Fruits and Vegetables

• According to the DASH diet, you should aim to consume four to five servings of both fruits and vegetables each day. For fruits, this is equivalent to about 1/2 cup of fruit juice, 1/4 cup of dried fruit, 1/2 cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruit (fresh is better), and one medium fresh fruit. For vegetables, four to five servings equals about 1 cup of a raw, leafy vegetable, 1/2 cup of vegetable juice, and 1/2 cup of either raw or cooked vegetables.
  
  

Grains and Dairy

• The DASH diet recommends that you eat six to eight servings per day of grains, preferably whole grains. This equals roughly one slice of bread, 1 oz. of cereal, and 1/2 cup of cooked pasta or rice. Eat about two to three servings of the dairy group, which would be about 1 cup of low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt, and 1 1/2 oz. of low-fat cheese.
  
  

Protein

• Consume about four to five servings per week of nuts, seeds and legumes. This is equivalent to 2 tbsp. of peanut butter, 2 tbsp. of seeds, 1/2 cup of cooked peas or dry beans, and 1/3 cup of nuts. Consume six or fewer servings of lean meats, fish and poultry. This is about one egg plus 1 oz. of cooked meat.
  
  

Fats and Sweets

• The DASH diet recommends that you do not exceed two to three servings of fats and oils per day. This equals 1 tsp. of margarine, 1 tsp. of vegetable oil, 2 tbsp. of salad dressing and 1 tbsp. of mayonnaise. You should also aim to consume no more than five or less servings of sugar and other sweets per week. An example of this amount is about 1 cup of lemonade, 1 tbsp. of sugar, 1 tbsp. of jam and 1/2 cup of sorbet.
  
  

Good Food Examples

• It's especially important to include plenty of potassium in your diet, as potassium can help balance the negative effects of sodium. Foods rich in potassium include broccoli, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, kale, lima beans, peas, squash, apples, bananas, oranges, grapes and peaches.
  
  

Alcohol and Tobacco

• It's important to limit your alcohol intake if you have hypertension. Alcohol can not only interfere with blood pressure medications, but it can also raise your blood pressure if you drink in excess. Drinking alcohol in excess is considered to be about two drinks daily for men, or one drink for a woman. If you smoke, quitting is essential for lowering your blood pressure. Each cigarette that you smoke can raise your blood pressure for an hour after you smoke, by 10 mm/Hg or more.