Heart-Healthy Plate — Free Printable Cardiac Handout
Half the plate vegetables and fruit, the rest whole grains and lean protein — with the DASH serving targets and the 1,500 mg sodium goal on the same page.
Heart-Healthy Plate Method Handout
Half the plate vegetables and fruit, the rest whole grains and lean protein — with the DASH serving targets and the 1,500 mg sodium goal on the same page.
What is a heart-healthy plate?
A heart-healthy plate is the plate method applied to the two things that move blood pressure and cholesterol: what fills the plate, and how much sodium arrives with it. Fill half the plate with vegetables and fruit and the other half with whole grains and lean protein — the MyPlate proportions from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 — with fat-free or low-fat dairy alongside.
What makes that plate heart-healthy is the set of numbers around it, from the NHLBI's DASH eating plan: 4–5 vegetable servings and 4–5 fruit servings a day, 6 oz or less of lean meats, poultry, and fish, 2–3 servings of fats and oils, and nuts, seeds, and legumes 4–5 times a week.
Sodium is the ceiling over all of it. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg a day, with an optimal goal of no more than 1,500 mg for most adults — and more than 70% of what Americans eat arrives in packaged, prepared, and restaurant foods, not from the saltshaker.
What to change first
- Half the plate is produce. In DASH servings that is 4–5 vegetables and 4–5 fruits a day — the biggest single difference from a typical American plate.
- 6 oz or less of meat, poultry, and fish a day — across every meal combined, not per meal.
- Sodium under 2,300 mg, ideally 1,500 mg. Most of it is already in the food when you buy it, so reading labels beats moving the saltshaker.
- Seafood about twice a week (8 oz total), with unsaturated plant oils in place of butter and fatty meats — two swaps that never change the plate's shape.
1. Half the plate — vegetables and fruit
Vegetables take the larger share, fruit the rest. In DASH serving terms that is 4–5 vegetable servings and 4–5 fruit servings a day: broccoli, carrots, collards, green beans, kale, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes; apples, bananas, oranges, melons, peaches, berries. These are the plan's main sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber.
2. The larger half of what's left — whole grains
Oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread and pasta, grits, whole grain cereal, unsalted pretzels and popcorn. DASH calls for 6–8 grain servings a day at 2,000 calories, and NHLBI recommends whole grains for most of them. One serving is a slice of bread, 1 oz of dry cereal, or ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal.
3. The smaller half of what's left — lean protein
Skinless chicken or turkey, fish, lean cuts of beef or pork, eggs, beans, lentils, and tofu. DASH caps lean meats, poultry, and fish at 6 or less a day — and those servings are ounces, so it is 6 oz of cooked meat across all your meals, not per meal. Trim visible fat; broil, roast, or poach rather than fry.
4. Alongside — fat-free or low-fat dairy
2–3 servings a day of fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk, buttermilk, yogurt, or reduced-fat cheese. One serving is a cup of milk or yogurt, or 1½ oz of cheese. Dairy is the plan's main source of calcium and one of its protein sources, but cheese is also one of the saltiest things in most kitchens — milk and yogurt carry the calcium with far less sodium.
5. The ceiling — 2,300 mg of sodium a day, 1,500 mg if you can
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day and an optimal goal of no more than 1,500 mg for most adults. In the DASH studies the 1,500 mg level lowered blood pressure further than 2,300 mg, and the effect was largest for middle-aged and older adults, African Americans, and people who already had high blood pressure. 2,300 mg is about a teaspoon of table salt.
6. Read the label, not the saltshaker
More than 70% of the sodium Americans eat comes from packaged, prepared, and restaurant foods — the saltshaker is a small share of it. Compare Nutrition Facts labels between similar products and take the lower one; aim for 5% Daily Value or less per serving. Breads, cereals, deli meats, cheese, canned soups, sauces, and frozen meals are where it hides.
7. Swap the fat, not the flavor
The American Heart Association recommends unsaturated fats from non-tropical liquid plant oils in place of saturated fats found in foods like coconut oil, butter, and fatty meats. DASH allows 2–3 fats-and-oils servings a day: a teaspoon of soft margarine or vegetable oil, a tablespoon of mayonnaise, or two tablespoons of salad dressing. Herbs, citrus, vinegar, garlic, and salt-free blends replace what the salt was doing.
8. Seafood about twice a week
Aim for about 8 ounces of seafood a week — roughly two meals — in place of meat or poultry on the plate. Salmon, tuna, trout, sardines, and shellfish all count. Seafood delivers protein with healthy oils, which is why it appears in both the DASH food lists and the Dietary Guidelines.
9. Potassium does half the work
The DASH studies paired the sodium cut with a daily potassium goal of 4,700 mg, alongside 1,250 mg calcium, 500 mg magnesium, and 30 g fiber. That is why half the plate is produce: potatoes, beet greens, tomatoes, beans, and bananas are among the richest everyday sources. If you have kidney disease, this is the one target to confirm with your care team before changing anything.
10. Where these numbers come from
The plate shape is the USDA MyPlate pattern from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. The serving targets are the NHLBI DASH eating plan, and the sodium limits are the American Heart Association's. The NHLBI does not publish a DASH plate of its own — this handout puts its published serving targets onto the MyPlate shape, which is why every number above can be checked against a named source.
Not medical advice, and not a cardiac diet prescription. If you are in cardiac rehab, taking blood-pressure or heart-failure medication, or on a fluid or potassium restriction, the targets your care team gives you override anything on this page.
Plate proportions follow the USDA MyPlate pattern in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. The serving targets are the NHLBI DASH eating plan ("Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH", NIH Publication No. 06-4082); the sodium limits are the American Heart Association's. The NHLBI does not publish a DASH plate — this handout puts its published serving targets onto the MyPlate shape. Educational only, not medical advice. MyPlate.food is independent and not affiliated with the NHLBI, the American Heart Association, or the USDA.
Related printables
- DASH Eating Plan Servings Chart — The serving targets behind this plate, at all four calorie levels.
- 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 get under 2,300 mg without losing flavor.
- Eat Seafood Twice a Week — How to hit 8 oz of seafood a week without spending a fortune.