If you have what is now called MASLD (Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease) which used to be called NAFLDm the best way to fight it is by changing your daily habits, especially your diet and losing some weight.
MASLD happens when fat builds up in your liver. This usually occurs because of health issues like being overweight, having Type 2 diabetes, or struggling with high blood pressure or high cholesterol. A good fatty liver diet plan can help!
Eating better can help reduce that fat and swelling in your liver. It can potentially reverse MASLD and even stop it from turning into the more serious condition, MASH (the new name for NASH).
Fatty Liver Diet Plan
Doctors strongly recommend the Mediterranean Diet for people with a fatty liver.
- This diet can help you lose weight, and losing just 5% to 10% of your body weight can really help your liver.
- But even if you don’t lose weight, the Mediterranean Diet is still a super powerful tool for liver health.
The Mediterranean fatty liver diet plan is packed with fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. It’s high in fiber and special natural compounds that fight damage and swelling in your body.
Complete Diet Plan for Fatty Liver
Here’s what you should fill your plate with:
- Veggies: Try to eat at least three servings every day. A serving is about 1 cup of raw or 1/2 cup of cooked veggies. Choose fresh, seasonal vegetables or plain frozen ones (no sauces!). Focus on things like asparagus, carrots, broccoli, and spinach. Try to limit starchy ones like potatoes.
- Fruits: Have at least two servings every day (1 cup is a serving). Pick fresh or frozen fruit. If you buy canned fruit, make sure it’s packed in its own juice, and drain the juice before you eat it. Avoid fruit juices, they have lots of sugar and hardly any fiber.
- Fish and Seafood: Aim for three or more servings a week. A serving is about the size of a deck of cards (3 to 5 ounces). Cold-water fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel are especially great because they have healthy Omega-3 fats that fight swelling.
- Chicken and Eggs: Skinless white-meat chicken and eggs are excellent sources of protein. A serving of chicken is about the size of a deck of cards.
- Beans and Lentils: Eat these three or more times a week (1/2 cup is a serving). All types of beans (black, kidney, navy, etc.), peas, and lentils are fantastic choices.
- Whole Grains: When you eat breads, rice, pasta, or oatmeal, always choose 100% whole grain options.
- Nuts and Seeds: Aim for four servings a week (1/4 cup is a serving). Go for raw, unsalted kinds like walnuts, almonds, sunflower, and chia seeds.
- Healthy Oils: When cooking, switch to healthy liquid fats like olive oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil instead of butter or margarine. Never use oils that have the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” on the label.
- Drinks: Water, black coffee, and tea (without adding sugar) are the best drinks. Although traditional Mediterranean diets include wine, people with a fatty liver should generally avoid all alcohol.
- Special Helpers: Compounds found in black coffee, green tea, and walnuts contain powerful antioxidants that can help reduce liver fat.
What Foods Should I Limit or Stop Eating?
Some foods can cause or worsen a fatty liver. You should try to cut these out completely or only eat them rarely, on special occasions:
- Junk Food: Highly processed meals like frozen dinners, certain frozen pizzas, salty canned veggies, and canned fruit with added syrup.
- Sugar Bombs: Sugary drinks (soda, fruit juices), candy, and sweetened breakfast cereals.
- Refined Carbs: Foods made with white flour, like white bread, pastries, and potato chips.
- Bad Fats: Foods high in saturated fats, such as fatty cuts of meat, butter, whole milk, and french fries.
- Processed Meats: Lunch meats, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and fatty red meats.
- Alcohol: If you have MASLD, you should not drink wine, beer, or any other type of alcohol.
Try the Best Fatty Liver Disease Diet Plan
A simple way to discipline your diet is to follow the plate method:
- Half of Your Plate: Fill it with non-starchy vegetables or fruit.
- One-Quarter of Your Plate: Fill it with whole grains or starchy vegetables.
- The Last Quarter of Your Plate: Fill it with protein like fish, chicken, or beans.
Diet for Fatty Liver:
- Breakfast: An omelet made with one egg, spinach, tomatoes, and a little cheese, served with a piece of whole-grain toast and avocado. Have coffee or tea (unsweetened).
- Lunch: A bowl of soup (like bean and barley), a spinach salad, and a cup of strawberries. Drink water with lemon.
- Snack: A veggie plate (carrots, celery, cucumber) with a handful of almonds.
- Dinner: Baked salmon with brown rice and asparagus. Have decaffeinated green tea or coffee afterward.
- Dessert: A bowl of fresh raspberries and blueberries with plain Greek yogurt.
What About Vitamins and Supplements?.
Some studies suggest that supplements like Omega-3 fats or Vitamin E might help improve a fatty liver. However, we need more research to be sure. Only take vitamins or supplements for your liver if your doctor tells you to.
Getting Help
Changing your diet is a big deal and takes time. Talk to the Ginnastic Health Center about creating a healthy eating fatty liver diet plan. We can connect you with the best dietitian (a food expert) who can help you with meal ideas and meeting your daily nutrition goals.
