DASH Diet Chart — Free Printable Servings PDF (NHLBI)
Every food group at 1,600, 2,000, 2,600, and 3,100 calories a day, plus the serving size that counts as one — straight from NIH Publication 06-4082.
DASH Eating Plan Servings Chart
Every food group at 1,600, 2,000, 2,600, and 3,100 calories a day, plus the serving size that counts as one — straight from NIH Publication 06-4082.
What is the DASH eating plan?
The DASH eating plan — Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — is the eating pattern the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute publishes to lower blood pressure. It works by setting a target number of servings from each food group rather than by counting calories or grams. At 2,000 calories a day the plan calls for 6–8 servings of grains, 4–5 vegetables, 4–5 fruits, 2–3 fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, 6 or less lean meats, poultry, and fish, and 2–3 fats and oils. Two rows are counted by the week instead: nuts, seeds, and legumes at 4–5 servings, and sweets and added sugars at 5 or less.
Sodium is the plan's second lever. The DASH studies set a daily sodium goal of 2,300 mg and tested a lower 1,500 mg goal that lowered blood pressure further — about 1 teaspoon and ⅔ teaspoon of table salt. The studies' other daily nutrient goals, for a 2,100-calorie plan, were 4,700 mg potassium, 1,250 mg calcium, 500 mg magnesium, and 30 g fiber.
The numbers that define the plan
- 2,000 calories is the reference level. The chart below also carries the plan's three other published levels — 1,600, 2,600, and 3,100 calories a day.
- Produce is the biggest change. 4–5 vegetable servings and 4–5 fruit servings a day, against 6 or less of lean meats, poultry, and fish.
- Two rows are weekly, not daily — nuts, seeds, and legumes, and sweets. Reading them as daily targets is the common mistake.
- Sodium: 2,300 mg a day, 1,500 mg better. The second DASH study found the lower goal helped most for middle-aged and older adults, African Americans, and people who already had high blood pressure.
Following the DASH Eating Plan
Based on 2,000 calories a day
| Food Group | Daily Servings |
|---|---|
| Grains* (one serving: 1 slice bread; 1 oz dry cereal†; ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal) | 6–8 |
| Vegetables (one serving: 1 cup raw leafy vegetable; ½ cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetable; ½ cup vegetable juice) | 4–5 |
| Fruits (one serving: 1 medium fruit; ¼ cup dried fruit; ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit; ½ cup fruit juice) | 4–5 |
| Fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products (one serving: 1 cup milk or yogurt; 1½ oz cheese) | 2–3 |
| Lean meats, poultry, and fish (one serving: 1 oz cooked meats, poultry, or fish; 1 egg‡) | 6 or less |
| Nuts, seeds, and legumes (one serving: ⅓ cup or 1½ oz nuts; 2 Tbsp peanut butter; 2 Tbsp or ½ oz seeds; ½ cup cooked legumes (dry beans and peas)) | 4–5 per week |
| Fats and oils§ (one serving: 1 tsp soft margarine; 1 tsp vegetable oil; 1 Tbsp mayonnaise; 2 Tbsp salad dressing) | 2–3 |
| Sweets and added sugars (one serving: 1 Tbsp sugar; 1 Tbsp jelly or jam; ½ cup sorbet, gelatin; 1 cup lemonade) | 5 or less per week |
* Whole grains are recommended for most grain servings as a good source of fiber and nutrients.
† Serving sizes vary between ½ cup and 1¼ cups, depending on cereal type. Check the product's Nutrition Facts label.
‡ Since eggs are high in cholesterol, limit egg yolk intake to no more than four per week; two egg whites have the same protein content as 1 oz of meat.
§ Fat content changes serving amount for fats and oils. For example, 1 Tbsp of regular salad dressing equals one serving; 1 Tbsp of a low-fat dressing equals one-half serving; 1 Tbsp of a fat-free dressing equals zero servings.
DASH Eating Plan — Number of Daily Servings for Other Calorie Levels
| Food Groups | 1,600 calories/day | 2,600 calories/day | 3,100 calories/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grains* | 6 | 10–11 | 12–13 |
| Vegetables | 3–4 | 5–6 | 6 |
| Fruits | 4 | 5–6 | 6 |
| Fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products | 2–3 | 3 | 3–4 |
| Lean meats, poultry, and fish | 3–6 | 6 | 6–9 |
| Nuts, seeds, and legumes | 3/week | 1 | 1 |
| Fats and oils | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Sweets and added sugars | 0 | ≤2 | ≤2 |
All figures are servings/day unless the cell says otherwise.
* Whole grains are recommended for most grain servings as a good source of fiber and nutrients.
1. Grains — 6–8 servings a day
Whole wheat bread and rolls, whole wheat pasta, English muffin, pita bread, bagel, cereals, grits, oatmeal, brown rice, unsalted pretzels and popcorn. Major sources of energy and fiber. NHLBI recommends whole grains for most grain servings.
2. Vegetables — 4–5 servings a day
Broccoli, carrots, collards, green beans, green peas, kale, lima beans, potatoes, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes. Rich sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber — the three minerals the plan is built to raise.
3. Fruits — 4–5 servings a day
Apples, apricots, bananas, dates, grapes, oranges, grapefruit, grapefruit juice, mangoes, melons, peaches, pineapples, raisins, strawberries, tangerines. Important sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber.
4. Fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products — 2–3 servings a day
Fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk or buttermilk; fat-free, low-fat, or reduced-fat cheese; fat-free or low-fat regular or frozen yogurt. Major sources of calcium and protein.
5. Lean meats, poultry, and fish — 6 or less a day
Select only lean; trim away visible fats; broil, roast, or poach; remove skin from poultry. Rich sources of protein and magnesium. Servings here are counted in ounces, so "6 or less" is 6 oz of cooked meat across the whole day — smaller than most restaurant portions.
6. Nuts, seeds, and legumes — 4–5 servings a WEEK
Almonds, hazelnuts, mixed nuts, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, kidney beans, lentils, split peas. Rich sources of energy, magnesium, protein, and fiber. At 1,600 and 2,000 calories this row is weekly; only at 2,600 and 3,100 calories does it become a daily serving.
7. Fats and oils — 2–3 servings a day
Soft margarine, vegetable oil (such as canola, corn, olive, or safflower), low-fat mayonnaise, light salad dressing. The DASH study had 27 percent of calories as fat, including fat in or added to foods.
8. Sweets and added sugars — 5 or less a WEEK
Fruit-flavored gelatin, fruit punch, hard candy, jelly, maple syrup, sorbet and ices, sugar. Sweets should be low in fat. Like nuts and legumes, this is a weekly count at 1,600 and 2,000 calories.
9. Sodium — 2,300 mg a day, or 1,500 mg
The DASH studies set a daily sodium goal of 2,300 mg and tested a lower 1,500 mg goal that lowered blood pressure further, especially for middle-aged and older adults, African Americans, and people who already had high blood pressure. 2,300 mg is about 6 grams — 1 teaspoon — of table salt; 1,500 mg is about 4 grams, or ⅔ teaspoon.
10. What the plan aims for beyond servings
The DASH studies' daily nutrient goals, for a 2,100-calorie eating plan, were 27% of calories from total fat, 6% saturated fat, 18% protein, and 55% carbohydrate, with 150 mg cholesterol, 4,700 mg potassium, 1,250 mg calcium, 500 mg magnesium, and 30 g fiber.
This sheet reproduces published federal guidance; it is not medical advice. If you take blood-pressure or heart medication, or have kidney disease, your care team sets your sodium and potassium numbers — DASH is deliberately potassium-rich, which is not right for every patient.
Both tables are transcribed cell for cell from boxes 3 and 4 of "Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH" (NIH Publication No. 06-4082, revised April 2006), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — public-domain federal guidance. The nutrient goals quoted above come from box 2 of the same publication. MyPlate.food is independent and not affiliated with the NHLBI, the NIH, or the USDA.
Related printables
- Heart-Healthy Plate Method Handout — The same targets as a plate, for people who'd rather not count servings.
- Low-Sodium Foods List — Everyday foods with the least sodium per serving, from USDA data.
- Cut Back on Salt and Sodium — Ten practical ways to hit the 2,300 mg or 1,500 mg goal.