DASH Diet for Blood Pressure (Cont.)

Beginning the DASH Diet for Blood Pressure

It's easy to begin the DASH diet for blood pressure. Here are some ways to get started:
 
Change Your Diet Gradually
It's best to make dietary changes gradually. Don't try to change everything all at once. Suggestions for gradually incorporating the DASH diet for blood pressure into your lifestyle include:
 
  • Try low-fat or fat-free condiments, such as fat-free salad dressings.
  • Use only half the salad dressing, butter, or margarine you do now.
  • If you don't eat fruit now (or have only juice at breakfast), add a serving to your meals or have it as a snack.
  • If you now eat one or two vegetables a day, add a serving at lunch and another at dinner.
  • Gradually increase dairy products to three servings per day. For example, drink milk with lunch or dinner instead of soda, alcohol, or sugar-sweetened tea. Choose low-fat (1 percent) or fat-free (skim) dairy products to reduce total fat intake.
     
Treat Meat as a Part of Your Meal, Instead of the Focus
Many people think of meat as the focus of their meals. While meat can be part of a healthy diet, it's best to treat it as merely one part of the meal. Consider the following tips for eating meat as you make the transition to the DASH diet for blood pressure:
 
  • Limit meat to 6 ounces a day (two servings) -- all that's needed. Three to four ounces is about the size of a deck of cards.
  • If you now eat large portions of meat, cut them back gradually -- by a half or a third at each meal.
  • Include two or more vegetarian-style (meatless) meals each week.
  • Buy less meat. If it's not there, you won't eat it.
  • Increase servings of vegetables, rice, pasta, and dry beans in meals. Try casseroles, pasta, and stir-fry dishes, having less meat and more grains, vegetables, and dry beans.
     
Use Fruits or Low-Fat Foods as Desserts and Snacks
Fruit and other low-fat foods can make up a healthy dessert or snack in a DASH diet for blood pressure. Try these ideas:
 
  • Try these snack ideas: plain popcorn with no salt or butter added, unsalted pretzels or nuts mixed with raisins, graham crackers, low-fat and fat-free yogurt and frozen yogurt, and raw vegetables.
     
  • Fruits and low-fat foods offer great taste and variety. Use fruits canned in their own juice. Fresh fruits require little or no preparation. Dried fruits are easy to carry with you.
     
(Click Salt and High Blood Pressure for advice on reducing salt intake in your diet.)
 
(DASH Diet for Blood Pressure Continued: Page 5)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD