Low Fat Diet

To live a healthy life, it is recommended that no more than 30% of your food comes from fat.¹ However, in certain medical conditions and diseases, it can be difficult to digest even small amounts of fat. A low-fat diet is not only good for these conditions, but it is also beneficial for weight loss and for reducing cholesterol in people with cardiac issues.²

Conditions Requiring a Low-fat Diet

Certain medical conditions that require a low-fat diet are³:

Gallbladder disease

Bile is secreted from the gall bladder, which helps break down fat. A low-fat diet is recommended in the presence of gall stones or any other gall bladder disease.

Gastroparesis

Gastroparesis, or slow emptying of the stomach, is a condition that causes bloating, nausea, and vomiting and requires a low-fat diet for easy digestion.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is aggravated by eating fatty foods.

Malabsorption of nutrients

Patients suffering from diseases of the pancreas and small intestine have difficulty absorbing certain nutrients, especially fats.

Type 2 diabetes

A low-fat diet is known to contribute to decreasing blood sugar levels.⁴

Heart disease

Heart disease and related conditions such as myocardial infarction, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol require eliminating excess fat from the diet.

Special Considerations to Avoiding Excess Fat

Eliminate all visible fat from food, i.e., trim beef, pork, and chicken.
Bake and steam meat and fish instead of deep-frying.
Toppings such as sauces for pasta, rice, and potatoes should be fat-free.

Recommended Foods for a Low-fat Diet

Milk and Milk Products

Skim milk
Skim buttermilk
Cream
Yogurt made with skim milk
Low-fat cottage cheese
Evaporated skim milk

Bread and Grains

Whole grain
Plain pasta
Barley
Rice cakes
Cold cereal
Low-fat snack crackers

Vegetables

All vegetables should be steamed, boiled, or baked without added fat.

Fruits

All fruits are acceptable, except avocado

Meat or Meat Substitutes

Poultry without skin
Boiled ham
Eggs
Luncheon meat
Bacon

Beverages

Regular coffee or tea
Water
Fruit juices

Fats and Oil

Whole walnuts
Whole pistachios
Sunflower seeds
Olive oil
Peanut oil
Coconut oil

Sweets and Desserts

Hard candy
Jelly beans
Jams
Vanilla wafers
Ginger snaps
Fruit ice
Gelatin

Foods to Avoid

Certain food groups that should be avoided include:

Whole milk
Cream
Cheese
Cheese spreads
Biscuits
Sweet rolls
Pancakes
French toast
Muffins
Potato chips
Fried rice, chow mien
Butter
Doughnuts
Ground beef
Ice cream
Pastries
Cream puffs
Cakes
Pastries
Chocolates
Pies

Sample Menu
Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
grapefruit 1/2 dry cereal 3/4 cup banana 1/2 medium whole wheat toast 2 slices margarine 2 tsp jelly or jam 1 Tb skim milk 1 cup coffee 3/4 cup	fat free vegetable soup 1 cup lean hamburger 2 oz mozzarella cheese made with skim milk 1 oz hamburger bun sliced tomato lettuce fresh fruit salad 1/2 cup angel food cake 1 slice skim milk 1 cup coffee 3/4 cup	tomato juice 1/2 cup broiled chicken breast without skin 3 oz herbed rice 1/2 cup broccoli 1/2 cup with low fat cheese sauce 1/4 cup hard dinner roll margarine 1 tsp carrot/raisin salad 1/2 cup low fat frozen strawberry yogurt 1/2 cup skim milk 1 cup

This sample diet provides the following:
Calories	2,060	Fat	50 gm
Protein	110 g	Sodium	4,000 mg
Carbohydrates	299 g	Potassium	4,245 mg

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References:

Bhandari P, Sapra A. Low Fat Diet. BMJ. 2022;322(7289):804. doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7289.804/a
Ebbeling CB, Ebbeling IS, Lichtenstein AH, et al. Dietary Fat: Friend or Foe? Clin Chem. 2018;64(1):34. doi:10.1373/CLINCHEM.2017.274084
Seid H, Rosenbaum M. Low Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diets: What We Don’t Know and Why We Should Know It. Nutrients. 2019;11(11). doi:10.3390/NU11112749
Watson N, Dyer K, Buckley J, et al. Effects of Low-Fat Diets Differing in Protein and Carbohydrate Content on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors during Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance in Obese Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrients. 2016;8(5). doi:10.3390/NU8050289