Fat-controlled Diet

These instructions are for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients who are recommended to lower fat in their diet.

Instructions to lower fat in the diet:

• Limit/avoid butter, margarine, and oil.

• Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy.

• Avoid fried foods. Grill, broil, bake, braise, steam, poach or microwave foods rather than frying them. Sauté with water or broth instead of oil.

• Choose lean meats such as chicken or turkey breast without skin (other lean meats are listed below).

• Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables.

• Look for "low-fat", "nonfat", or "fat-free" on food labels.

  • "Fat-free": has less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.

  • "Low-fat": has 3 grams of fat or less per serving and not more than 30% calories from fat.

  • "Reduced-fat": has at least 25% less fat than reference food. These foods may still be high in fat if reference food is very high in fat. Check the food label for fat per serving.

• When cooking, use nonstick cooking spray instead of butter or oil.

• Use vegetables or whole grains to replace some of the meat content of burgers, meatloaf, and chili.

• Use fat-free chicken broth or fat-free milk in mashed potatoes, soups, gravies and stews.

• Try fat-free evaporated milk in creamy soups and casseroles instead of heavy cream.

• Top your pies or line your tarts with phyllo dough instead of regular pastry.

• Make oven-baked sliced potatoes instead of making or buying French fries.

• Try these additional low-fat substitutions:

  • Instead of oil, try non-fat cooking spray.

  • Instead of butter, margarine, or gravy try herbs and spices, onion, garlic, low-fat milk.

  • Instead of creamy salad dressings, try lemon juice, vinegar or fat-free dressings.

  • Instead of 1 whole egg , try 2 egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute.

  • Instead of fat in baking recipes, try equal amounts fruit puree (1 tablespoon oil in baking = 1 tablespoon applesauce) , soft tofu, or plain nonfat yogurt.

  • Instead of whipping or heavy cream, try evaporated skim milk.

  • Instead of nuts, try dried fruit.

  • Instead of croissants and pastries, try bagels, bread, or rolls.

Recommended foods and foods to avoid:

Grains:

• Recommended foods:

  • Whole grain or white bread, bagels, English muffins

  • Oatmeal, cream of wheat, grits, dry cereals without nuts or coconut

  • White or brown rice, barley or other grains

  • Spaghetti, macaroni or other pasta without egg yolks

  • Soda crackers, graham crackers, low-fat or fat-free crackers

  • Home-made pancakes or French toast prepared with minimal fat

• Foods to avoid or limit:

  • Bread with cheese

  • Biscuits, muffins, scones, sweet rolls, doughnuts

  • Cereal with added nuts or coconut, granola

  • Fried rice

  • Egg noodles, ramen noodles

  • Crackers unless labeled low-fat or listed as recommended

  • Most pre-packaged or restaurant pancakes and waffles

Milk and milk alternative products

• Recommended foods:

  • Skim or 1% milk or flavored milk

  • Nonfat or low-fat dairy products including yogurt, cottage cheese, buttermilk, evaporated milk, sour cream, ricotta cheese or cream cheese

  • Low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt

  • Sherbet

  • Nonfat or low-fat cheese (less than or equal to 2 grams of fat per ounce)

  • Milk alternatives and products with less than 2.5 grams of fat per 8 ounces; almond, rice, and cashew

• Foods to avoid or limit:

  • Whole or 2% milk

  • Whole or 2% fat dairy products including yogurt, ice cream, evaporated milk, sour cream, cream cheese, ricotta cheese or cottage cheese

  • Heavy cream, light cream or half & half

  • Cheese with more than 2 grams of fat per ounce

  • Milk alternatives and products with more than 2.5 grams of fat per 8 ounces; coconut, soy, oat, hemp, and pea

Meat, poultry, fish and meat alternatives (choose products with less than or equal to 5 grams of fat per 3 ounce serving)

• Recommended foods:

  • Chicken and turkey breast/wing without skin

  • Lean cuts of beef, veal, venison or lamb such as round, sirloin, loin, shank, tenderloin and lightly marbled steaks if perimeter fat layer can be easily removed

  • Lean ham or pork tenderloin

  • 90%-98% lean ground meats

  • Nonfat deli meats

  • Low-fat or fat-free hot dogs

  • Flounder, sole, cod, red snapper, bass, perch and halibut

  • Fish canned in water

  • Egg whites or low-fat egg substitutes

  • Reduced-fat peanut butter or nut butters (limit to 1 Tablespoon)

  • Beans, legumes, soy products (example: tofu)

• Foods to avoid or limit:

  • Chicken and turkey with skin

  • Chicken and turkey thighs or drumsticks

  • Duck or goose

  • Heavily marbled meats, organ meats, ribs, corned beef

  • Ground meats less than 90% lean

  • Regular lunch meats, sausage, hot dogs, bacon, pepperoni

  • Fish canned in oil

  • Whole eggs, egg yolks

  • Regular peanut butter and other nut butters

  • Peanuts and tree nuts (unless limited to 1 Tablespoon)

Vegetables

• Recommended foods:

  • Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables without added fat or sauces containing fat

• Foods to avoid or limit:

  • Vegetables with sauces containing fat

  • Fried vegetables

Fruit

• Recommended foods:

  • Fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits, except those listed to avoid/limit

• Foods to avoid or limit:

  • Avocado

  • Coconut

Snacks/sweets (in moderation)

• Recommended foods:

  • Pretzels

  • Popcorn (without butter)

  • Nonfat pudding

  • Gelatin

  • Sorbet or fruit ice

  • Angel food cake

  • Honey

  • Jam

  • Marshmallows

  • Hard candy

  • Low-fat whipped topping

     

• Foods to avoid or limit:

  • Cake

  • Chips

  • Pie

  • Cookies

  • Pastries

  • Candy containing butter, coconut, nuts, cream or caramel or chocolate

  • Whipped topping

Miscellaneous

• Recommended foods:

  • Nonfat or low-fat salad dressings (with less than or equal to 3 grams of fat per serving)

  • Maple syrup

  • Pickles

  • Ketchup

  • Mustard

  • Vinegar

  • Herbs and spices

  • Soy sauce

  • Cooking spray

• Foods to avoid or limit:

  • Salad dressings (with more than 3 grams of fat per serving)

  • Dips (unless labeled nonfat)

  • Olives

  • Mayonnaise (unless labeled nonfat)

  • Tartar sauce

  • Cooking oils (unless otherwise recommended)

Reviewed on July 1, 2023, by Rachel Dragon, RD