Late Summer DASH Diet Dinners: Meal Plan (August 14)
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This week’s menu is Late Summer DASH Diet dinners filled with good-for-you summer foods, some made in minutes and utterly healthy and scrumptious.
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Much like the Mediterranean Diet, the DASH Diet is a healthy way to eat deliciously all year, but especially in summer months, with its emphasis on fruit and vegetables.
What is the DASH Diet?
The DASH diet is a lifestyle way of eating originally developed to stop hypertension. This method has been popular since the early 1990s with tried and true results.
“DASH is not a fad diet, but a healthy eating plan that supports long-term lifestyle changes. It is low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods, and includes whole grains, poultry, fish, lean meats, beans, and nuts. It is rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, as well as protein and fiber. However, it calls for a reduction in high fat red meat, sweets, and sugary beverages.”
National Institutes of Health
How to Eat on the DASH Diet
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends the DASH eating plan as a flexible, balanced plan to create a heart-healthy lifestyle. Here is what they recommend for daily eating.
- Eat vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
- Include fat-free or low-fat dairy products, beans, nuts and vegetable oils
- Limit foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils. Swap for leaner cuts of meat like chicken and fish.
- Limit sugar-sweetened foods and drinks.
- Limit alcohol intake.
- Limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams/day.
Easy Tips to Follow the DASH Diet
When starting the DASH diet, here are some tips to get you going:
- Enjoy a serving of fresh or frozen fruit as dessert after a meal instead of a sugar-sweetened treat—frozen grapes are delicious.
- Incorporate unexpected vegetables into your traditional dishes.
- Explore meatless lunch options instead of a deli meat sandwich.
- Use herbs and spices instead of table salt to flavor your dishes.
- Drink infused water or sparkling seltzer instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Opt for whole-grain options like Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats instead of toast made with white bread.
- Use whole grains as a base for your dishes, like in Whole Wheat Waffles.
Late Summer DASH Diet Dinners Menu
Monday’s dinner is a meatless orzo salad filled with heart-healthy ingredients like spinach and chickpeas. It’s light and perfect for warm days of summer!
Tuesday’s dinner is a DASH Diet take on Mexican food. A delicious, good for you family casserole I’m looking forward to making!
Wednesday’s dinner is a summer Mediterranean classic perfect for warm day. Packed with flavorful ingredients, like tzatziki sauce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and more.
Thursday’s dinner is a quick seafood skillet that’s ready in minutes. Add a large summer salad and dinner is ready. What will you do with all the time this dinner saves you?!
Friday’s dinner is a fun dish that’s been revamped and tweaked for a healthy meal. Add a whole grain bun!
The Treat this week isn’t sugary, but it is sweet– and it takes all of 5 minutes to make. Happy summer 😍.
Have a beautiful week!
RELATED: More 31Daily Dinner Ideas >>
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Late Summer DASH Diet Dinners: Meal Plan (August 14)
- Monday: Spinach Orzo Salad with Chickpeas
- Tuesday: DASH Diet Mexican Bake
- Wednesday: Chicken and Cucumber Pita Sandwiches
- Thursday: Peppered Sole with Mushrooms and Tomatoes
- Friday: Beef and Bean Sloppy Joes
- Treat: 5 Minute Fruit Skewers
Late Summer DASH Diet Dinners: Meal Plan (August 14)
This week's healthy menu features Late Summer DASH Diet dinners filled with good-for-you summer foods, some made in minutes!
Monday: Spinach-Orzo Salad with Chickpeas
"It's healthy, delicious and perfect for warm-weather days."
Tuesday: DASH Diet Mexican Bake
"Mexican flavors will make this chicken casserole a family favorite."
Wednesday: Chicken and Cucumber Pita Sandwiches with Yogurt Sauce
"Cucumbers do double duty in this healthy Greek-inspired chicken pita recipe—they're grated to lend a refreshing flavor to the quick cucumber-yogurt sauce and sliced to provide cool crunch tucked into the pita. Serve these sandwiches for a healthy dinner."
Thursday: Peppered Sole with Mushrooms and Tomatoes
A simple and healthy skillet dinner that is ready in about 15 minutes. It's definitely August-perfect!
Friday: Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes
"This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar."
Treat: Easy Fruit Skewers and 1 Minute Yogurt Dip
DASH diet recommends swapping fresh fruit for sugary treats. These easy 5 minute treats are delicious and festive. You won't even miss dessert!
More Weekly Dinner Plans
You can find all of our past weekly dinner meal plans here!