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Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

The Healthier Eating Plan

The DASH 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* 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal
Vegetables	4-5	1 cup raw leafy vegetable 1/2 cup cooked vegetable 6 ounces vegetable juice
Fruits	4-5	1 medium fruit 1/4 cup dried fruit 1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit 6 ounces fruit juice
Lowfat or fat free dairy foods	2-3	8 ounces milk 1 cup yogurt 1.5 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 1.5 ounces nuts 1 tablespoon or 1/2 ounce seeds 1/2 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 1/2 ounce jelly beans 8 ounces lemonade

* Serving sizes vary between 1/2 -1.25 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 1/2 serving; 1 tablespoon of a fat free dressing equals 0 servings.

Source: National Institutes of Health

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