We’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about the paleo diet lately, and we decided to see how it would stack up against the DASH diet. The results were hardly surprising. The paleo diet included many more high-calorie, high-fat foods than the DASH diet. In fact, the paleo diet had tons of saturated fat with incredibly low levels of calcium. The DASH diet, on the other hand, was very balanced and included plenty of nutrients.Principles of the DASH DietDASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a heart-healthy diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium, with a focus on fresh, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. It includes small levels of lean meats, fatty fish, and low-fat/nonfat dairy.Principles of the Paleo DietThe paleo diet calls for a return to early man’s eating habits, focusing on meat, certain vegetables, fish, nuts, and some fruit. People eating a paleo diet typically skip grains, vegetable oils, legumes, dairy products, refined sugars, and processed food. For example, instead of butter, many adherents to the paleo diet use coconut oil, etc.Typical DASH Day
Breakfast: Oatmeal with skim milk, berries, and a banana
Lunch: Vegetarian chili with brown rice, a garden salad, and a small whole wheat pita
Dinner: Baked fish, spaghetti squash, brown rice, and steamed broccoli
Dessert: Fresh fruit and plain nonfat yogurt parfait
Stephanie Ronco has been editing for Food and Health Communications since 2011. She graduated from Colorado College magna cum laude with distinction in Comparative Literature. She was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 2008.
DASH Out of the Cave
We’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about the paleo diet lately, and we decided to see how it would stack up against the DASH diet. The results were hardly surprising. The paleo diet included many more high-calorie, high-fat foods than the DASH diet. In fact, the paleo diet had tons of saturated fat with incredibly low levels of calcium. The DASH diet, on the other hand, was very balanced and included plenty of nutrients.Principles of the DASH DietDASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a heart-healthy diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium, with a focus on fresh, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. It includes small levels of lean meats, fatty fish, and low-fat/nonfat dairy.Principles of the Paleo DietThe paleo diet calls for a return to early man’s eating habits, focusing on meat, certain vegetables, fish, nuts, and some fruit. People eating a paleo diet typically skip grains, vegetable oils, legumes, dairy products, refined sugars, and processed food. For example, instead of butter, many adherents to the paleo diet use coconut oil, etc.Typical DASH Day
Typical Paleo Day
Stephanie Ronco has been editing for Food and Health Communications since 2011. She graduated from Colorado College magna cum laude with distinction in Comparative Literature. She was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 2008.
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