Fatty liver can affect children and adults, but predominantly affects obese individuals and those with other risk factors for the disease, such as sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition. Fatty liver is referred to as steatohepatitis and causes inflammation in the liver, which can lead to scarring and permanent injury.
A balanced diet has the right proportion of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins (macronutrients), and minerals and vitamins (micronutrients). Scientists believe that improving dietary quality can help in fatty liver reversal.
Table of Contents
Dietary recommendations for fatty liver
- Consume whole grains and millets such as jowar, oats, barley, ragi, bajra, and include salads and sprouts.
- Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. They provide fiber and antioxidants and are low in fat.
Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables, onions, broccoli, garlic, capsicum, tomatoes, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, beetroot, cucumbers, ladyfinger, all gourds.
Fruits: Grapefruit, berries, Apples, Bananas, Oranges, Pears, Figs, Dates, Peaches, melons, sweet lime, guava, papaya, and pineapple
Spices and herbs such as ginger, garlic, mint, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and rosemary can be added to vegetable gravy.
- Add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. Sources include walnuts, avocados, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds.
- Consume vitamin E-rich antioxidant foods such as almonds, spinach, sunflower seeds, and kale.
- Cook using oils containing healthy fats such ascanola oil and extra virgin olive oil
- Avoid added sugars (Candies, Cold drinks, Table sugar, Ice cream), processed meat, canned fruits, bakery items, refined grains, white bread, pasta, salt, and saturated fats such as margarine and butter.
- Avoid fried foods and trans fats present in processed foods. Oats crackers, ragi crackers, and baked bhakarwadi are healthier options.
Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
The Mediterranean diet is recommended. Foods included are different types of seafood and fish, vegetables, fruits, avocados, legumes, olive oil, and nuts. Apart from that, low-fat cow’s milk or almond milk can help people with liver disease. It manages the calcium levels in the body.
- Less often – Sweets and Red meat
- Weekly –Eggs, Poultry, Yoghurt, and Cheese in moderate portions.
- Often- Twice weekly seafood and fish (Pabda, Rohu, Hilsa, Bhetki, Mackerel, etc, egg whites
- Daily– Base each meal around Fruits, Vegetables, Beans, Olive Oil, Nuts, Seeds and legumes, Spices, and Herbs
MEAL OPTIONS
Ideally,your food plate must include ¼ plate carbohydrates, ¼ plate protein, and ½ plate non-starchy, colourful vegetables. Here are a few options for your daily meals:
Breakfast (7:00 am – 9:00 am)
- Millet upma
- Two egg white omelets with capsicum.
- Moong dal dosa+ sambhar
- Daliya pulav with capsicum and carrots
- Boilled channa
- Poha with peanuts
- Mixed vegetable upma
- Thepla + methi/ green tea
- Vegetable and oats cutlets with peas and carrots
- Ragi roti + dal
- Utappam with green chutney.
- Multigrain Idlis (Ragi/0ats/Rice/Jowar)
- Cauliflower paratha+ curd
- Milk, Buttermilk, or Rasam
- Palak roti + green peas curry
- Vegan waffles made from oatmeal flour loaded with berries
Mid-morning (10:00 am to 11:00 am)
- Fruits (100-150 grams) (any yellow/red/green fruit) (1 no)
- Apple slices + unsweetened peanut butter
- Banana smoothie
- Sprout salad
- Steamed beetroot salad
- Roasted pumpkin seeds
- Avocade, Kale, and Mango pulp smoothie
- Fresh vegetable soup
- Healthy oats vegan granola bars
- Curd with peanut butter, honey, and flax seeds
- Corn salad
- Unsalted popcorn
Lunch (12:30 pm to 1:30 pm)
- Salad (diced carrots, green capsicum, red capsicum, broccoli, red capsicum, cucumber, tomatoes, shredded cabbage, lettuce, beetroot), Roti (made from multigrain atta)
- Jowar roti + mixed vegetable curry
- Bamboo rice + moong dal
- Sago masala dosa + chutney
- Veg pulav + Soya Chunk curry + Low fat curd.
- Bajra roti+ drumstick curry
- Curry + steamed rice
- Cooked vegetables (green leafy vegetables/cottage cheese)
- Roti + bottle gourd curry
- Brown rice with Black bean curry
- Curd
- Kala chana roll /brown rice+ mixed vegetable curry
- Chapati+ cabbage tomato vegetable
- Chickpeas/Dal
- Khichdi + raita
- Wheat roti+ lentils
- Carrot thepla+ green chutney
- Roasted Chicken/ grilled fish (100gms)
Tea time (4:00 pm to 5:00 pm)
- Tea/coffee (without sugar)
- Biscuits (Digestive/ Multigrain)
- Roasted chana/chickpeas/Puffed rice
- cup light tea+ 2 wheat rusk.
Dinner (8:00 pm)
- Vegetable soup/ Lentil soup/Rasam
- Same as Lunch (vegetarian options)
Key takeaways
A fatty liver patient should follow a balanced diet, including high-fiber, low-carbohydrate, antioxidant-rich foods such as vegetables, proteins, fruits, and healthy fats to prevent fat accumulation in the liver, while limiting the intake of saturated fats, trans-fats, processed foods, and alcohol. Regular monitoring by liver function tests is essential.