6 DASH Diet Breakfast Recipes for a Healthy Heart

The DASH diet is a flexible, balanced eating approach that helps to create a healthy routine in your everyday life.

An acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, the DASH diet was originally created as a means to help lower blood pressure, although this style of eating can offer health benefits — even if high blood pressure isn't a concern.

The DASH diet is structured around foods that are rich in potassium and dietary fiber and low in fat and sodium. The primary focus is on whole foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds and lean protein.

A typical DASH diet breakfast can vary widely, from savory to sweet, but the main philosophy is to always on a whole food approach.

If you're following the DASH diet and need some recipe inspiration — or you're just looking for some healthy morning meals — look no further than the six DASH-approved breakfast recipes below.

An egg bake, or frittata, is an easy way to get a breakfast packed with produce and lean protein on the table. There are many ways to create a delicious egg bake using whatever ingredients you have on hand, but this version is full of flavor from ingredients like ground nutmeg and Dijon mustard.

There are plenty of ways to liven up avocado toast, and this recipe does just that. The smoked salmon adds a boost of heart-protective omega-3 fatty acids. This dish is well-rounded with healthy fat from the avocado and smoked salmon, lean protein from the smoked salmon and complex carbohydrates from the whole-grain toast. Feel free to jazz it up with a spritz of lemon mashed in with the avocado.

Overnight oats are a healthy, inexpensive and convenient breakfast option. The pumpkin puree and warming spices here add a seasonal twist that you can enjoy all year long. Oats are loaded with soluble fiber in the form of beta-glucans, which have been shown to lower LDL, or "bad," cholesterol and total cholesterol, per a December 2014 ‌American Journal of Clinical Nutrition‌ study, making them a perfect addition to your DASH breakfast arsenal. Combining the oats with nutrient-dense pumpkin and almond milk makes this a meal you'll revisit over and over again.

Vegetables can be a tasty part of breakfast, especially when paired with eggs. This deconstructed, fresh vegetable omelet showcases a variety of produce, from greens to tomatoes to avocado. Add in a couple of eggs, which are rich in lean protein, vitamin B12, choline and more, and you've got a powerhouse DASH breakfast.

Cook up a batch of steel-cut oats now and have them ready for you all week — or even all month! Meal prep like a pro by adding toppings like fruit and nuts then freezing in individual servings. This is a great way to get a healthy, delicious, warm breakfast ready to go in the time it takes to reheat in a microwave or on a stove.

Bananas, full of potassium, folate, antioxidants and dietary fiber, are a great addition to the DASH diet. And guess what, muffins can be a healthy part of your week! Pair one banana muffin with a half-cup of plain yogurt or cottage cheese, and you've got a tasty, well-balanced, satisfying breakfast.