/3

cup or 11/2 oz nuts

2 Tbsp peanut butter

2 Tbsp or 1/2 oz seeds

Almonds, hazelnuts, mixed Rich sources of energy,

nuts, peanuts, walnuts,
magnesium, protein,
sunflower seeds, peanut
and fiber
butter, kidney beans,
lentils, split peas

1/2 cup cooked legumes

(dry beans and peas)

Fats and oils

23

1 tsp soft margarine

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp mayonnaise

Soft margarine, vegetable

oil (such as canola, corn,
olive, or safflower), low-fat
mayonnaise, light salad
dressing

The DASH study had 27

percent of calories as fat,
including fat in or added
to foods

Fruit-flavored gelatin, fruit

punch, hard candy, jelly,
maple syrup, sorbet and
ices, sugar

Sweets should be low

in fat

2 Tbsp salad dressing

Sweets and
added sugars

5 or less
per
week

<2

1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp jelly or jam
1/2

cup sorbet, gelatin

1 cup lemonade
*

Whole grains are recommended for most grain servings as a good source of fiber and nutrients.
Serving sizes vary between 1/2 cup and 11/4 cups, depending on cereal type. Check the product's Nutrition Facts label.
Since eggs are high in cholesterol, limit egg yolk intake to no more than four per week; two egg whites have the same protein content as 1 oz of meat.
Fat content changes serving amount for fats and oils. For example, 1 Tbsp of regular salad dressing equals one serving; 1 Tbsp of a low-fat dressing
equals one-half serving; 1 Tbsp of a fat-free dressing equals zero servings.

Abbreviations: oz = ounce; Tbsp = tablespoon; tsp = teaspoon.

3

Whats on Your Plate and How Much Are You Moving?

Use this form to track your food and physical activity habits before you start on the DASH eating plan or to see
how youre doing after a few weeks. To record more than 1 day, just copy the form. Total each days food
groups and compare what you ate with the DASH eating plan at your calorie level.

Sweets and
added sugars

Fats
and oils

Nuts, seeds,
and legumes

299
52

Meats, fish,
and poultry

2 slices
2 tsp

Milk products

Sodium (mg)

Example:
whole wheat bread, with soft (tub)
margarine

Fruits

Amount
(serving size)

Grains

Food

Vegetables

Number of Servings by DASH Food Group

Date:

2
2

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Snacks

Days Totals
2,000 calorie level example:
Compare yours with the DASH
eating plan at your calorie level.

2,300 or 68
1,500 mg per
per day
day

45
per
day

45
per
day

23
per
day

Enter your calorie level and

servings per day:

Physical Activity Log

Aim for at least 30 min of moderate-intensity
physical activity on most days of the week.
When your heart is beating noticeably faster,
the activity is probably moderately intense.
Record your minutes per day for each activity:

30 min
5 min

Time:

Moderate walking
Cleaning

Type of activity:

6 or
45
less
per
per day week

23
per
day

5 or
less
per
week

Increase servings of vegetables, brown rice,

whole wheat pasta, and cooked dry beans. Try
casseroles and stir-fry dishes, which have less meat
and more vegetables, grains, and dry beans.
For snacks and desserts, use fruits or other foods
low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium,
sugar, and caloriesfor example, unsalted rice
cakes; unsalted nuts or seeds, raisins; graham
crackers; fat-free, low-fat, or frozen yogurt;
popcorn with no salt or butter added; or raw
vegetables.
Use fresh, frozen, or low-sodium canned
vegetables and fruits.

DASH Hints

Be aware that DASH has more servings of fruits,

vegetables, and whole grain foods than you may be
used to eating. These foods are high in fiber and
may cause some bloating and diarrhea. To avoid
these problems, gradually increase the amount of
fruit, vegetables, and whole grain foods that you eat
over several weeks.
If you have trouble digesting milk products, try taking
lactase-enzyme pills (available at drug stores and
groceries) with milk products. Or buy lactose-free milk,
which includes the lactase enzyme.
If you dont like or are allergic to nuts, use seeds or
legumes (cooked dried beans or peas).
If you take medicines to control your high blood
pressure, keep taking them. But tell your doctor
that you are now eating the DASH way.

Be Physically Active While Following the DASH

Eating Plan
Combining DASH with a regular physical activity
program, such as walking or swimming, will help
you shed pounds and stay trim for the long term.
Start with a simple 15-minute walk during your
favorite time of day and gradually increase the
amount of time you are active. You can do an
activity for 30 minutes at one time, or choose shorter
periods of at least 10 minutes each. The important
thing is to total about 30 minutes of moderate
activity on most days. To avoid weight gain or
sustain weight loss, try for 60 minutes of moderateto-vigorous activity each day.

Make the DASH for Life

DASH can help you prevent and control high blood
pressure. It can also help you lose weight, if you
need to. It meets your nutritional needs and has
other health benefits for your heart. So get started
today and make the DASH for a healthy life.

To Learn More
Contact the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute (NHLBI) for information on heart disease
and heart health.
NHLBI Health Information Center
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
Phone: 3015928573
TTY: 2406293255
Fax: 3015928563

Other Lifestyle Changes

Also check out these heart health resources:
Making other lifestyle changes while following the
DASH eating plan is the best way to prevent and
control high blood pressure.
Lose Weight, If Necessary, While Following DASH
DASH is rich in lower calorie foods, such as fruits
and vegetables, so it can easily be changed to support
weight loss. You can reduce calories even more by
replacing higher calorie foods, such as sweets, with
more fruits and vegetables. The best way to take
off pounds is to do it slowly, over time, by getting
more physical activity and eating fewer calories.
To develop a weight-loss or weight-maintenance
program thats tailored for you, talk to your doctor
or registered dietitian.

NHLBI Web site: www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 and
A Healthier You: www.healthierus.gov/
dietaryguidelines/
Your Guide to Lowering Blood Pressure With
DASH: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/
heart/hbp/dash/index.htm
Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure:
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/index.html
Aim for a Healthy Weight: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/index.htm

A Day With the DASH Eating Plan

2,300 mg Sodium (Na) Menu

Substitution To Reduce
Sodium to 1,500 mg

Breakfast
1/2 cup instant oatmeal
1 mini whole wheat bagel:
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 medium banana
1 cup low-fat milk

1/2

Lunch
chicken breast sandwich:
2 slices (3 oz) chicken breast, skinless
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 slice (3/4 oz) natural cheddar cheese, reduced-fat
1 large leaf romaine lettuce
2 slices tomato
1 Tbsp mayonnaise, low-fat
1 cup cantaloupe chunks
1 cup apple juice

cup regular oatmeal with 1 tsp cinnamon

1 slice (3/4 oz) natural Swiss cheese, low-sodium

Dinner
1 cup cooked spaghetti:
3/4 cup low-salt vegetarian spaghetti sauce
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
Spinach salad:
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup fresh carrots, grated
1/4 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp vinegar and oil dressing
1/2 cup corn, cooked from frozen
1/2 cup canned pears, juice pack
Snacks
1/3 cup almonds, unsalted
1/4 cup dried apricots
1 cup fruit yogurt, fat-free, no sugar added

Nutrients Per Day

2,300 mg

1,500 mg

Calories
Total fat
Calories from fat
Saturated fat
Calories from saturated fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Calcium
Magnesium
Potassium
Fiber

2,027
64 g
28%
13 g
6%
114 mg
2,035 mg
1,370 mg
535 mg
4,715 mg
34 g

2,078
68 g
30%
16 g
7%
129 mg
1,560 mg
1,334 mg
542 mg
4,721 mg
34 g

Abbreviations: mg = milligram; Tbsp = tablespoon;

tsp = teaspoon; oz = ounce; g = gram.

NIH Publication No. 06-5834

December 2006