Food servings in the DASH diet:
For a healthy adult on a 2000 calorie daily energy requirement the recommended servings are:
- 6: 8 servings of grains, examples of a serving of grains consists of:
- 1 slice of bread it is best to choose whole grains like whole wheat brown bread to have the extra benefit of the healthy fiber content in it.
- half a cup of rice, pasta preferably brown rice, and homemade pasta with less refined wheat in them to ensure gut health.
- one ounce of dry whole wheat cereals is best to choose the types with the least amount of added sugars and colors.
- 4:5 servings of vegetables,examples of a serving of vegetables consists of:
- one cup of fresh leafy greens such as spinach and arugula are great sources of iron and vitamin k and are known to enhance hair and nail health as well as boost immunity
- half a cup of cooked vegetables like carrots and zucchini in order to get the most benefit out of these vegetables try to choose ones with different colors and textures in making your meals to get all sorts of antioxidants.
- 4:5 servings of fruits,examples of one serving of fruit consist of:
- one medium fruit apples, pears, peaches, berries there are a ton of fruits to pick from try to choose the fruits that are in season that look and smell fresh and use them in all sorts of recipes from smoothies to desserts or just on their own to get the needed vitamins and fibers from the fruits.
- half a cup of fruit juice it is best to make your own juices at home and mix all sorts of fruits together to get more benefits and stay away from juice boxes as they are mostly very high in sugar and lower in fiber.
- half a cup of dried fruits raisins, apricots are highly condensed sources of energy and nutrition with tons of fiber and iron, their only problem is that they are full of sugar but they are great on yogurts and in granola bars.
- 2:3 servings of low-fatdairy products, examples of a serving of dairy products consist of :
- one cup of milk, it is best to substitute full-fat milk or cream with fat-free milk along with your coffee in the morning or with nut kinds of milk if you have lactose intolerance.
- one cup of low-fat yogurt, add a cup of yogurt to your smoothies to benefit from its probiotics and calcium content, and try out greek yogurt with its higher protein and lower sugar content
- one and a half ounces of cheese try to Choose the types of cheese with the lowest possible salt content like ricotta, goat, swiss, fresh mozzarella, and cream cheese.
- Six ounces servings of lean protein, examples of aserving of protein consist of:
- one ounce of poultry, meat, seafood, it is best to use red meat less frequently and add more fresh seafood and fish to the diet to get a lot of omega 3 fatty acids that are good for our health and lower cholesterol levels in our blood.
- 1 egg in the morning with its healthy content of protein and fats can be a great start for the day.
- 4:5 servings of nuts seeds legumes every week, examples of a serving of nuts and seeds consistof :
- a third cup of unsalted nuts are great sources of omega 3 fatty acids mainly walnuts, almonds, and cashews they are great snacks that give you a satisfying toasty crunchy substitute to salty unhealthy chips.
- half a cup of legumes beans and peas are wonderful sources of protein and antioxidants such as edamame, peas, pinto beans… they are very versatile and fulfilling so making chickpea dips with some lemon and spices can be a great side dish to add to your meals.
- 2 tablespoons of seeds of any type, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds for example are great sources of healthy fats and antioxidants that can be used as snacks with no salt added they will make you feel full with their great content of fiber.
- 2 tablespoons of nut butterlike peanut butter or almond butter are highly fatty and they are so easy to make at home with less sugar and salt content.
- 2: 3 servings of fat and oil, examples of a serving of fat consists of:
- one teaspoon of margarine or butter and you have to make sure to use the unsalted variety in lower amounts to be able to lose weight.
- a teaspoon of vegetable oil it is best to use extra virgin olive oil for cooking for its high content of healthy unsaturated fatty acids that decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease
- 2 tablespoonsof salad dressing best made with olive oil, some lemon juice, fresh herbs, and spices but without salt to add to all your veggie bowls.
- 5 servings of sweets and sugar every week, examples of a serving of added sugar consists of:
- one tablespoon of sugar, syrup, or jam, you should try to avoid adding sugar to your drinks as sugar is one of the main causes of obesity it is also advisable to stay away from soft drinks as they contain huge amounts of sugar in them that makes you addicted to the extra unnecessary sugar and harm your body.
