DASH Diet for Diabetes Type 2

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)

800 Calorie Meal Plan for Type 2 Diabetics

7 Day Keto Meal Plan for Diabetics

Vegan Meal Plan for Diabetics

Dash Diet Smoothies for Blood Pressure

Dash Diet Recipes Phase 1