Medically reviewed by Sohaib Imtiaz, MD Key Takeaways The DASH diet focuses on reducing high blood pressure (hypertension) ...

The DASH diet is a meal plan designed to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. DASH diet foods include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean sources of protein.

so including cooked foods increases the variety of your diet. Cooking also improves the flavour of many veg, and if this makes you more likely to eat them it's worth losing some nutrients!