
Low-fat eating
Fat is a major source of fuel for our bodies. It also provides our body with important vitamins and essential fatty acids.
Fat is usually important as part of a healthy diet but there may be times when you need to follow a low-fat diet. This may be because you're having trouble digesting or absorbing fat or you have gallstones or pancreatitis.
Foods very high in fat
Some foods are very high in fat, and you should avoid them or only eat them occasionally:
- butter, margarine or spread, cream and all oils
- coconut cream
- mayonnaise and salad dressings made with oil
- fried foods such as fish and chips and fatty meats such as sausages, salami and canned corned beef
- potato chips, nuts, high-fat crackers and creamy dips
- pastries, pies, cakes, biscuits and chocolate.
Tips for eating less fat
- Choose non-fatty (lean) red meat or remove any visible fat from meat before you cook it.
- Take the skin off chicken after you've cooked it.
- Use plant-based spreads and spray cooking oils instead of butter and use them sparingly.
- Switch to lower-fat milk (green, yellow or light-blue top and some plant-based milks such as almond, lite soy or rice). Use this milk in cooking, on cereals and in drinks such as smoothies, milkshakes and coffee.
- Use low-fat yoghurt and reduced-fat cheese, such as Edam, Noble, Parmesan or feta.
- Use small amounts of lite or reduced-fat coconut milk instead of coconut cream.
- Choose healthier takeaway options, such as sushi or kebabs and wraps with plenty of salad.
- Avoid deep-fried food and processed meats.
- Use low-fat cooking methods like grilling, poaching and baking instead of frying.
If you need to follow a low-fat diet, it’s important that you eat a wide variety of foods. This will help ensure you get all the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. The table below shows which foods you can include and which foods you should avoid or limit.
If you're having difficulty maintaining your weight on a low-fat diet, or you're concerned you're missing out on some nutrients, talk to your general practice team. They can refer you to a dietitian.
Foods to include or avoid on a low-fat diet
Food Group
|
Lower fat - include
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High fat – avoid or limit
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Bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles
|
- Breakfast cereals with less than 10 g fat per 100 g cereal
- Plain breads including white, wholemeal, wholegrain and rye
- Fruit loaf
- Plain boiled pasta, low fat noodles (for example, vermicelli, Hokkien, wheat noodles and udon) and rice
- Plain sweet biscuits or low-fat savoury crackers
|
- Toasted cereals or muesli
- Cereals containing coconut, seeds or nuts
- Turkish or focaccia bread
- Croissants, donuts, muffins, pastries, cakes, muesli bars, chocolate or cream biscuits
- Fried rice or instant noodles
- Pasta dishes with cream or cheese sauces
|
Fruit
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- All fresh, frozen or tinned fruit except avocado and olives
|
|
Vegetables
|
- All vegetables (steamed, raw, boiled or baked without fat)
|
- Vegetables cooked in fat (for example, chips and roast veges)
- Salads with creamy or oily dressing
|
Milk and milk products
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- Green, yellow or light-blue top milk (fresh, powdered or long life)
- Low-fat plant-based milk (for example, almond, lite soy or rice)
- Low-fat evaporated milk
- Low-fat yoghurt, ice-cream or custard
- Low-fat ricotta or cottage cheese
- Small amounts of reduced-fat cheese (for example, Edam, Noble, Parmesan or feta)
|
- Dark-blue top milk
- Regular soy milk
- Oat milk
- Coconut cream, milk or yoghurt
- Fresh cream or sour cream
- Evaporated or condensed milk
- Full cream or Greek yoghurt, ice-cream or custard
- Cream cheese or cheese spread
- Full-fat cheeses
|
Meat, fish, chicken, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds
|
- Lean meat with all visible fat trimmed
- Chicken with no skin
- Lean mince or mince boiled with fat drained
- Eggs – poached, boiled or scrambled with no added fat
- Lean sandwich meats (chicken, turkey or ham)
- Fish and seafood – grilled, poached or baked
- Tinned fish in brine or spring water, 98% fat-free flavoured tuna or salmon
- Legumes (for example, baked beans, chickpeas, hummus and lentils)
- Tofu
|
- Fatty meats (for example, sausages, salami, bacon, luncheon and canned corned beef)
- Fried chicken, chicken nuggets or chicken Kiev
- Crumbed or battered fish
- Oily fish (for example, mackerel, salmon, sardines and tuna)
- Tinned fish in oil
- Fried eggs
- Fried tofu
- All nuts and nut butters
|
Fats and oils
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- Limit extra fat to 1 tablespoon per day (includes butter, margarine or spread, cooking oils, mayonnaise, Copha, ghee, lard and oily salad dressings)
|
- Butter, margarine or spread, cooking oils, mayonnaise, Copha, ghee, lard and oily salad dressings
|
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Page created June 2022.
Sources
Image and embedded video sources
Low-fat food image from Shutterstock (image ID 1033079713). May 2022.
Page reference: 1011898
Review key: HIHEI-34305