Fat-Restricted Diet

by Scheinberg D

What Is a Fat-Restricted Diet? | Why Follow a Fat-Restricted Diet? | The Diet Basics | Eating Guide for This Diet | Eating Tips

Low-Fat Diet (50 Grams)

What Is a Fat-Restricted Diet?

A fat-restricted diet limits the fat that a person can eat each day.

Why Follow a Fat-Restricted Diet?

This diet may be given to people with health problems that make it hard to process fat. This includes problems like long-term pancreatitis and gallbladder disease. A fat-restricted diet will lower the side effects of fat malabsorption, such as diarrhea, gas, and cramping.

The Diet Basics

A fat-restricted diet often limits fat to 50 grams per day. Fat has nine calories per gram. So, if a person needs 2,000 calories each day, this means about 22% of those calories can be from fat. The rest should be from carbs and proteins.

Most people can meet their nutrient needs on this diet. A supplement may be needed if fat is very limited or the diet needs to be followed for a long time. Vitamins A, D, E, and K need fat to be absorbed.

Eating Guide for This Diet

This guide is based on the current US food guide, MyPlate. More information on the types of food included in each food category and serving sizes is available at .

Food Category	Foods to Eat	Foods to Avoid
Grains	Whole-grain breads Low-fat whole-grain cereals Rice Pasta or noodles Homemade pancakes or French toast made with minimal fat Low-fat crackers Baked chips Pretzels Popcorn without butter	Fried rice Granola Biscuits Sweet rolls Muffins, scones, coffee bread, and doughnuts Most pancakes and waffles Cheese bread
Vegetables	Fresh, frozen, or canned veggies	Veggies in butter, oil, or sauce Fried veggies Mashed potatoes made with butter, margarine, or cream French fries
Fruit	Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits	Avocados, coconuts, and olives Fruit made with butter, cream, or sauce
Milk	Fat-free-like nonfat, skim milk Low-fat or nonfat cheeses Fat-free yogurt or kefir Fat-free buttermilk	Reduced fat (2%) or whole milk Chocolate milk Cream like whipped, heavy, or sour Whole milk yogurt Regular cheese
Proteins	Lean meats Chicken or turkey without the skin Lean fish Beans and legumes Egg whites; limit whole eggs to three per week	Fatty cuts of meat Duck or goose Bacon Sausage or hot dogs Cold cuts Fish canned in oil Nuts and peanut butter
Limited Fats and Sweets	Honey Jam Hard candies Jelly beans Marshmallows Low-fat or fat-free ice cream or frozen yogurt Sherbets or fruit ice Jell-O Angel food cake	Butter, margarine, lard, and shortening than is more than what is allowed Snack chips Ice cream Pastries, pie, cake, and cookies Chocolate Most candy
Beverages	Coffee, tea Carbonated beverages Juice Water Coffee drinks made with fat-free milk Cocoa made with fat-free milk	Frappes, milk shakes Eggnog
Other	Soups made from a fat-free milk or broth base Herbs and spices Salt in moderation	Cream soups Non-dairy creamer

Eating Tips

Look for these words on food labels: low-fat, nonfat, and fat-free.
Choose foods that have less than 3 grams of fat per serving. Be sure to eat only one serving.
Do not eat fried and sautéed foods. Use low-fat cooking methods, such as:
Baking, roasting, broiling, or poaching
Grilling, boiling, or steaming
Choose lean cuts of meat, such as loin and round. Trim fat before cooking.
Eat small meals more often. This will make it easier for the body to process fat that may be eaten.
Work with a dietitian to help choose the right foods.

RESOURCES

Choose My Plate—US Department of Agriculture http://www.choosemyplate.gov

Eat Right—Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics http://www.eatright.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES

Canadian Association of Gastroenterology http://www.cag-acg.org

Dietitians of Canada http://www.dietitians.ca

References

Dietary fat. EBSCO Nursing Reference Center website. Available at: https://www.ebscohost.com/nursing/products/nursing-reference-center. Accessed April 6, 2022.

Dietary guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 and online materials. US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services. Available at: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials. Accessed April 6, 2022.

Diets for weight loss. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/management/diets-for-weight-loss. Accessed April 6, 2022.

What is MyPlate? My Plate—US Department of Agriculture website. Available at: https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate. Accessed April 6, 2022.

Revision Information

Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review BoardDianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN
Update Date: 04/06/2022

EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

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