What the DASH studies taught us about a healthy diet

The first DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) study was published in 1997.

And it’s still the bedrock of today’s advice from the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, American Cancer Society, and others: Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, include low-fat dairy, poultry, fish, beans, whole grains, oils, and nuts, and limit sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red meats.

How did DASH happen?

“The study started with observations of populations where there’s very little high blood pressure and very little rise in blood pressure with age,” says co-author Frank Sacks, professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

In contrast, roughly one out of two U.S. adults now have high blood pressure, or hypertension. It’s a major risk factor for strokes and heart attacks.

“Also, studies on vegetarians suggested that diet plays a large role in blood pressure,” says Sacks.

“So scientists at NHLBI-the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-decided that we needed a definitive clinical trial to see whether the DASH dietary pattern would lower blood pressure.”

The trial randomly assigned 459 adults-most had higher-than-normal blood pressure-to eat one of three diets:

  • a typical American diet,
  • a typical American diet with extra fruits and vegetables (instead of snacks and sweets), or
  • a DASH diet (a typical American diet with extra fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy and less saturated fat and cholesterol).

The researchers prepared all the food for the participants. (That’s part of what made the study “well controlled.”)

“After eight weeks, the fruits and vegetables had lowered blood pressure significantly” compared to the typical American diet, says Sacks, “but only about half as much as the DASH diet lowered pressure.”

Why?

“Even now, we don’t fully understand how those changes-switching from high-fat to low-fat dairy, from beef and pork to fish and chicken, and from butter to oils-lowered blood pressure more than fruits and vegetables alone,” says Sacks.

The next study: DASH-Sodium

Since all three diets in the DASH study had the same amount of sodium, “the NHLBI scientists thought we should see what happens if you reduce sodium in both the DASH diet and the typical American diet,” Sacks explains.

So researchers randomly assigned 412 people to eat one of those two diets with high levels of sodium (3,300 milligrams a day), with intermediate levels (2,400 mg a day), or with low levels (1,500 mg a day).

“The blood pressure reduction from cutting salt was substantial, especially in older people,” says Sacks. And if you add the drop from switching to a DASH diet, the difference was huge.

“The DASH diet alone can lower blood pressure as much as taking a blood-pressure-lowering drug,” says Sacks. “If you also cut salt, it can be superior to drug treatment.”

But the researchers had yet another question.

“We wondered what would happen if you took away some of the carbs in DASH and replaced them with unsaturated fats or protein,” says Sacks. (More than half of the extra protein would come from plant foods like beans and nuts.)

That led to a third DASH study.

The OmniHeart Study

“Replacing some of the carbohydrate with protein or unsaturated fat lowered blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides more than the original DASH diet,” says Sacks.

“But bear in mind that it wasn’t just a diet in which everything was slathered with cheese or oil,” notes Sacks. “It was the same healthy DASH dietary pattern.”

Photo:  Jen Urban/CSPI.

The information in this post first appeared in the December 2018 issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter.

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Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower in a skillet with fresh parsley.

This easy cauliflower recipe will quickly rise to the top as your favorite side dish. The cauliflower is roasted until it’s browned and crispy. It’s served with plenty of garlic, Parmesan cheese, and fresh lemon juice. It’s a favorite along with this Grilled Cauliflower and the Best Cauliflower Mash.

If you aren’t roasting your cauliflower yet, you are missing out. It is the best way to eat cauliflower in my opinion and you really can’t beat the crispy, browned, caramelized bits of cauliflower. To kick things up another notch, this roasted cauliflower gets a healthy dose of garlic, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes if you like spice, and fresh lemon juice. It’s pretty dreamy and tastes like a fancy restaurant side. 

Now when it comes to roasting cauliflower, there are really two methods. You can oven roast the cauliflower, basically baking it at a high temperature OR you can pan roast the cauliflower. Both turn out delicious.

Normally I will opt to use whichever method is more convenient. If I am cooking something in the oven at around the same temperature, then into the oven it goes. If I have something in there at a different temperature, then I opt to cook it on the stove in a nice hot skillet. Both methods work great.  This is also one of those recipes that you can make a million different ways once you master the base recipe.

Switch up the spices, use fresh herbs, try different spices, the options are pretty endless once you get going. But truth be told, this is by far my favorite way. Plus my family, kids included, practically fight over the last pieces. In fact, if you visited our kitchen, you would see us grabbing it right off the sheet pan. It’s that good.

Roasted cauliflower with Parmesan, lemon, and parsley in a light blue dish.

The Key To Crispy Roasted Cauliflower

I am going to let you in on a secret to getting super delicious, crispy roasted cauliflower. It all comes down to how you cut the florets. One tricky part about cooking cauliflower is that the shape of a typical floret is very uneven and there isn’t a lot of surface area that comes in contact with the baking sheet or pan. This means less browning. But, if you can learn to cut your florets to have a flat edge that stays in contact with the hot pan, then you can achieve maximum browning.

Here’s what to do:

  • Cut the cauliflower into planks that are around 3/4 inch thick. Basically, you are making cauliflower steaks.
  • Then carefully cut around the core of the cauliflower to create florets that are flat on the top and bottom. 
  • Don’t throw out the core! Chop it as well and throw it on the pan with the florets. It all tastes amazing when roasted.
  • Now when you roast it, you have plenty of flat surface area that can brown. 

How to Roast Cauliflower in the Oven

Roasting cauliflower in the oven couldn’t be easier. Once you have your flat florets cut (as explained above), toss them with olive oil and spread them into a single layer on a baking sheet. Make sure the cauliflower has some space around it. When they overlap too much, they will steam instead of brown. You can add in any seasoning you like. Our standard is garlic or garlic powder, salt, and pepper but almost anything works. 

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Any spices you like
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 with the baking sheet inside the oven so it gets hot as well.
  2. Cut the cauliflower into flat florets. First, cut it into 3/4 inch thick planks. Cut around the core to cut individual florets.  Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any seasoning you are using. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the cauliflower florets, flat side down, onto the baking sheet in one layer. You should hear it sizzle.
  3. Roast for 25 minutes, flipping the cauliflower halfway through.
  4. One important note, if the cauliflower can’t flip easily, wait a few more minutes. That means it isn’t ready to be flipped.

How to Pan Roast Cauliflower

There are lots of different ways you can skillet roast or pan roast cauliflower, but only one way will result in cauliflower that is both tender and browned. The key is starting out in a cold, covered pan so that the cauliflower can begin to soften. Then crank things up and get the cauliflower nice and brown.

The other key step is trying to cut your florets so that they have as much flat surface area as possible. This method is described above.

The last trick to cooking cauliflower in a pan is to cook in batches. It’s almost impossible to fit an entire head of cauliflower in one skillet and get them all browned. If you care about them all getting browned, they need to cook in a single layer. Otherwise when they are piled up on top of each other, the bottom florets brown but nothing else. 

Here is the basic recipe for pan roasting cauliflower.

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into flat florets (see tip above)
  • 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Toss all of the cauliflower with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any seasoning in a large bowl.
  2. Grab a heavy skillet and add the cauliflower to the cold pan in a single layer.
  3. Cover and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Then open and cook for 10-12 more minutes, stirring the cauliflower a couple of times. 

Garlic roasted cauliflower in a skillet with Parmesan cheese, parsley, and lemon

Ways to Use Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower  

Besides using it as a side dish, there are so many different ways to use roasted cauliflower.  There are also tons of possibilities when you mix up the seasoning blends. 

  • This cauliflower is so good with pasta. For a quick and easy dinner, cook up your favorite pasta. Top it with marinara sauce, a big mound of this cauliflower, and some sliced chicken sausage, cooked shrimp, or cooked lentils. 
  • It also is a killer addition to a grain bowl. Start with quinoa, farro, or brown rice. Top with this garlic Parmesan cauliflower, fresh or sauteed spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, and a spoonful of store-bought or homemade pesto.
  • Reach for some eggs and make a delicious scramble with roasted cauliflower and sundried tomatoes, toss it in a frittata with some chopped ham and green onions, or add to a baked egg dish like these Parmesan and Tomato Baked Eggs.
  • It is hard not to think about a salad when you think about roasted veggies. This is no exception. For an Italian inspired salad, start with a bed of arugula and add cherry tomatoes, garlic Parmesan cauliflower, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and some olives.

Seasoning Ideas

Once you start making cauliflower this way, you will never steam it or saute it again. It’s essentially impossible to turn back once you have tasted the browned bits of crispy cauliflower. It’s just too good. Knowing that, here are some other options for flavoring your roasted cauliflower for future recipes.

  • Mexican: Toss the cauliflower with taco seasoning (or a simple mix of paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder). Then toss it with lime juice and fresh cilantro. You could also melt some cheddar cheese on top. 
  • Steakhouse: Steak seasoning is something we love and tossing cauliflower with this punchy spice blend is delicious.  Add Parmesan cheese and lemon at the end.
  • Indian: For an Indian option, toss the cauliflower with your favorite curry powder and add fresh cilantro right before serving.
  • Greek: Toss the cauliflower with Greek seasoning and then finish it with lemon juice, parsley, and feta cheese.
  • Ranch: Use dry ranch seasoning to cook the cauliflower and add lots of fresh lemon juice and parsley before serving.
Calories 140, Total Fat 10g, Total Carbohydrate 9g, Protein 6g, Serving Size 1 cup

Mustard Pretzel Chicken Fingers

Pretzel chicken gingers with honey mustard dressing.

When you are craving chicken fingers, these Baked Pretzel Chicken Fingers are exactly what you need! Served with a homemade honey mustard dressing, these are a meal the whole family will love. Serve them with Crispy Turnip Fries or Zucchini Fries.

You know what the best part about recipe creation is for me? It’s when I can use ingredients I already have around the house to create yummy dishes. For instance, when I was looking for a new take on the same-old-same-old chicken breast, it also so happens I had a bit of a cold. So, while I wanted to cook, I also didn’t want to leave the house to get any groceries. That more or less forced me to get creative with what I had on hand.

As luck would have it, that morning I had also happened to be watching some Food Network (I am a little bit of an addict) when I saw a great recipe where the chef made a tilapia fillet coated in ground pretzels, and I couldn’t help but think that the pretzel coating would make a great alternative to a traditionally baked chicken finger.

On the show, they coated the fish in mayo before breading it, which immediately made me think of mustard and greek yogurt, which are my go-to substitutes for mayo. I decided to combine them to bread the chicken and was really happy with the outcome.

So after a morning spent watching food shows, and with a little time on my hands and the hunger finally returning to my stomach, I put inspiration together with what was in my pantry to create these Mustard Pretzel Chicken Fingers, and I have to admit, these are way better than I could have imagined. And honestly, I  think it’s a way better use of this kind of pretzel breading than on tilapia. I guess I’ll have to make both at some point to do a fair comparison.

Pretzel chicken tenders being dipped in honey mustard dressing.

Side Dishes to Serve with Pretzel Chicken Fingers

  • These little babies go great with a variety of dipping sauces, so in addition to the one you’ll make here, you can also mix it up with plain old yellow mustard, skinny ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and even – eeek – ketchup (hey, sometimes that’s all the kids will eat, right?).
  • Side salads always work and salad fixings are something I try to keep in my crisper drawer at all times. Slice and layer the chicken right on your salad for a full and healthy meal.
  • Want to sneak in some greens? Consider making these green bean fries – kids love them!
  • Potatoes in almost any form are great to round out a chicken dish as well. Try baking some baked skinny fries, roasted potato wedges, or even a baked potato.

Ideas for Customizing Mustard Pretzel Chicken Fingers

I think this recipe is universal and should be liked and enjoyed by even the pickiest eaters; however, there are times when you’re going to need to customize it. Some of the easiest ways to make this your own include:

  • Using gluten-free pretzels if you need a gluten-free option.
  • If you don’t have any pretzels on hand you could also substitute cornflakes or panko as a crusty breading option.
  • If you are not a fan of mustard, then you can skip it in the sauce and dip or instead use mayo, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, or any condiment you like on chicken.
  • You could also make this with turkey tenderloins.
  • If you don’t have whole grain mustard, you could use just the dijon or any mustard you have on hand.
  • Double or triple your mustard flavor by using mustard-flavored pretzels instead of plain pretzels.
  • Add garlic powder or minced garlic to the sauce (either dipping, coating, or both).
  • If you are watching your sodium intake, use salt-free pretzels for the pretzel coating. (You’ll be adding salt to the chicken before dipping anyway.)

Pretzel coated chicken fingers on a plate with honey mustard on the side.

How Can I Use Leftover Pretzel Chicken Fingers

While I used the leftovers for salads all the following week, there are many ways you can use any leftover chicken you may have:

  • Add a leftover finger to a sandwich. Eat it cold – it’s so good that way!
  • Cut up the pretzel-coated chicken fingers and toss them with some cold, cooked rice noodles or other pasta and add chopped green peppers, thinly sliced red onions, some cherry tomatoes, and a nice mustard vinaigrette.
  • Add cut up chicken to a pasta salad or make a chicken salad with it.
  • Mix up diced, leftover chicken with some leftover beans or add it to the top of a refried-bean-and-chicken tostada topped with lettuce and sour cream.

This recipe originally appeared in 2012 but has been updated with new photos, an updated honey mustard dipping sauce, and recipe tips.

Calories 412, Total Fat 3g, Total Carbohydrate 47g, Protein 46g, Serving Size 2 tenders

Mustard Pretzel Chicken Fingers

Pretzel chicken gingers with honey mustard dressing.

When you are craving chicken fingers, these Baked Pretzel Chicken Fingers are exactly what you need! Served with a homemade honey mustard dressing, these are a meal the whole family will love. Serve them with Crispy Turnip Fries or Zucchini Fries.

You know what the best part about recipe creation is for me? It’s when I can use ingredients I already have around the house to create yummy dishes. For instance, when I was looking for a new take on the same-old-same-old chicken breast, it also so happens I had a bit of a cold. So, while I wanted to cook, I also didn’t want to leave the house to get any groceries. That more or less forced me to get creative with what I had on hand.

As luck would have it, that morning I had also happened to be watching some Food Network (I am a little bit of an addict) when I saw a great recipe where the chef made a tilapia fillet coated in ground pretzels, and I couldn’t help but think that the pretzel coating would make a great alternative to a traditionally baked chicken finger.

On the show, they coated the fish in mayo before breading it, which immediately made me think of mustard and greek yogurt, which are my go-to substitutes for mayo. I decided to combine them to bread the chicken and was really happy with the outcome.

So after a morning spent watching food shows, and with a little time on my hands and the hunger finally returning to my stomach, I put inspiration together with what was in my pantry to create these Mustard Pretzel Chicken Fingers, and I have to admit, these are way better than I could have imagined. And honestly, I  think it’s a way better use of this kind of pretzel breading than on tilapia. I guess I’ll have to make both at some point to do a fair comparison.

Pretzel chicken tenders being dipped in honey mustard dressing.

Side Dishes to Serve with Pretzel Chicken Fingers

  • These little babies go great with a variety of dipping sauces, so in addition to the one you’ll make here, you can also mix it up with plain old yellow mustard, skinny ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and even – eeek – ketchup (hey, sometimes that’s all the kids will eat, right?).
  • Side salads always work and salad fixings are something I try to keep in my crisper drawer at all times. Slice and layer the chicken right on your salad for a full and healthy meal.
  • Want to sneak in some greens? Consider making these green bean fries – kids love them!
  • Potatoes in almost any form are great to round out a chicken dish as well. Try baking some baked skinny fries, roasted potato wedges, or even a baked potato.

Ideas for Customizing Mustard Pretzel Chicken Fingers

I think this recipe is universal and should be liked and enjoyed by even the pickiest eaters; however, there are times when you’re going to need to customize it. Some of the easiest ways to make this your own include:

  • Using gluten-free pretzels if you need a gluten-free option.
  • If you don’t have any pretzels on hand you could also substitute cornflakes or panko as a crusty breading option.
  • If you are not a fan of mustard, then you can skip it in the sauce and dip or instead use mayo, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, or any condiment you like on chicken.
  • You could also make this with turkey tenderloins.
  • If you don’t have whole grain mustard, you could use just the dijon or any mustard you have on hand.
  • Double or triple your mustard flavor by using mustard-flavored pretzels instead of plain pretzels.
  • Add garlic powder or minced garlic to the sauce (either dipping, coating, or both).
  • If you are watching your sodium intake, use salt-free pretzels for the pretzel coating. (You’ll be adding salt to the chicken before dipping anyway.)

Pretzel coated chicken fingers on a plate with honey mustard on the side.

How Can I Use Leftover Pretzel Chicken Fingers

While I used the leftovers for salads all the following week, there are many ways you can use any leftover chicken you may have:

  • Add a leftover finger to a sandwich. Eat it cold – it’s so good that way!
  • Cut up the pretzel-coated chicken fingers and toss them with some cold, cooked rice noodles or other pasta and add chopped green peppers, thinly sliced red onions, some cherry tomatoes, and a nice mustard vinaigrette.
  • Add cut up chicken to a pasta salad or make a chicken salad with it.
  • Mix up diced, leftover chicken with some leftover beans or add it to the top of a refried-bean-and-chicken tostada topped with lettuce and sour cream.

This recipe originally appeared in 2012 but has been updated with new photos, an updated honey mustard dipping sauce, and recipe tips.

Calories 412, Total Fat 3g, Total Carbohydrate 47g, Protein 46g, Serving Size 2 tenders

Healthy Meal Plans: Week 3 and Last Days for 25% OFF

Healthy meal plan with soft tacos, spaghetti squash, gnocchi, and sushi bowls.

In my own experience, this is when it starts it to get hard, Life starts to get busy, old habits creep back in, and New Year’s goals start to be pushed aside. It’s easy to fall off track, but with a little focus and hard work – this is the time your new habits start to form. They say it takes at least 3 weeks for a new routine or habit to stick so just stick with it, dig into this week’s delicious meals, and know that next week it will get easier. 

Now on to this week’s meal plan! Now on to this week’s meal plan. It starts out with a delicious Broccoli and Cheese Frittata, Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas, and Slow Cooker Italian Red Pepper Chicken. Monday brings Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs with Fresh Mozzarella and Tuesday is Easy Chicken Soft Tacos. Wednesday is General Tso’s Pork and Thursday is Gnocchi with Zucchini and Summer Squash. To end the week, meals include Spicy Shrimp Sushi Bowls and Barbecue Cheddar Turkey Burgers.

Don’t miss out on our 25% off New Year’s Special! There are just a couple of days left to take advantage of this great deal! Just $3 per month for weekly meal plans with shopping lists.

Here are some of the meals in this week’s meal plan!

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs with Melted Mozzarella: This is one of those meals that makes people love spaghetti squash. The sauce is rich, the meatballs are delicious, and the melted mozzarella makes it indulgent. You won’t miss the pasta, I promise.

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs with Melted Mozzarella on a cutting board.

Spicy Shrimp Sushi Bowls: Let’s be honest, no one has time to roll sushi at home on a busy weeknight. But these sushi bowls mean you don’t have to – make them with shrimp, tuna, salmon, chicken, or tofu.

Spicy Shrimp Sushi Bowls with edamame, carrots, cucumber, seaweed, and avocado.

Potato Gnocchi with Zucchini and Corn: There are so many good things happening in this dish – fluffy potato gnocchi, sweet squash and corn, and the best creamy sauce. Lightened it up with cauliflower gnocchi as well.

Potato Gnocchi with Zucchini and Corn in a skillet with Parmesan cheese.

General Tso’s Pork: Takeout at home is one of my favorite things to make and this sweet and slightly spicy pork with broccoli couldn’t be more delicious.

General Tso's Pork with broccoli over rice in a bowl with chopsticks.

Remember to check out the healthy, low carb, and vegetarian meal plans all with nutritional info and Freestyle SmartPoints.

Love the idea of meal planning but don’t have time to find recipes, create shopping lists, and make meal plans?

Since I know that many people simply don’t have the time to create their own healthy meal plans, we provide delicious and healthy meal plans at Slender Kitchen that you can customize to meet your needs.

Each healthy weekly meal plan comes full of delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The meal plans come in regular, vegetarian, and low carb options. All feature complete nutritional information, Weight Watchers SmartPoints, and categorized shopping lists! There are also two bonus fallback recipes weekly and the option for either a complete meal plan or a Dinner Only plan. This includes our interactive meal planning option where you can customize the number of servings for each meal, swap in new recipes if you don’t like something, or build your own meal plan from scratch. All that for less the cost of one cup of coffee per month with the yearly plan.