Dash Diet Recipes

Recently US World & News Report (June 7, 2011) ranked the DASH diet as the best diet overall. Why? Because the DASH diet has been proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol without medication. It has also been shown to be associated with lower risks for stroke, heart attack, heart failure, some types of cancer, and kidney stones. New research shows that it can help to prevent or reverse diabetes. And the DASH diet is great for the whole family. Children who follow the DASH eating pattern are less likely to be overweight than their peers. It is recommended by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the US Dietary Guidlines, the AMA heart guidelines for women, and the treatment guidelines for hypertension.

DASH Diet Recipe Tips

Look for color when making DASH-friendly meals. The more color on your plate, the healthier the meal. On this page we have several examples of colorful meals, and the associated recipes.

And of course, the DASH diet is a complete eating plan, it is more than just recipes. It refers to the entire balance of your daily diet. And, following a plan that helps to lower blood pressure is more than just lowering sodium.

Do you need special recipes? Not necessarily. Focus on making meals that include fruits, vegetables, and nonfat or low fat dairy foods. Choose recipes that are low in added-sodium ingredients, such as salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Choose desserts based on fruit rather than on pastries, to avoid extra sodium. Have at least two side vegetables, especially if your main dish doesn't include them.

For additional recipes, see our page with links to many healthy recipe sites, or buy our book, The DASH Diet Action Plan to learn the complete DASH diet plan, along with 28 days of menu plans and DASH recipes. See more DASH diet recipes at Superfast Meals and Spaghetti Squash. Learn about the DASH Diet at what is the DASH diet?

Blackened Chicken with Berry Salad

This delicious salad includes lots of vegetables, fruit, along with a lean protein source.

1 teaspoon blackening spice mixture

4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup romaine lettuce

Rub chicken breast with spice mixture, grill until internal temperature is 165°F. Make the salad base with romaine lettuce strips. Top with a variety of vegetables, such as grated carrots, radishes, pea pods, tomato, peas, pepper strips, red cabbage. Then top with a mix of berries, including raspberries, sliced strawberries, and blueberries. Slice the grilled chicken breast into strips and place on top of the salad. Top with your favorite oil and vinegar or raspberry vinaigrette dressing. (Note, to keep sodium low, be sure the spice mixture is salt-free, and use dressings with low sodium).

Tuna Salad Plate

1 can water packed, low sodium tuna

1 hard boiled egg, diced

1/4 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 cup romaine lettuce

pepper strips, grated carrot, grape tomatoes, shredded red cabbage

Mix together tuna, egg, celery and mayonnaise. Make salad base with romaine lettuce, topped with a variety of sliced vegetables. Place 1/2 cup tuna on top.

Fabulous Frittata

6 eggs (or egg substitute)

1 cup frozen extra-sweet sweet corn

1 cup sliced pepper strips

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup sliced onion

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon dry basil ( or 1 tablespoon diced fresh basil)

4 ounces shredded colby/Jack cheese or other cheese blend

Lightly stir eggs, add basil. Pour canola oil into In non-stick frying pan with metal handle, over medium heat. When oil is hot, add pepper strips, onion, and frozen sweet corn. (You can substiute a frozen mixture of pepper strips and onions, if desired). Saute for 3 minutes, stirring and turning over. Then add tomatoes, and continue to stir and turn over. Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until onions are transluscent. Pour egg-basil mixture over the vegetables. Use spatula to lift edges or separate slightly in the interior, and allow eggs to fall to bottom of mixture as the frittata cooks. When egg mixture is thickened all the way through, top with cheese. Then brown under broiler for 2 - 3 minutes. Makes 6 servings. Tip: be sure to use a pan with a metal handle; plastic will melt under the broiler. We used an All-Clad pan.

Looking for a lighter latke for Chanukah?

Lighter Latkes

3 tsp canola or olive oil

2 lbs Idaho potatoes (4 - 5), peeled

3/4 cup finely chopped red onion (1 medium)

1/4 cup all-purpose white flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 450 F. Prepare 2 baking sheets by covering with aluminum foil, then cover each with 1 tsp of the oil. Alternately you could spray lightly with non-stick vegetable spray (such as Pam, which is canola oil).

Using a grater or the shredding blade of a food processor, grate potatoes. Place in a large bowl and add onions, flour, salt and pepper. Toss with 2 forks to mix well. Add egg, egg white and the remaining 1 tsp of oil.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the potato mixture onto the prepared baking sheets and press lightly to form cakes. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Turn the latkes over, switch the position of the baking sheets (top versus bottom racks), and bake for about 5 minutes longer, or until golden brown.

Transfer to a platter, arranging the latkes browned-side up, and serve. Makes about 24 latkes.

Each latke has 51 Cal, 1 g fat, 0 saturated fat, 9 mg cholesterol.

Recipe adapted from Eating Well magazine, Dec 1994.

Low Fat Pumpkin Pie

4 egg whites, slightly beaten

16 ounce can pumpkin (or the meat from 1-lb pumpkin)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp molasses

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

12 oz can evaporated skim (fat free) milk

9" unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine ingredients in above order. Mix well. Pour into pie shell (or into an au gratin dish for a fat-free dessert). Bake for 15 minutes at 425F. Then reduce temperature to 350F, and bake for 45 more minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Each piece of pumpkin pie has 240 Cal, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, and 7 mg cholesterol.

Without the crust, each piece would have 130 Cal, 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, and 2 mg cholesterol. For a low sugar version, use Splenda™ instead of brown sugar, and increase molasses to 3 tablespoons.