DASH Serving Sizes for Heart Health

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- [Nancy] Hello, my name is Nancy Routch, and I am on the Penn State Extension Food, Families, and Health Team.

Here, we will dive a little deeper into what the DASH eating plan serving and portion sizes are based on the 2,000 calorie a day diet.

Let's start by differentiating between serving and portion size.

A serving size is a standard measurement based on the amount of food people typically have at one time.

It is also used on a food label to help you determine how many calories and nutrients are in the food you are eating.

Portion size is the amount of a food you choose to eat which may be more or less than a serving.

When it comes to deciding how much to eat, the terms serving size and portion size are often used interchangeably.

However, they mean different things.

Sometimes it's hard to tell what a serving looks like, so we will use some everyday objects to represent certain amounts.

A baseball equals a cup.

A golf ball, one ounce or two tablespoons.

A tennis ball equals a half a cup.

Three ounces of meat looks like a deck of cards.

A square nine volt battery equals one and a half ounces.

A computer mouse, a half cup or one medium baked potato.

And a small postage stamp would be about a teaspoon.

First, grains.

DASH recommends six to eight servings of grains per day.

Some examples of a serving size from this group include one slice of bread, one ounce dry cereal, or half a cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta.

These should mostly be whole grains, like whole grain cereal and breads, brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat pasta.

Whole grains are good sources of fiber and important nutrients.

Here's what your daily serving of grain should look like.

The DASH eating plan recommends four to five servings per day of both vegetables and fruits.

A serving is one cup of raw leafy vegetable or half a cup of cut raw or cooked vegetable, or one medium fruit, a quarter cup of dried fruit, half a cup of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit.

Vegetables and fruits are great sources of potassium which has been proven to help in lowering blood pressure.

Choose from fresh, frozen, canned, and dried sources.

If you choose canned, buy lower sodium vegetables and fruits canned in their own juice.

Choose two to three servings per day of fat-free or low-fat dairy products.

One cup of milk or yogurt or a one and a half ounces of cheese is considered a serving size.

Dairy products contain calcium, which is important for bone health and instrumental in blood pressure regulation.

Choosing fat-free or low-fat dairy will limit your intake of saturated fats, which are recommended for heart health.

Milk, buttermilk, cheeses, and yogurt are all available in lower fat versions.

It is recommended to get six ounces or less of meats, poultry, and fish each day.

When eating meat, choose lean selections, such as fish, skinless chicken and turkey, pork tenderloin, extra lean ground beef, and round or sirloin beef cuts.

Meats do not naturally contain sodium, but it is commonly added in the prepared and ready-to-eat processed versions of these foods.

For example, a plain fish filet is lower in sodium than fish sticks and a chicken breast is lower than a chicken patty.

Further, limit smoked or processed meats such as deli meats.

Also, if you buy canned tuna and chicken, choose the lower sodium options.

Eat no more than two to three daily servings of fats and oils.

Select soft margarines, vegetable oils like olive and canola, and low-fat mayonnaise and light salad dressings.

A good rule to follow is to choose liquid oils over solid fats.

The suggested serving sizes of these are one teaspoon soft margarine, one teaspoon vegetable oil, one tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise, or two tablespoons light salad dressing.

Sodium intake should be limited to no more than 2,300 milligrams per day.

This adds up to one teaspoon per day.

To lower your blood pressure even more, limit your daily sodium consumption to 1,500 milligrams.

This is about three-quarter teaspoon of salt as shown here.

Throughout the course of the week, the DASH eating plan also recommends consuming a total of four to five servings of nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Almonds, walnuts, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, and sunflower seeds are great option, although try using the unsalted or low-salt varieties.

Nuts provide monounsaturated fat, the type that helps lower your bad cholesterol or LDL and increase your good cholesterol, HDL.

Also consume five or less servings of sweets and sweetened beverages each week.

Satisfy your sweet cravings with fresh or dried fruits, ices, or sorbet.

Layer low-fat yogurt with granola and fruit for a sweet treat.

Try pudding made with fat-free milk or enjoy Graham crackers with peanut butter.

Substitute soda with unsweetened coffee, tea, low-fat milk, or water.

Common objects can help you to recognize the difference between your portion sizes and the recommended DASH eating plan serving sizes.

Think of them the next time and every time you prepare a meal.

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