| DAYS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEALS | Breakfast: Green Smoothie ——– Lunch: Stuffed Sweet Potato w/ Hummus Drizzle ——– Dinner: Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Bowl | Breakfast: Green Smoothie ——– Lunch: Kale & Quinoa Salad w/ Avocado ——– Dinner: Chickpea & Quinoa Grain Bowl | Breakfast: Green Smoothie ——– Lunch: Kale & Quinoa Salad w/ Avocado ——– Dinner: Beer-Battered Fish Tacos & Poblano Rajas | Breakfast: Orange-Peach Chia Smoothie ——– Lunch: Three-Bean Chili w/ Avocado ——– Dinner: Roasted Salmon & Smoky Chickpeas | Breakfast: Orange-Peach Chia Smoothie ——– Lunch: Three-Bean Chili w/ Avocado ——– Dinner: Chicken Lettuce Wraps w/ Peanut Sauce | Breakfast: Orange-Peach Chia Smoothie ——– Lunch: Three-Bean Chili w/ Avocado ——– Dinner: Maple Chicken w/ Sweet Potato & Brussels | Breakfast: Raspberry Overnight Muesli ——– Lunch: Stuffed Sweet Potato w/ Hummus Drizzle ——– Dinner: Roasted Salmon Rice Bowl w/ Beets |
| DAILY TOTALS | Calories: 1,811 Fat: 55 g Protein: 74 g Carbs: 280 g Fiber: 53 g Sodium: 1,196 mg | Calories: 1,776 Fat: 56 g Protein: 73 g Carbs: 267 g Fiber: 52 g Sodium: 1,411 mg | Calories: 1,808 Fat: 70 g Protein: 62 g Carbs: 261 g Fiber: 45 g Sodium: 807 mg | Calories: 1,783 Fat: 55 g Protein: 92 g Carbs: 244 g Fiber: 47 g Sodium: 1,335 mg | Calories: 1,788 Fat: 70 g Protein: 97 g Carbs: 215 g Fiber: 51 g Sodium: 1,362 mg | Calories: 1,803 Fat: 54 g Protein: 89 g Carbs: 265 g Fiber: 51 g Sodium: 1,264 mg | Calories: 1,826 Fat: 55 g Protein: 99 g Carbs: 249 g Fiber: 49 g Sodium: 1,409 mg |
Day 1
Daily totals: 1,811 calories, 55 g fat, 74 g protein, 280 g carbohydrates, 53 g fiber, 1,196 mg sodium
Breakfast (356 Calories)
Morning Snack (295 Calories)
- 3 pitted Medjool dates
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted natural peanut butter
Lunch (472 calories)
Afternoon Snack (236 Calories)
Dinner (452 Calories)
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted almonds for evening snack.
Day 2
Daily totals: 1,776 calories, 56 g fat, 73 g protein, 267 g carbohydrates, 52 g fiber, 1,411 mg sodium
Breakfast (356 Calories)
Morning Snack (219 Calories)
Lunch (439 calories)
Afternoon Snack (259 Calories)
- Top with 1 Tbsp. chia seeds.
Dinner (503 Calories)
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit afternoon snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted almonds for evening snack.
Meal-Prep Tips
- Prep the Cottage Cheese Snack Jar for Days 2, 5 and 7 ahead of time. You can refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Just wait to add the chickpeas until you’re ready to eat so they don’t get soggy.
- Prep the sweet potatoes and the dressing for the Winter Kale & Quinoa Salad with Avocado for lunch on Days 2 and 3 ahead of time for easy assembly come lunchtime.
Day 3
Daily totals: 1,808 calories, 70 g fat, 62 g protein, 261 g carbohydrates, 45 g fiber, 807 mg sodium
Breakfast (356 Calories)
Morning Snack (295 Calories)
- 3 pitted Medjool dates
- 1 tablespoon unsalted natural peanut butter
Lunch (439 calories)
Afternoon Snack (236 Calories)
Dinner (482 Calories)
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¾ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt and ¼ cup raisins for evening snack.
Day 4
Daily totals: 1,783 calories, 55 g fat, 92 g protein, 244 g carbohydrates, 47 g fiber, 1,335 mg sodium
Breakfast (346 Calories)
Morning Snack (78 Calories)
Lunch (466 calories)
Afternoon Snack (259 Calories)
Dinner (633 Calories)
- Serve with ¾ cup cooked brown rice.
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit avocado from lunch and omit rice from dinner.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted almonds for evening snack.
Meal-Prep Tips
- Prep a big batch of the Three-Bean Chili to enjoy for lunch on Days 4 through 6.
Day 5
Daily totals: 1,788 calories, 70 g fat, 97 g protein, 215 g carbohydrates, 51 g fiber, 1,362 mg sodium
Breakfast (346 Calories)
Morning Snack (219 Calories)
Lunch (466 calories)
Afternoon Snack (236 Calories)
Dinner (521 Calories)
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning snack and omit avocado from lunch.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¾ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt and ¼ cup raisins for evening snack.
Day 6
Daily totals: 1,803 calories, 54 g fat, 89 g protein, 265 g carbohydrates, 51 g fiber, 1,264 mg sodium
Breakfast (346 Calories)
Morning Snack (295 Calories)
- 3 pitted Medjool dates
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted natural peanut butter
Lunch (466 calories)
Afternoon Snack (259 Calories)
Dinner (437 Calories)
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds for evening snack.
Day 7
Daily totals: 1,826 calories, 55 g fat, 99 g protein, 249 g carbohydrates, 49 g fiber, 1,409 mg sodium
Breakfast (401 Calories)
Morning Snack (285 Calories)
- ¼ cup dried apricots
- ¼ cup unsalted almonds
Lunch (472 calories)
Afternoon Snack (219 Calories)
Dinner (449 Calories)
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds for evening snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is it OK to mix and match meals if there’s one I don’t like?Yes! This meal plan is meant to serve as inspiration. It doesn’t need to be followed exactly to reap the benefits. When choosing recipes, we made sure to check the calories, fiber, protein, potassium and sodium to align with the parameters of this plan and be within our sodium limits. If you’re making a recipe swap, it may be helpful to choose a recipe with similar calories, fiber, protein, potassium and sodium levels. For more inspiration, check out these delicious and healthy High-Blood Pressure Recipes.
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Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day?Definitely, it’s fine to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day. The breakfasts range from 346 to 401 calories, while the lunches span 439 to 472 calories. These ranges are fairly close, though if you’re closely monitoring your calories or other nutrients, like protein, you may want to adjust a snack or two.
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Why is there not a 1,200-calorie modification?We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Health Benefits of the DASH Diet
The DASH diet is one of the most well-studied diets out there, and the results are clear—it’s an effective way to manage hypertension. On this diet, fruits, veggies, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein take center stage. Salty foods, alcohol, high-saturated-fat foods and packaged snacks are limited. This ensures you’ll get plenty of potassium, magnesium and calcium to help reduce the effects of sodium and relax your blood vessel walls. Plus, you’ll get limited sodium and saturated fat that can raise blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. Research shows that the DASH diet can not only help lower blood pressure, but it can also improve cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke.
How We Create Meal Plans
Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
