What is Dash Diet?

The DASH diet targets high sources of sodium and artery-clogging sources of fat to empower dieters to better their own heart health, but in the process, it targets some ingredients that some experts may find controversial.

Dos

• Fruits: Apples, oranges, unripe bananas, apricots, and berries, or any variety that is low in sugar.
• Vegetables: Anything that falls under this category, and the more the better; including frozen and canned products, as long as they don't contain added sodium.
• Whole grains: Whole-grain breads, brown rice, and rich, ancient grains like bulgur, quinoa, and oatmeal.
• Healthy dairy: Fat-free cheese, milk, and yogurt.
• Lean meats: Skinless chicken, white fish, turkey, and the occasional serving of red meat or pork.
• Nuts, seeds, and legumes: unsalted raw almonds, sunflower seeds, kidney beans.
• Healthy vegetable-based oils, including olive oil

Don'ts

• Sugary products: Candy, cookies, sodas, and canned or sugar-added fruit juices and other treats should be eliminated.
• Full fat dairy and cheese
• Enriched Grains: White bread, pasta, plus things like packaged potato snacks.
• Anything containing elevated sodium levels. Think: frozen meals, convenience store snacks, fast food.
• Alcohol: In excess, it can be quite the stress on blood pressure, and added stress on liver.

Benefits

Pro-DASH-diet supporters like Meyer and Sassos acknowledge that the average meal plan based on this diet inevitably promotes weight loss for most people. "Although the DASH diet was not designed to promote weight reduction, this eating plan can be followed at a lower calorie level for weight loss, and as you replace high-calorie, high-fat foods with low-calorie vegetables and fruits, weight will likely trend down.

Recipes

1. Slow-Cooker Chicken & Chickpea Soup
2. Roasted Root Vegetables with Goat Cheese Polenta
3. EatingWell's Eggplant Parmesan
4. Chicken-Quinoa Bowl with Olives & Cucumber
5. Hasselback Eggplant Parmesan
6. Chicken & Vegetable Penne with Parsley-Walnut Pesto
7. Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
8. Dijon Salmon with Green Bean Pilaf
9. Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Bolognese
10. Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp

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