Stock up on DASH staples

You're more likely to prepare healthy dishes if you have healthy foods on hand. Try to keep these items in your kitchen:

• Fruits. Choose a variety of fresh fruits, such as apples, oranges and bananas. Add variety with apricots, dates and berries. Select fruit canned in its own juice, not in heavy syrup, and frozen fruits without added sugar.
• Vegetables. Buy fresh, frozen or canned vegetables, such as tomatoes, carrots, broccoli and spinach. Choose frozen vegetables without added salt or butter or sauces. Opt for canned vegetables low in sodium.
• Low-fat dairy products. Look for lower fat dairy options when buying milk, buttermilk, cheeses, yogurt and sour cream.
• Grains. Buy whole-grain varieties of bread, bagels, pitas, cereal, rice, pasta, crackers and tortillas. Compare labels and choose lower sodium items.
• Nuts, seeds and legumes. Almonds, walnuts, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas (garbanzos) and sunflower seeds are among the healthy options. But get unsalted or low-salt varieties.
• Lean meats, poultry and fish. Opt for lean selections, such as fish, skinless chicken and turkey, pork tenderloin, extra-lean ground beef, and round or sirloin beef cuts. Look for poultry not injected with fat or broth. Choose lower sodium canned fish and meat. Limit smoked or processed meats, such as deli meats.
• Condiments, seasonings and spreads. Herbs, spices, flavored vinegars, salsas and olive oil can add zest to your meals without the salt overload. Choose low- or reduced-sodium versions of condiments.