GALLSTONES DIET – first bit I got from the net. Second bit was my own gallstones diet.
Guaranteed to reduce weight!
Things to avoid
- Any Butter
- Oil – if you need a little oil for frying use spray-on oil which is very efficient and actually contains an oil/water mix
- Chocolate
- Fatty meats such as duck and lamb
- Cream
- Cheese
- Some curry sauces (too creamy)
- Cheesy pasta sauces / Italian dishes such as lasagne
- Replace full-fat milk with semi-skimmed or skimmed (I seemed to be fine on semi-skimmed milk)
- Breakfast / Energy bars
- Crisps
- Nuts
Main Courses
- Meat: Chicken, lean minced beef, white fish, pork rashers or ham with all the fat trimmed off
- Pasta sauces: Most tomato-based sauces contain very little fat (the “light” sauces are actually light on sugar). Make your own creamy pasta sauce with light or extra light Philadephia and some semi-skimmed milk —just remember to add plenty of herbs to taste!
- Stir fry: Most Asian sauces are fine
- Spicy foods: Chilli and some curry sauces are fine (but not those which are based on coconut milk)
- Rice, potatoes and pasta will form the bulk of the meal
- Add plenty of interesting veg too!
Dessert / Treats / Snacks
- Yoghurt
- Yoghurt drinks like Yop!
- Low-fat flavoured milk
- Weight-watchers desserts (mousse things with < 5% fat)
- Jacobs Low-fat fig rolls – only JACOBS, not Aldis.
- Jaffa Cakes – ONLY McVities or Aldi do low fat ones. Check labels.
- Toast and jam (no butter!)
- Fruit: anything and everything except avocados
- Fruit smoothies like Innocent drinks (just watch out for anything with cream or ice cream)
- Yop Milk Shakes
- Jelly sweets
- Mints
- Low-fat “diet” bars like Alpen and Fitnesse bars (a great way to sneak a little chocolate in!)
- Starbucks “skinny” muffins (and a no-fat banana & choc chip muffin recipe Hilary found) but beware because the regular muffins ruined a perfectly good Friday!
WHAT I WAS EATING
I guarantee you will lose weight on this - NOT that I think you need to!
We all need fats in our diet so, unless like me you have gallstones and are waiting for an operation, you will not need to stick quite so rigidly to this – add in some fatty things but not too many.
BEST FOODS
Beetroot, Apples, (stewed or in juice), Lemon juice (add to drinks), Cranberry Juice. Oatmeal, Pears. Potatoes, White fish.Chicken breasts. Peppermint Tea after meals.
BEST FOODS
Beetroot, Apples, (stewed or in juice), Lemon juice (add to drinks), Cranberry Juice. Oatmeal, Pears. Potatoes, White fish.Chicken breasts. Peppermint Tea after meals.
Bread is fine so is toast and jam or Marmite is OK , no peanut butter, no nuts at all, very high fat.
Semi skimmed (or skimmed if you can bear it) milk – no soya milk.
Any fruit except avocado
Cereals – most are OK but check labels.
Special K with chocolate and strawberries is only 3% fat – great to nibble dry when you need a chocolate fix.
Home-made veggy/pulsy soups and some bought tins (check labels)
Baked potatoes and tuna and salad cream (check its label, the salad cream)or low fat mayo.
Baked potatoes with anything you are allowed but no butter or cheese!
Anything vegetarian but no cheesey recipes.
Tuna pasta.
Boiled gammon in big pan with with onions, carrots, celery, parsnip and leeks, served with mashed potato and mustard – delicious. Cabbage goes well with it too, very Irish.
Packet lean ham in a sandwich is a regular thing for me or as a quick easy meal with mashed potato and broccoli for example
Salad veg, anything is fine.
Lean chicken breasts, you can find nice recipes with these, I do a honey, mustard, curry powder, lemony one or you can slice them and make a nice stir-fry with veggies.
White fish, not fried, baked or poached
or fish cakes (baked). No oily fish.
Pasta with tomato sauce, veg etc.
Rice, rice and more rice.
Less than 5% fat - Lean mince, cottage pie, chilli con carne or spag bol – no lasagne unless you make cheese sauces with low-fat philly cheese. Aldi do a low fat mince which has not upset me and it is tasty.
Vegetable curry.
Roasted root vegetables and couscous.
Sweet and sour recipes are OK.
Noodles as a change to pasta.
Fruit salad – cut up fresh fruit, add a tin of fruit and voila.
Low fat custard – or Birds ordinary with semi- skimmed milk I have eaten without upset.
Beans on toast (no butter!)
Anything beany or pulsey, lentils etc.
Currant buns – check labels as not all are allowed – I found some low fat teacakes in Aldis.
Low fat rice pudding.
Banana custard
Porridge oats – I had this every morning - Jordans Organic Chunky oats, I add raisins and cinnamon and some fruit, peaches, pears, bananas or berries.
Weetabix
Lots of cereals are OK, check labels.
Muller rice is delicious and low fat, there are various flavours, I prefer the original and the vanilla custard ones but all are excellent.
My other weakness were and still are Friji thick chocolate milk shakes.
Muller rice is delicious and low fat, there are various flavours, I prefer the original and the vanilla custard ones but all are excellent.
My other weakness were and still are Friji thick chocolate milk shakes.
If you can, try and have your ‘bigger’ main meal at lunchtime and eat ‘lightly’ in the evening.
Eating little and often is the key to avoid discomfort.
Eating little and often is the key to avoid discomfort.
If you have to fry something use a spray can of oil, it is very low fat and you don’t need much.
What I drank:
Coffee – I found it helped.
Yorkshire Gold tea
Earl Grey Tea
Lemon and Ginger Tea
Peppermint Tea
Ribena
Apple juice - this in particular is recommended by others as a help with the pain of gallstones.
Cranberry Juice
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (add to cranberry or Ribena)
Weightwatchers Hot Chocolate (delicious and low fat)
Friji milk shakes are delicious and addictive but best of all only about 1% fat. Chocolate ones are my favourite and they kept me going while I wait for the op. (And I am still addicted)
Friji milk shakes are delicious and addictive but best of all only about 1% fat. Chocolate ones are my favourite and they kept me going while I wait for the op. (And I am still addicted)
Last but not least – Water, as much as you can.
***Check all labels for fat content, everything has a label – it must be less than 5%.
Recipes
http://jamie.ideasasylum.com/2009/03/the-gallstone-diet/
This website (link above) was a godsend when I was suffering. I did contribute under my name (Cait O'Connor). It is an excellent forum for fellow sufferers and I recommend it highly if you are suffering from gallstones, considering or awaiting surgery or for help and advice post-op.
After your gall bladder is removed you can eat anything you like. I find that I don't want to eat huge meals any more but other than that I feel very well and have no pain.
Recipes
Banana Loaf, fat free.
Heat oven to 180 C
1 cup of All bran
1 cup milk (semi-skimmed)
1 cup of wholemeal self raising flour
1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
1 cup of any dried fruit: , raisins, sultanas or mug of mashed banana.
1 cup milk (semi-skimmed)
1 cup of wholemeal self raising flour
1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
1 cup of any dried fruit: , raisins, sultanas or mug of mashed banana.
Just soak bran with milk for a couple of mins, add other ingredients, mix well and pour into a well greased 1LB tin loaf and pop in the oven!
BEST ADVICE
Eat little and often, don't let your tummy become empty by missing a meal. Drink regularly and vary your drinks. Stay warm and don't overdo things physically, Avoid stress. Sleep lots.
http://jamie.ideasasylum.com/2009/03/the-gallstone-diet/
This website (link above) was a godsend when I was suffering. I did contribute under my name (Cait O'Connor). It is an excellent forum for fellow sufferers and I recommend it highly if you are suffering from gallstones, considering or awaiting surgery or for help and advice post-op.
After your gall bladder is removed you can eat anything you like. I find that I don't want to eat huge meals any more but other than that I feel very well and have no pain.
