Look for color when making DASH-friendly meals. The more color on your plate, the healthier the meal. On this page we have several examples of colorful meals, and the associated recipes. Do you need special recipes? Focus on making choices that include fruits, vegetables, and nonfat or low fat dairy foods. Also choose recipes that are low in added sodium, which would include salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Choose desserts based on fruit rather than on pastries, to keep the sodium content low. Add more vegetables to your plate, if your main dish doesn't include them.

For additional recipes, see our page with links to many healthy recipe sites, or buy our new book, The DASH Diet Action Plan which contains 28 days of menu plans and DASH recipes.

Tip: Salad bars are great sources of fresh, cut-up vegetables. You buy only the portion you will use, which makes them more economical. They are also great time savers for people on busy schedules. When you buy a salad, don't just buy lettuce. Add shredded red cabbage, pea pods, beans, radishes, grated carrots, celery, cucumbers, pepper strips, onions, and more. Again, the more color on your plate, the more DASH-friendly the meal.

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Blackened chicken with berry salad

This delicious salad includes lots of vegetables, fruit, along with a lean protein source.

1 teaspoon blackening spice mixture

4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup romaine lettuce

Rub chicken breast with spice mixture, grill until internal temperature is 165°F. Make the salad base with romaine lettuce strips. Top with a variety of vegetables, such as grated carrots, radishes, pea pods, tomato, peas, pepper strips, red cabbage. Then top with a mix of berries, including raspberries, sliced strawberries, and blueberries. Slice the grilled chicken breast into strips and place on top of the salad. Top with your favorite oil and vinegar or raspberry vinaigrette dressing. (Note, to keep sodium low, be sure the spice mixture is salt-free, and use dressings with low sodium).

Tuna salad plate

1 can water packed, low sodium tuna

1 hard boiled egg, diced

1/4 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 cup romaine lettuce

pepper strips, grated carrot, grape tomatoes, shredded red cabbage

Mix together tuna, egg, celery and mayonnaise. Make salad base with romaine lettuce, topped with a variety of sliced vegetables. Place 1/2 cup tuna on top.

Fabulous frittata

6 eggs (or egg substitute)

1 cup frozen extra-sweet sweet corn

1 cup sliced pepper strips

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup sliced onion

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon dry basil ( or 1 tablespoon diced fresh basil)

4 ounces shredded colby/Jack cheese or other cheese blend

Lightly stir eggs, add basil. Pour canola oil into In non-stick frying pan with metal handle, over medium heat. When oil is hot, add pepper strips, onion, and frozen sweet corn. (You can substiute a frozen mixture of pepper strips and onions, if desired). Saute for 3 minutes, stirring and turning over. Then add tomatoes, and continue to stir and turn over. Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until onions are transluscent. Pour egg-basil mixture over the vegetables. Use spatula to lift edges or separate slightly in the interior, and allow eggs to fall to bottom of mixture as the frittata cooks. When egg mixture is thickened all the way through, top with cheese. Then brown under broiler for 2 - 3 minutes. Makes 6 servings. Tip: be sure to use a pan with a metal handle; plastic will melt under the broiler. We used an All-Clad pan.

Low fat pumpkin pie

4 egg whites, slightly beaten

16 ounce can pumpkin (or the meat from 1-lb pumpkin)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp molasses

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

12 oz can evaporated skim (fat free) milk

9" unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine ingredients in above order. Mix well. Pour into pie shell (or into an au gratin dish for a fat-free dessert). Bake for 15 minutes at 425F. Then reduce temperature to 350F, and bake for 45 more minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Each piece of pumpkin pie has 240 Cal, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, and 7 mg cholesterol.

Without the crust, each piece would have 130 Cal, 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, and 2 mg cholesterol. For a low sugar version, use Splenda™ instead of brown sugar, and increase molasses to 3 tablespoons.