Diets we support › DASH
Researchers built this one on purpose to bring blood pressure down.
This is the rare way of eating that was designed in a research trial and still looks like ordinary, likeable food. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Researchers built it in clinical trials to lower blood pressure, and it works by filling your plate with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy while keeping sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar down. It's a plain, balanced way to eat with a lot of science behind it.
Start your DASH plan →You eat a lot of produce and whole grains, pick lean proteins and low-fat dairy, and watch your sodium. The standard target is about 2,300 mg a day, or 1,500 mg if you want a bigger effect. A lot of the work happens quietly, through foods rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Anyone keeping an eye on blood pressure or heart health, or who just wants a balanced, well-studied way of eating that doesn't ban whole food groups.
DASH is one of the few diets built in a lab on purpose. Researchers designed it in clinical trials to bring blood pressure down, and it does, reliably, especially when you keep sodium on the lower end. That's why it's a first-line recommendation for high blood pressure.
The benefits reach past blood pressure. Eating this way lowers LDL cholesterol, cuts the risk of heart disease and stroke, and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, with some evidence it helps people who already have it manage their blood sugar. If high blood pressure, heart health, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes is what you're working on, this is about as well-supported as diet advice gets.
DASH is safe and helpful for almost everyone, which is part of what makes it stand out. The one group that needs to be careful is people with advanced kidney disease. DASH is deliberately rich in potassium and phosphorus, from all the fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and that's exactly what makes it good for most people. But kidneys that aren't filtering well can let those minerals build up to dangerous levels. It can still help in early kidney disease, so if you have kidney disease, check with your doctor and dietitian first. And if you're on dialysis, DASH isn't the right fit, since your needs there are different.
When you cook from scratch, you control every grain of salt that goes in, and that's the whole idea here. These DASH recipes are built to give you a full day's sodium right at the DASH target, around 1,900 mg spread across your meals and snacks, on their own. That budget assumes the food you eat that day is the food you cook from these recipes.
Most convenience and prepared foods carry far more sodium than people expect: deli meats, canned soups, jarred sauces, salad dressings, frozen dinners, restaurant takeout, even bread. If any part of your day includes those, the sodium adds up fast and can push you past the target. So if you're eating any convenience or prepared foods during the day, please read the labels and adjust the salt in these recipes accordingly. Ease back on the added salt to make room. The seasoning in each recipe is a starting point, and it's meant to be adjusted down when the rest of your day brings sodium of its own.
DASH is one of the most evidence-backed diets for blood pressure. If you take blood-pressure medication, cutting sodium can add to what the medication is already doing, so tell your doctor you're making the change.
Answer a few quick questions and we'll build four weeks of DASH meals, with recipes customized to you and a smart grocery list.
Start your DASH plan →Not sure yet? Compare all the diets we support →
