Low fat diet
For a regular healthy diet, it is recommended that of the total
calories eaten, no more than 30% should come from fat. However,
certain diseases and medical conditions can make it difficult for
the body to tolerate even that much fat, so a low-fat diet may help
people with these conditions.
Bile secreted from the gallbladder helps the body break down and
absorb fats. When gallstones or gallbladder diseases are present,
a low-fat diet is often used to prevent complications.
Delayed stomach emptying (Gastroparesis) is a condition in which
the stomach empties food into the intestine too slowly. This can
cause bloating, nausea, and even vomiting. Normally, fat in foods
delays stomach emptying, so fats make gastroparesis worse.
Diarrhea can be caused by many conditions. When it occurs, it can
be aggravated by eating fatty foods.
Absorption is the transfer of nutrients into the bloodstream from
the intestine. In some diseases of the pancreas and small intestine,
patients have trouble absorbing nutrients from the diet, including
fat. A low-fat diet may help to control symptoms until the cause
of malabsorption can be diagnosed.
For a number of reasons, fat may accumulate in the liver. Fat is
not normally stored in the liver, and in some cases this can cause
damage to the liver. A low fat diet and weight reduction may be
helpful.
In most cases, this diet provides all the nutrients required by
the National Research Council's Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA).
In some cases, however, the physician may prescribe supplements.
Women of childbearing age and those people with malabsorption may
need to take certain vitamin and/or mineral supplements.
Be careful how foods are prepared. Trim all visible fat from meats.
Bake, steam, or broil meats and fish instead of frying. Toppings
for potatoes and pastas should contain no fat above the three allowed
daily servings.
This low-fat diet should be used until the underlying medical condition
is controlled or corrected. The physician will give any individual
instructions, and tell you when you no longer need to use the low-fat
diet.
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| Milk & milk products(2 or more cups daily)
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skim milk, evaporated skim milk, skim buttermilk, nonfat sour
cream, yogurt made with skim milk (3 gms fat or less/oz, maximum
of 3 oz/day), fat-free cheeses, low-fat cottage cheese, part
skim mozzarella cheese, part skim or skim ricotta cheese |
whole milk, cream, sour cream, non-dairy creamer, whole milk
cheese, cheese spreads |
| (4 or more
servings daily) |
whole grain and enriched breads, cold cereal, whole grain
cereals (except granola), saltines, soda crackers, low-fat snack
crackers, rice cakes, unbuttered popcorn, low-fat muffins, plain
pasta, barley, oatmeal, home-made pancakes without fat, French
toast made with egg substitute and skim milk |
breads containing egg, cheese, or made with fat; biscuits;
sweet rolls; pancakes; French toast; doughnuts; waffles; fritters;
muffins; granola-type cereals; snack crackers; potato chips;
packaged stuffing; fried rice; chow mein noodles |
| (3 or more servings
daily) |
all vegetables (steamed, raw, boiled, or baked without added
fat) |
fried vegetables or those in cream, cheese, butter sauces, dips
|
| (2 or more servings daily)
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all other fruits |
avocado |
| (5 to
6 oz daily) |
poultry (without skin); veal; lean beef trimmed of fat (USDA
good or choice cuts of round, sirloin, flank, and tenderloin);
fresh, canned, cured, or boiled ham; Canadian bacon; lean pork
(tenderloin, chops, cutlet); fish (fresh, frozen, canned in
water); eggs (boiled, scrambled without added fat); luncheon
meat at least 95% fat free |
any fried, fatty, or heavily marbled meat, fish, or poultry;
beef (USDA prime cuts, ribs, ground beef, corned beef); pork
(spareribs, ham hocks); fish (canned in oil); eggs (fried in
butter, oil, or margarine); luncheon meat less than 95% fat
free |
| (4 to 6 cups or more
daily) |
decaffeinated or regular coffee or tea, cocoa made with skim
milk, fruit juices, soft drinks, water |
beverages made with high fat dairy products |
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fat-free broths, consommés, bouillon; soups made with
fat-free broth, skim milk, evaporated skim milk |
cream soups, soups with added oils or meat fats, soups made
from stocks containing meat fat |
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