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Healthier Eating with DASH

The DASH Eating Plan

The DASH eating plan shown below is based on 2,000 calories a day. The number of daily servings in a food group may vary from those listed depending on your caloric needs.

Food Group Daily
Servings
(except
as noted)
Serving Sizes
Grains & grain products 7-8 1 slice bread
1 cup ready-to-eat cereal*
one-half cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal
Vegetables 4-5 1 cup raw leafy vegetable
one-half cup cooked vegetable
6 ounces vegetable juice
Fruits 4-5 1 medium fruit
one-quarter cup dried fruit
one-half cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit
6 ounces fruit juice
Lowfat or fat free dairy foods 2-3 8 ounces milk
1 cup yogurt
1 one-half ounces cheese
Lean meats, poultry, and
fish
2 or less 3 ounces cooked lean meats, skinless poultry, or fish
Nuts, seeds, and dry beans 4-5 per week 1/3 cup or 1 one-half ounces nuts
1 tablespoon or one-half ounce seeds
one-half cup cooked dry beans
Fats & oils** 2-3 1 teaspoon soft margarine
1 tablespoon lowfat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons light salad dressing
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Sweets 5 per week 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon jelly or jam
one-half ounce jelly beans
8 ounces lemonade

* Serving sizes vary between one-half cup -1 one-quarter cups. Check the product's nutrition label.

** Fat content changes serving counts for fats and oils: For example, 1 tablespoon of regular salad dressing equals 1 serving; 1 tablespoon of a lowfat dressing equals one-half serving; 1 tablespoon of a fat free dressing equals 0 servings.

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