DASH - DASH Eating Plan | NHLBI, NIH
An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
.gov
website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
lock
) or
means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
DASH
< Back To
Health Topics
DASH
DASH
< Back To
Health Topics
DASH
DASH Eating Plan
Following DASH
Living with DASH
Health Benefits of DASH
DASH
DASH
DASH Eating Plan
Language switcher
Overview
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life.
The DASH eating plan requires no special foods and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. This plan recommends:
Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
Including fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils
Limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils
Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and sweet
Based on these recommendations, the following table shows examples of daily and weekly servings that meet DASH eating plan targets for a
2,000-calorie-a-day
diet.
Food Group
Daily Servings
Grains
6–8
Meats, poultry, and fish
6 or less
Vegetables
4–5
Fruit
4–5
Low-fat or fat-free dairy products
2–3
Fats and oils
2–3
Sodium
2,300 mg*
Weekly Servings
Nuts, seeds, dry beans, and peas
4–5
Sweets
5 or less
*1,500 milligrams (mg) sodium lowers blood pressure even further than 2,300 mg sodium daily.
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, fiber, and protein
Lower in sodium
The number of servings you should have each day depends on your daily calorie needs. Use these worksheets to see how your current eating habits compare to DASH. Find what counts as a serving size and more:
What's on Your Plate? (1,200 calories/day)
What's on Your Plate? (1,400
1,600 calories/day)
What's on Your Plate? (1,800
2,000 calories/day)
What's on Your Plate? (2,600 calories/day)
February 25, 2026