The Everything DASH Diet Meal Prep Cookbook
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I’m thrilled to share about my new cookbook, The Everything® DASH Diet Meal Prep Cookbook! There’s been a lot of recipe testing going on and I’m excited to finally share about the book that includes 200 easy, make-ahead recipes that combine the health benefits of the DASH Diet with the convenience of meal prepping.
What is the DASH Diet?
DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and while the word ‘diet’ is attached to the name, it’s truly more of a healthy eating pattern. No restrictive, hard to follow diets here!
Studies have shown that the DASH diet can help lower blood pressure in just two weeks with its focus on reducing total sodium intake, and increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and lean meats. It’s one of the smartest (and delicious!) ways to manage blood pressure without the use of medications.
I wanted to make following the DASH Diet as easy and as practical as possible, so that’s why the book also includes a focus on meal prepping.
A Look Inside the DASH Diet Meal Prep Cookbook
All 200 recipes in this book include instructions for how to prepare, cool, and store the food to enjoy either later in the week or even months later! I’ve included a section for Freezer Meal recipes because they can be a real life saver during the busy times, plus a chapter of Staple Meal Prep Components to make meal prep a breeze.
If you’re new to meal prep, be sure to read the chapter on Basics of Meal Prepping. I walk you through best practices and steps to successful meal prep. With as little as 30 minutes of prepping, you can get a head start on meals for the upcoming week with my recipes and guidance!
Some people prefer the “free-form” method of meal prepping, which is more of a batch-cooking approach where you cook large portions of staple foods to have throughout the week and to use in a variety of ways. Others may prefer the “extra portions” method where you make a full meal with the intention of having leftovers to enjoy later.
To share just a few of my favorite recipes from the book, I’ve narrowed down a list of 10 that I think you’ll love too!
- Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup (*freezer meal recipe)
- Cauliflower Steaks with Creamy Chimichurri
- Sesame Honey Shrimp
- Curry Roasted Butternut Squash
- Pistachio Cranberry Granola
- Sheet Pan Pork Roast and Vegetables
- Orange Cornmeal Pancakes (*can be frozen for later use)
- Portobello Mushroom Parmigiana
- Crumb-Topped Mango Muffins (*can be frozen for later use)
- Vegetarian Lasagna (*freezer meal recipe)
Why follow the DASH Diet?
Whether you have high blood pressure or not, the DASH Diet is a healthy, balanced eating style that can work for many people. And while you may not have a diagnosis of hypertension currently, nearly half of adults in the United States have high blood pressure. Chronic high blood pressure can lead to vision loss, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, and other issues.
The best protection against having high blood pressure is prevention. Nutrition and other lifestyle changes are the best ways to prevent a chronic disease like hypertension!
Most people are consuming close to 3,400 milligrams of sodium on a daily basis but the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams a day. Cooking more at home and reducing fast food/restaurant food intake, limiting consumption of foods like frozen entrees, processed meats such as hot dogs, sausages, and deli meat, are a couple ways to limit sodium intake.
In the cookbook, I share many lower-sodium products to use while cooking plus lots of great tips for adding flavor without adding in extra salt. While reducing sodium intake is often the primary focus of managing blood pressure, there are other important nutrients to consider like potassium, calcium, fiber, magnesium, and more! I cover all of this in The Everything DASH Diet Meal Prep Cookbook and the 200 recipes within include plenty of the nutrients we need more of to support a healthy heart.
I’ll be sharing a lot more about the book on Instagram so if you’d like to follow along, join me @karmanmeyer. Plus, there will be book giveaways! If you have a question about the book, please leave a comment below.
Sources
American Heart Association, How much sodium should I eat per day?
American Heart Association, Health Threats from High Blood Pressure
