Dash diet daily plan

Dash diet daily plan

Unhealthy eating habits have played the most important role in deteriorating the health standards of a huge number of people and such a situation paved the way for the arrival of various diet plans.

The DASH diet can be described as one of the most effective plan that goes well with the requirements of the modern day living and it is an ideal option for people who suffer from hypertension. But it cannot be confined to people who suffer from hypertension alone and on the other hand, it is a diet for all types of diseases.

This diet plan does not advocate a rigorous dieting method for you and you only need to make some small changes in your diet menu. The DASH diet always encourages the dieter to eat less sodium (salt) and it advocates an increased consumption calcium, magnesium, and potassium to lower blood pressure. Here is a sample daily meal plan on the DASH diet:

Breakfast

1) Cooked oatmeal – 1.5 cups
2) Medium sized banana – 1
3) Raisins – 1/2 cup
4) Vegetable juice or V8 – 1/4 cup
5) Non-fat or low fat milk – 1 cup
6) Coffee – 1 cup
7) Sugar or honey – 2 teaspoons

Mid-morning snacks

1) Almonds – 1/2 cup
2) Grapes – 16 nos.

Lunch

1) Turkey sandwich – 2 ounces of sliced turkey, 4 tomato slices, 2 lettuce leaves and 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2) Small carrots – 6 nos.
3) Small apple – 1

Mid-afternoon snack

1) Unsalted pretzels – 1/2 cup
2) Sliced cucumber – 1/2 cup

Dinner

1) Chicken breast (cooked) – 3 ounces
2) Steamed broccoli florets – 10
3) Margarine or butter – 1 teaspoon
4) Quinoa or cooked rice – 1/2 cup
5) Low-fat or non-fat milk – 1 cup
6) Melon cubes for desert – 1/2 cup

You should closely monitor your normal eating plan for a few days before following the DASH diet and it is always advisable to compare your normal diet plan with the recommended daily servings of the DASH eating plan as well.

Such a method of approach will prepare you well to adapt to the diet methods advocated in the DASH diet and you will be able to implement more healthy changes in a gradual manner.

Food useful for the body

During preparatory days, you can include an additional serving of vegetables or fruits to one meal a day and various methods like adding a bowl of strawberries with your breakfast or an apple with your lunch will serve the purpose in the best possible manner. If you have a habit of drinking sweetened beverages you will have to replace it with a glass of low-fat milk. Consuming salads or condiments with the lowest saturated and trans fats will help your preparation to get adjusted with the Dash diet and you should replace candy or chips with fruit of nuts as well.

Various studies have shown that the benefits of DASH diet cannot be confined to addressing hypertension alone. Other benefits of this unique diet method include decreased risk of developing certain cancers, diabetes, and osteoporosis and your overall health will undergo tremendous transformation as well.