DASH Diet for Diabetes Type 2 – Overview
In ranking the best diets for several years in a row, 1st place was taken by the so-called DASH diet, considered the most effective diet for improving all health indicators.
According to doctors at the National Institutes of Health, the DASH diet scores 3.3 out of 5 in the Weight Loss Effectiveness category and 4.8 out of 5 in the Health Benefits category.
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a diet specifically designed to lower blood pressure in hypertension.
However, later it turned out that such a diet also solves other vital problems: it lowers cholesterol levels, helps prevent the development of stroke and heart failure, and normalizes weight.
It is also recognized as one of the best diets for the prevention and management of diabetes since it offers all the health benefits that are necessary for people with diabetes, those are weight loss, blood pressure, and blood sugar control, normalizing blood lipids, and so on.
What Makes Dash Diet Diabetes-Friendly Anyway?
The DASH diet includes mostly plant-based food like fruits, vegetables, greens, cereals, nuts, and legumes, and recommendations for low-fat or no-fat dairy products.
The main principle is to limit foods high in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars.
The diet is balanced in the context of many important nutritional components (calcium, potassium, proteins, plant fibers, various vitamins), which are responsible for the functioning of the brain and internal organs like the heart, kidney, liver, etc., as well as for the health of the skin and hair.
It is also convenient that you do not have to track each component separately: it is enough to give preference to those products that we were advised to eat more often (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein-containing and dairy products), and reduce the amount of salt in food.
What is the Difference Between Dash Diet and Other Diets?
The main difference between the DASH diet and other diets is that it was developed for people who need to monitor their diet throughout their lives.
Therefore, you do not have to endure hunger: you can afford a varied, tasty, and satisfying meal plan that can be modified. The main thing is to follow the general principles.
We will demonstrate to you a DASH meal plan that is suitable for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus; the difference is that compared to standard DASH diet meal plans this one consists mostly of low or medium GI (Glycemic index) and carbohydrate foods, which aids in better glycemic control:
Day 1
Breakfast
Low-fat Greek yogurt with 2 chopped apricots
166 calories
Snack
1 medium-sized green apple
95 calories
Lunch
200-gram air-pressured Chicken breast slices with boiled broccoli, asparagus cauliflower, mango salsa
406 calories
Dinner
1 bowl of Vegetable soup
2 slices of Low-fat cheese
1 slice of white bread
283 calories
Orange juice -112 calories
Snack
10 almonds – 80 calories
Total calories of the day: 1142 calories
Day 2
Breakfast
Salmon toast with mashed avocado and parsley
314 calories
Snack
2 slices of Pineapple
81 calories
Lunch
1 Turkey Sandwich
318 calories
Dinner
1 Medium Beef Burrito
554 calories
Snack
50 grams of Pumpkin seeds
223 calories
Total calories of the day 1490 calories
Day 3
Breakfast
200 grams of Oatmeal with 10 raspberries and almond milk
167 calories
Snack
1 medium-sized pear
101 calories
Lunch
1 Tuna sandwich
438 calories
Dinner
5 medium Meatballs with buckwheat tomato sauce
496 calories
Snack
10 Pistachio – 40 calories
Total calories of the day – 1242 calories
Day 4
Breakfast
2 egg Vegetable Omelet – 2 eggs, carrot, mushrooms, green onion, kale
430 calories
Snack
1 whole Grapefruit
103 calories
Lunch
Quinoa salad bowl
542 calories
Dinner
200 grams of Beef goulash with pepper, garlic, and tomato sauce
214 calories
Snack
10 Olives – 40 calories
Total calories of the day – 1329 calories
Day 5
Breakfast
1 cup of Chia pudding with almond milk half sliced medium-sized banana, and 5 strawberries
283 calories
Snack
50 grams of salt-free pretzels
192 calories
2 slices of Cantaloupe
62 calories
Lunch
Salt-free Beef taco
293 calories
Dinner
10 Shrimp in with olive oil, garlic-lime juice, cherry tomatoes, parsley, cheese sauce
208 calories
Snack
1 cup of Salt-free, fat-free Popcorn cup
44 calories
4 Plums
121 calories
Total calories of the day – 1203
Day 6
Breakfast
2 Boiled eggs, 2 peppers, 4 roasted mushrooms, 1 stalk of celery
203 calories
Snack
4 Ham and cheese roll-ups
239 calories
Lunch
1 cup of fruit yogurt
162 calories
10 pecans – 100 calories
Dinner
Chicken caesar salad
508 calories
Snack
10 walnuts – 113 calories
Total calories of the day – 1325 calories
Day 7
Breakfast
1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese and 1 cup of fruit salad
312 calories
Snack
Roasted celery, 1 cucumber with 1 cup of hummus
415 calories
Lunch
1 Roasted zucchini sliced in pieces with cheese, parsley, and pepper
156 calories
Dinner
1 bowl of Chicken soup
178 calories
1 slice of white bread
98 calories
Snack
4 servings of kale chips
113 calories
Total calories of the day – 1272
Fluids like water, tea, and coffee are unlimited if they are sugar-free. Make sure to regularly control your sugar readings.
Consultation with physicians is recommended before making changes to your diet, although the DASH diet is the most safe and effective way to lose weight and gain numerous health benefits.
Printable Dash Diet for Diabetes Type 2 (PDF)
| Meal | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Low fat greek yoghurt with 2 chopped apricots 166 calories | Salmon toast with mashed avocado and parsley 314 calories | 200 grams of Oatmeal with 10 raspberries and almond milk 167 calories | 2 egg Vegetable omelet - 2 eggs, carrot, mushrooms, green onion, kale 430 calories | 1 cup of Chia pudding with almond milk half sliced medium sized banana and 5 strawberries 283 calories | 2 Boiled eggs, 2 peppers, 4 roasted mushrooms, 1 stalk of celery 203 calories | 1 cup of Low-fat cottage cheese and 1 cup of fruit salad 312 calories |
| Snack | 1 medium-sized green apple 95 calories | 2 slices of Pineapple 81 calories | 1 medium-sized pear 101 calories | 1 whole Grapefruit 103 calories | 50 grams of salt-free pretzels 192 calories 2 slices of Cantaloupe 62 calories | 4 Ham and cheese roll-ups 239 calories | Roasted celery, 1 cucumber with 1 cup of hummus 415 calories |
| Lunch | 200 gram air-pressured Chicken breast slices with boiled broccoli asparagus cauliflower mango salsa 406 calories | 1 Turkey sandwich 318 calories | 1 Tuna sandwich 438 calories | Quinoa salad bowl 542 calories | Salt-free Beef taco 293 calories | 1 cup of Fruit yoghurt 162 calories 10 pecans - 100 calories | 1 Roasted zucchini sliced in pieces with cheese, parsley and pepper 156 calories |
| Dinner | 1 bowl Vegetable soup 2 slices of Low fat cheese 1 loaf of bread 283 calories Orange juice -112 calories 395 calories | 1 Medium Beef Burrito 554 calories | 5 medium Meatballs with buckwheat tomato sauce 496 calories | 200 grams of Beef goulash with pepper, garlic, tomato sauce 214 calories | 10 Shrimps in with olive oil, garlic lime juice, cherry tomatoes, parsley, cheese sauce 208 calories | Chicken caesar salad 508 calories | 1 bowl of Chicken soup 178 calories 1 slice of white bread 98 calories |
| Snack | 10 almonds - 80 calories | 50 grams of Pumpkin seeds 223 calories | 10 Pistachio - 40 calories | 10 Olives - 40 calories | 1 cup of Salt-free, fat-free Popcorn cup 44 calories 4 Plums 121 calories | 10 walnuts - 113 calories | 4 servings of Kale chips 113 calories |
| Total calories of the day | 1142 | 1490 | 1242 | 1329 | 1203 | 1325 | 1272 |
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Gvantsa Qvariani is a medical doctor, DTMU graduate, an American MD program based in Georgia. Gvantsa has spent the last 6 years studying and practicing medicine in Georgia and other parts of Europe. She is active in medical researches, scientific conferences, various medical projects and so on. She is specialized in writing medical content based on newest studies from most reliable sources.