Low Fat Diet Food Selection Guide

Foods Allowed for a Healthy Low-Fat Diet

Protein-rich Foods

For Vegetarians

• Legumes, grains, nuts, cooked with little or without fat
• Hard-boiled egg
• Skim or nonfat milk

Note: Use whole or evaporated cow's milk in moderation


For Non-Vegetarians

• Fish without skin and fat, cooked with little or no oil

Carbohydrate-rich Foods

• All, except restricted foods

Vegetables

• All, cooked with little or without fat

Fruits

• All, except avocado

Fat-rich Foods

• Vegetable oil in allowed amounts only (just enough for once-in-a-while frying and sautéing

Soups

• Clear, fat free low-fat soup

Beverages

• Fruit juices

• Soymilk, nonfat or skim milk

Desserts/Sweets

• Gelatin

• Fruit juices

• Dietary sherbet

• Angel cake, sponge cake, pudding made of skim milk instead of fresh or whole milk

Foods NOT Allowed

Protein-rich Foods

• Meat and poultry with visible fat

• Meat and poultry skin

• Egg (fried, omelet)

• Cream cheese

• Carabao’s milk, condensed milk

Carbohydrate-rich Foods

• Rich bread with added fat

Vegetables

• Buttered or creamed

• Salads with rich dressings

Fruits

• Avocado

• Salads with rich dressings

Fat-rich Foods

• Mayonnaise, butter, oil, margarine, cream

• Bacon, animal skin cracker (chicharon)

• Fried chips, French fries

• Other fried foods

Soups

• Cream soup

• Bone marrow preparation (bulalo)

Beverages

• Coffee, caffeinated, alcoholic beverages, wine

• Soda beverages as soft drinks

• Whole milk, full cream milk

• Milk shakes, chocolate drinks, malted milk

Desserts/Sweets/Salad

• Rich cakes

• Pies, pastries, cookies

• Butter and cream icings

• Doughnuts, deep-fried pastries

• Candied custard (yema), eggyolk/milk custard (leche flan)

• Dessert with coconut milk

• Salads with mayonnaise and cream

Note: For more Tips on Healthy Low Fat Diet See Low Fat Diet

Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.123 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

Low Fat Diet

A low fat diet allows a minimal amount of dietary fat which comprises 15% of the total calorie requirement of the person. The normal fat percentage is 20 to 35% of total calorie requirement per day.

This diet is prescribed to persons with liver disorder, gallbladder problem, hyperlipidemia (increased blood lipid level), and heart disease. (See Hepatitis, Gallstone Formation, Gallbladder Inflammation, Atherosclerosis, Hypercholesterolemia, Hypertension, Myocardial Infarction, Cancer, Diabetes, Gout) This is not as NO-fat diet but a low-fat diet. A right amount of fat is important in the body’s use of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Some Tips for a Low Fat Diet

• Avoid pork, fatty meats, animal fats, and animal skin.

• Substitute meat with fish or legume and grain combinations.

• Eat more unrefined or unprocessed foods.

• Increase vegetable and fruit intake except avocado. Avocado is rich in fat.

• Eat fruits instead of rich cakes and sweets for dessert.

• Drink fruit juices instead of full cream milk, milk shakes, malted milk and chocolate drinks.

• Use and drink only soymilk, skim, low fat or nonfat milk. Whole milk and full cream milk products such as cheese and ice cream are fat-rich.

• Boil, bake, and broil as often as desired. Limit frying and sautéing. (In a meal, you may have fried fish if the rest is cooked without fat or you may have sautéed dish with little oil. However, the rest must be fat-free).

• Deep fry rather than fry with little oil when frying is unavoidable. In deep frying, the food absorbs less oil (when it is hot) than frying with little oil. Place fried foods over paper towels to reduce oiliness.

• Sauté once in a while provided just enough oil is used to sauté onion and garlic.

• Prefer plain rice over fat-rich bakery products.

• Eat regularly. A 3-meal-a-day diet is recommended. Eating between meals encourages intake of fat-rich snack foods.

• Eat a good, heavy breakfast and a light supper always.

• Minimize dining out. Commercial food preparations are generally rich in fats, salt, spices, and sugar.

• Choose low fat soups like vegetable soup. Limit creamy soups.

• Take note of salad dressings and sauces. These are usually fat-rich.

• Avoid coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. Drink 6 to 8 (at least) glasses of water a day between meals. See The Importance of Water.

Note: For List of Foods which are Allowed and Not Allowed for a Low Fat Diet See Low Fat Diet Food Selection Guide

Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.120-121 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6