Cholecystitis Low-Fat Diet Ideas

Being on a low-fat diet is easier if you remove the temptation of higher-fat goodies from your home. Restock your kitchen with whole-grain, low-fat foods. Making a few adjustments to your diet will allow you to enjoy the taste of your favorite foods without making you feel deprived. This will lead to a healthier lifestyle, whether you are eating a low-fat diet for your gall bladder, heart or health in general.

Easy Replacements

• Eggs are healthy for you but are high in fat. Use egg substitute instead. Making a Sunday omelet with them is easy: Just season the mixture with your favorite spices and add fresh vegetables or non-fat cheese.

  Cheese is a great source of calcium but is also laden with fat. Substitute low or non-fat cheese in your recipes. Be aware that this cheese has a different "melt point" and may become a little runny.

  Ground chuck makes a great burger but it too is high in fat. Try using 97-percent fat-free ground meat at your grocery. Better yet, have the butcher trim all the fat away and grind up a lean piece of sirloin or eye round roast. Ground turkey breast is excellent as well. Make sure it is all breast meat, as regular ground turkey often includes the skin. Remove skin from poultry before cooking as well.

  Butter tastes great and can actually be healthier than margarine. The problem is the fat. Try one of the spray-on butters to reduce the amount you use. This goes for salad dressings as well. The spray-on dressings keep you from drowning the salad.

Cooking Styles

• The days of frying in butter or oil are gone. Use spray oil in a non-stick pan. There are non-aerosol bottles you can buy that will allow you to use pure olive oil to spritz the pan. The key is to spritz, not soak! Blot all fried foods with a paper towel to absorb any excess grease. You can place fried meats in a colander and rinse as well.

  Grilling is a great way to cook as it allows the excess fat to drip away. Baking is also good as long as you do not allow the food to sit in its own greasy juices. Use a rack in the pan to allow the fat to drip away.

Low-Fat Ideas

• This list is not all-inclusive, but is offered to give you ideas:

  • Canned tuna and salmon packed in water, 97-percent fat-free meats, low-fat breakfast meats, non/low-fat cheese, non/low-fat yogurt, egg substitutes.
  • Low-fat soups and gravies, low-fat mayonnaise, non/low-fat sour cream, fat-free puddings, fat-free coffee creamer, non/low-fat frozen desserts, spray-on oil and butter substitutes.
  • Reduced-fat baked pretzels, popcorn and other breads and baked goods.

  Give yourself time to readjust your taste buds. They may be used to the classic American diet that is loaded with fat. In time, you will be able to enjoy the flavor of the food you are eating and will never miss the fat and grease.

  This information is intended as reference only. All treatment decisions should be made between you and your medical professional team.