DASH meal plan, built for your blood pressure.
DASH is the eating plan from the NHLBI for blood pressure: vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy, whole grains, beans and nuts. Here is a week at about 1,900 calories a day, plus what to buy. Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from NHLBI DASH advice.
The rules
Three habits do most of the work
Plants fill most of the plate
Vegetables and fruit at most meals, with beans and whole grains alongside.
Low-fat dairy every day
Milk and yogurt bring calcium with less saturated fat.
Sodium under 2,300 mg
Cook fresh food and let lemon, garlic and herbs carry the flavor.
Sample week
Seven days of DASH meals
About 1,850 to 2,070 calories a day. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
If you take blood pressure medicine or have kidney disease, check with your care team before changing how you eat. Your sodium target is personal, and some medicines change how much potassium you can have.
Day 1Monday
BreakfastOatmeal with banana, milk and walnuts1 cup cooked oats, 1 cup 1% milk, 1 banana, 1 tbsp walnuts, 1 tsp brown sugar
LunchChicken, brown rice and broccoli bowl4½ oz grilled chicken breast, 1¼ cups cooked brown rice, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon
SnackGreek yogurt with strawberries1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 tbsp almonds
DinnerBaked cod with barley and green beans6 oz baked cod, 1 cup cooked barley, 1½ cups green beans, 2 tsp olive oil, lemon and garlic
About 1,850 kcal138 g protein30 g fiber
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastPeanut butter toast with pear2 slices whole-wheat bread, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 pear
- LunchLentil vegetable soup with a side salad2½ cups homemade lentil and carrot soup, side salad with 1 tbsp olive oil and lemon, 1 oz whole-wheat roll
- SnackApple with almond butter1 apple, 2 tbsp almond butter
- DinnerSalmon with sweet potato and asparagus6 oz baked salmon, 8 oz roasted sweet potato, 10 asparagus spears, 2 tsp olive oil
About 2,070 kcal105 g protein51 g fiber
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastEgg and vegetable scramble2 eggs with spinach, tomato and bell pepper in 1 tsp olive oil, 1 slice whole-wheat toast, 1 orange, 1 cup 1% milk
- LunchBlack bean bowl with chicken and salsa1 cup cooked black beans, 3 oz chicken breast, ½ cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup corn, salsa, ¼ avocado
- SnackGreek yogurt with peaches and walnuts¾ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 peach, 6 walnut halves
- DinnerShrimp and snow pea stir-fry5 oz shrimp, 1½ cups snow peas and red pepper, ½ cup shelled edamame, 1 cup cooked brown rice, 2 tsp sesame oil, ginger, garlic and lime
About 1,940 kcal139 g protein44 g fiber
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastYogurt parfait with granola and blueberries1 cup plain low-fat yogurt, ⅓ cup granola, 1 cup blueberries, 1 tbsp sliced almonds
- LunchTuna baked potato with salad1 large russet potato, 4 oz canned tuna in water, 3 tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 cup salad greens with 2 tsp olive oil, 1 cup grapes
- SnackCarrots with hummus1 cup carrot sticks, ¼ cup hummus
- DinnerChicken thighs with potatoes and carrots5 oz skinless chicken thigh, 1 cup roasted potatoes, 1 cup roasted carrots, ½ cup peas, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,840 kcal107 g protein34 g fiber
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastPeanut butter banana smoothie1 cup 1% milk, 1 banana, 2 tbsp peanut butter, ⅓ cup rolled oats, ½ cup ice
- LunchBarley salad with chickpeas and ricotta1 cup cooked barley, ¾ cup chickpeas, cucumber, tomato and red onion, 1 tbsp olive oil, ¼ cup part-skim ricotta
- SnackAlmonds with dried apricots2 tbsp almonds, ¼ cup dried apricots
- DinnerChicken with quinoa and Brussels sprouts5 oz chicken breast, 1 cup cooked quinoa, 1½ cups roasted Brussels sprouts, 2 tsp olive oil
About 1,970 kcal102 g protein40 g fiber
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastWhole-grain pancakes with berries3 whole-grain pancakes (4 inches each), ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, ¾ cup mixed berries, 1 tbsp maple syrup
- LunchVeggie burger with slaw and beans1 veggie burger on a whole-wheat bun, 1 cup cabbage slaw with 1 tbsp yogurt dressing, ½ cup no-salt-added white beans, 1 orange
- SnackPopcorn with almonds3 cups air-popped popcorn (unsalted), 1½ oz unsalted almonds
- DinnerPork tenderloin with wild rice and spinach5 oz roasted pork tenderloin, 1 cup cooked wild rice blend, 2 cups sautéed spinach with 2 tsp olive oil and garlic
About 1,850 kcal104 g protein36 g fiber
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastEgg and avocado toast with tomato2 eggs, 1 slice whole-wheat toast, ¼ avocado, sliced tomato, 1 cup 1% milk, 1 orange
- LunchSheet-pan chicken with chickpeas and peppers4 oz chicken breast, ¾ cup chickpeas, 1½ cups bell peppers and onion, 1 tbsp olive oil, smoked paprika
- SnackKiwi with string cheese and crackers2 kiwi, 1 low-fat string cheese, 4 whole-grain crackers
- DinnerStuffed peppers with turkey and brown rice1 large bell pepper, 4 oz lean ground turkey, ½ cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup corn, ½ cup no-salt-added tomato sauce, 1 oz part-skim mozzarella, salad with 2 tsp oil
About 1,870 kcal126 g protein34 g fiber
Shopping list
What to buy
Most days
Low-fat dairy1% milk, plain yogurt, part-skim mozzarella and ricottagreek yogurt
Now and then
Frozen vegetables and fish without sauce are as good as fresh and much lower in sodium.
Make it yours
This week is a sample. Alma builds yours.
- Meals fit to your goal and the foods you like
- Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds
- Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100
Questions
What people ask
What is the DASH diet?
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is an eating plan from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute built around vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish and poultry, with less sodium, sweets and red meat.
Does the DASH diet lower blood pressure?
The NHLBI reports that the benefits of DASH, and of DASH with less sodium, showed up in people with and without high blood pressure. DASH with sodium cut to 1,500 mg a day was more beneficial than DASH alone or less sodium alone. Your own results will vary.
How much sodium is in this meal plan?
Every day here is built from fresh food, with no canned soup, deli meat, soy sauce or salty cheese. Days should land under the NHLBI's 2,300 mg target, but bread, cheese and condiments add up. Read labels and pick the lowest-sodium version.
How many calories is this meal plan?
About 1,850 to 2,070 calories a day, with 100 to 140 grams of protein and 30 to 51 grams of fiber a day. Scale portions up or down to your needs. The calorie calculator gives you a starting number.
Can I follow DASH if I don't eat dairy?
Yes. Dairy is in DASH for calcium and protein. Unsweetened soy milk with added calcium, calcium-set tofu and canned salmon with bones can fill the gap. Check labels, and ask your care team or a dietitian if you are unsure.
Is the DASH diet the same as the Mediterranean diet?
They overlap a lot. Both center on vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains and fish. DASH adds a set sodium limit and servings of low-fat dairy, because it was designed for blood pressure. The Mediterranean diet puts olive oil at the center.
How does Alma help with DASH?
Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds, and Alma scores it from 0 to 100 using Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index, which rewards vegetables, fruit, beans and whole grains. Alma can also build a plan around your goal and the foods you like.
Sources
Written by Alma from the sources below and reviewed October 28, 2026. Calories and protein are estimates. This is general information, not medical advice. If you manage a health condition or take medication, check changes with your clinician. Editorial standards
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.