The Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) diet isn't just about managing blood pressure; it's a holistic approach to healthy eating that allows for satisfying your sweet tooth in a guilt-free way. The American Heart Association recommends DASH, because it is a heart-healthy diet that encourages consumption of whole foods, like fruits and vegetables, skinless fish and poultry, low-fat dairy, legumes, and whole grains. This article provides a variety of DASH diet-friendly dessert recipes, demonstrating that you can enjoy delicious treats while staying true to your health goals. Even small changes made gradually lead to significant benefits.
Understanding the DASH Diet
Before diving into the recipes, it's important to understand the principles of the DASH diet. DASH is scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and have other health benefits. It emphasizes:
- Plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Fish, poultry, and lean meats
- Beans, nuts, and whole grains
- Low-fat dairy
The DASH diet is low in salt, saturated fats, processed food, and alcohol. It can also be followed as a generally healthy diet.
Tips for Reducing Salt and Sodium
Eating less sodium can have heart-healthy benefits. Some tips to make healthier food choices when shopping, cooking, and dining out include:
- Drain your canned foods, because they tend to have a lot of salt on them.
General Dessert Guidelines for DASH
A registered dietitian who specializes in the DASH diet shared her favorite healthy desserts that she recommends to clients with Insider. According to the Mayo Clinic, stick to the recommended three to five tablespoons of sugar per week for the DASH diet.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Featured DASH Diet Dessert Recipes
Here are some healthy dessert options:
Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas
"Dark chocolate covered frozen bananas are a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth while also reaping some nutrition benefits," Smith said.
Ingredients:
- Bananas
- Dark chocolate
Directions:
- Peel and slice bananas over-night, or at least 8 hours.
- Remove bananas from freezer and add them to a food processor.
- Simply dip bananas into dark chocolate, and freeze.
Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps to maintain a healthier sodium-potassium balance in the body, she said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most Americans eat too much sodium and not enough potassium. Those with high blood pressure can decrease their sodium levels by eating more potassium. Plus, dark chocolate provides antioxidants, and contains flavonoids, which are associated with lowering blood pressure in those with hypertension.
Berries and Whipped Cream
Berries and whipped cream (or whipped dairy-free topping, if you prefer) is a really quick and simple sweet treat.
Ingredients:
- Berries of choice
- Whipped cream or dairy-free topping
Directions:
- Wash the strawberries and pat dry with paper towels. Divide strawberries into 6 serving dishes and set aside.
- Place the berries in a large bowl.
- "Simply top one cup of berries of choice with whipped topping of choice and enjoy!"
It's naturally sweet, contains fiber from the berries, as well as specific benefits from the berries you pick. Strawberries, for example, contain lots of vitamin C, and blueberries contain vitamin K and lots of antioxidants.
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
Cherry Crumble
This vegan, gluten free cherry crumble recipe is really easy to make, by putting a mix of oats and flour on top of cherries and baking in the oven.
Ingredients:
- Cherries
- Oats
- Flour
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Combine all the ingredients and bake in the oven.
The crumble can be paired with whipped cream to help you get in the two to three daily dairy portions recommended for the DASH diet. "Tart cherries are shown to be more beneficial for blood pressure regulation, but all cherries provide antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, so choose whichever you prefer," said Smith. The oats in the crumble topping are also a great source of fiber.
Deep Dish Cookie Pie
This cookie pie recipe uses white beans or chickpeas as a secret, healthy ingredient.
Ingredients:
- White beans or chickpeas
- Chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350. Grind the cookies in a food processor. Lightly spray a 9″ glass pie pan with vegetable cooking spray.
- Combine all the ingredients and blend together until it's completely smooth, then add chocolate chips, and bake.
The beans or chickpeas boost the protein and fiber content of this dessert, said Smith, and using dark chocolate chips will provide antioxidants. This recipe is also free from refined sugar because it uses natural sweeteners.
Yogurt Parfait
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup of yogurt
- Strawberries
Directions:
- Clean and slice strawberries into quarters, set aside.
- Place ¾ cup of yogurt into each of 4 serving dishes.
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsweetened dark chocolate
- Butter
- Yams
- Brown sugar
- Applesauce
- Honey
- Chia gel
- Vanilla
- Yogurt
- Boiling water
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
- Slowly melt unsweetened dark chocolate.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with yams, brown sugar, applesauce and honey for 2 minutes.
- Add chia gel and beat for another 2 minutes.
- Beat in vanilla and then chocolate.
- Gradually stir in half the flour mixture and then half the yogurt.
- Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and yogurt.
- Slowly and carefully stir in the boiling water.
- Bake for about 20 minutes. Test cake with a toothpick.
- Drizzle melted chocolate over cake.
Rice Pudding
Ingredients:
- Water
- Rice
- Milk
Directions:
- Boil 2 cups of water in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Add rice, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Combine milk and rice in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil.
Baked Pears and Strawberries
Ingredients:
- Pears
- Strawberries
- Lemon juice
- Almond extract (optional)
- Orange juice
- Natural sweetener
Directions:
- Toss pears in lemon juice, and strawberries in almond extract (if using).
- Combine orange juice and natural sweetener, mix well.
Apple Pie Smoothie
Ingredients:
- Frozen apple slices
- Yogurt or milk
- Applesauce
- Cinnamon or apple pie spice
Directions:
- In a blender container combine frozen apple slices, yogurt or milk, applesauce and cinnamon or apple pie spice.
- Cover and blend until smooth.
Fruit Popsicles
Ingredients:
- Watermelon cubes
- Natural sweetener
- Lemon juice
Directions:
- Puree the watermelon cubes in a food processor.
- Measure 4 cups of the puree and place in a bowl.
- Add the natural sweetener and lemon juice.
- Blend the ingredients in a blender.
- Pour about ½ cup of the smoothie mixture into your molds or cups.
Baked Apples
Ingredients:
- Apples
Directions:
- Peel top 1/3 of apples and hollow out center with a knife.
- Arrange, peeled end up, in microwave-safe baking dish.
Fruit Pizza
Ingredients:
- Sugar
- Natural sweetener
- Oil
- Applesauce
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Dried cranberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil or spray a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- In a small bowl, cover dried cranberries with boiling water. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes to plump.
- Mix sugars, natural sweetener, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly.
- Stir dry ingredients together.
Berry Pie
Ingredients:
- Blueberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Wash and drain the blueberries and place them in a 9 inch pie plate.
Grilled Peaches
Ingredients:
- Peaches
Directions:
- Heat outdoor grill to low heat.
- Grill the peaches, covered on low or indirect heat until soft, about 2-4 minutes on each side.
Kefir with Frozen Fruit
Ingredients:
- Frozen fruit
- Kefir
Directions:
- Soften frozen fruit on counter 15-30 minutes
- Pour ⅔ cup kefir into a bowl
Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients:
- Cornstarch
- Cocoa powder
- Natural sweetener
- Salt
- Milk
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, mix cornstarch, cocoa powder, natural sweetener and salt until well combined.
- Whisk in milk.
Cream Cheese Dessert
Ingredients:
- Cream cheese
- Yogurt
- Vanilla
- Sugar
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese with yogurt, vanilla and sugar.
- Mix well until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Lime Cakes
Ingredients:
- Lime juice
- Honey
Directions:
- Make the cakes: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Set aside 2 ungreased baking sheets.
- Whisk together the lime juice and honey in a bowl until the honey dissolves.
Orange Zest
Ingredients:
- Orange
Directions:
- Using a fine grater, remove 1 teaspoon of zest from the fresh orange.
Getting Started with DASH
Moving to heart healthy eating doesn’t have to be difficult. Learn how to make DASH work for you with these easy tips. Following DASH means you’ll be eating delicious food that’s also good for you. Not sure where to start? This menu has seven days of heart-healthy meal ideas.
Read also: Weight Loss with Low-FODMAP