Eating Heart-Healthy Food: Using the DASH Plan

Food group

Amounts

Best choices

Grains

Servings: 6 to 8 a day

A serving is:

• 1 slice bread

• 1 ounce dry cereal

• Half a cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal

Whole grains and any high-fiber grains

Vegetables

Servings: 4 to 5 a day

A serving is:

• 1 cup raw leafy vegetable

• Half a cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetable

• Half a cup vegetable juice

Fresh or frozen vegetables cooked without added salt or fat

Fruits

Servings: 4 to 5 a day

A serving is:

• 1 medium fruit

• One-quarter cup dried fruit

• Half a cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit

• Half a cup of 100% fruit juices

A variety of fresh fruits of different colors. Whole fruits are a better choice than fruit juices.

Low-fat or fat-free dairy

Servings: 2 to 3 a day

A serving is:

• 1 cup milk

• 1 cup yogurt

• One and a half ounces cheese

Skim or 1% milk, low-fat or fat-free yogurt or buttermilk, and low-fat cheeses

Lean meats, poultry, fish

Servings: 6 or fewer a day

A serving is:

• 1 ounce cooked meats, poultry, or fish

• 1 egg

Lean poultry and fish. Trim away visible fat. Broil, grill, roast, or boil instead of frying. Remove skin from poultry before eating. Limit how much red meat you eat.

Nuts, seeds, beans

Servings: 4 to 5 a week

A serving is:

• One-third cup nuts (1.5 ounces)

• 2 tablespoons nut butter or seeds

• Half a cup cooked dry beans or legumes

Dry roasted nuts with no salt added, lentils, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and whole pinto beans

Fats and oils

Servings: 2 to 3 a day

A serving is:

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon soft margarine

• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons salad dressing

Nut and vegetable oils (nontropical vegetable oils), such as olive and canola oil

Sweets

Servings: 5 a week or fewer

A serving is:

• 1 tablespoon sugar, maple syrup, or honey

• 1 tablespoon jam or jelly

• 1 half-ounce jellybeans (about 15)

• 1 cup lemonade

Dried fruit can be a satisfying sweet. Choose low-fat sweets. And watch your serving sizes!