Want to give DASH a try? Here's a sample day's eating plan developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute that appears in the pamphlet Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH (.pdf). The menu allots 2,000 calories per day, so serving sizes should be adjusted to meet your calorie needs.
| Sodium (mg) | Substitution to Reduce Sodium to 1,500 mg | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | |||
| ¾ cup bran flakes cereal: | 220 | ¾ cup shredded wheat cereal | |
| 1 medium banana | 1 | ||
| 1 cup low-fat milk | 107 | ||
| 1 slice whole-wheat bread: | 149 | ||
| 1 tsp soft (tub) margarine | 26 | 1 tsp unsalted soft (tub) mararine | |
| 1 cup orange juice | 5 | ||
| Lunch | |||
| ¾ cup chicken salad: * | 179 | Remove salt from the recipe* | |
| 2 slices whole-wheat bread | 299 | ||
| 1 tbsp Dijon mustard salad: | 373 | 1 Tbsp regular mustard | |
| ½ cup fresh cucumber slices | 1 | ||
| ½ cup tomato wedges | 5 | ||
| 1 tbsp sunflower seeds | 0 | ||
| 1 tsp Italian dressing, low calorie | 43 | ||
| ½ cup fruit cocktail, juice pack | 5 | ||
| Dinner | |||
| 3 oz beef, eye of round: | 35 | ||
| 2 tbsp beef gravy, fat free | 165 | ||
| 1 cup green beans, sautéed with: | 12 | ||
| ½ tsp canola oil | 0 | ||
| 1 small baked potato: | 14 | ||
| 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 tbsp chopped scallions | 1 | ||
| 1 small whole-wheat roll: | 148 | ||
| 1 tsp soft (tub) margarine | 26 | 1 tsp unsalted soft (tub) mararine | |
| 1 small apple | 1 | ||
| 1 cup low-fat milk | 107 | ||
| Snacks | |||
| 1/3 cup almonds, unsalted | 0 | ||
| 1/4 cup raisins | 4 | ||
| 1/2 cup fruit yogurt, fat free, no sugar added | 86 | ||
| Total | 2,101 |
Source: National Health, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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