Dietary advice for people with gallstones
This diet sheet gives some general information to help you make the recommended
changes to your diet. If you need more detailed advice or if you are following a
special diet that makes it difficult to make these changes, please ask your doctor to
refer you to a registered Dietitian.
What are gallstones?
Gallstones are small stones made of bile pigments or calcium deposits that can
sometimes form in the gallbladder. They are more common in women. They are
more likely to form as we get older. Obesity, smoking and/or pregnancy also
increase the risk of developing gallstones. Rapid weight loss can also cause
gallstones to form.
Most people with gallstones do not develop any symptoms. However, the gallstones
can cause blockage in the bile duct, a tube that connects the gallbladder to the small
intestine, making it difficult for bile to be released to help digestion of food. When
this happens symptoms such as pain, bloating, nausea (feeling sick), and vomiting
(being sick) may occur.
Do I need a special diet?
There is no specific diet for gallstones. Your doctor may have advised you to follow
a low-fat diet because you have gallstones. Evidence suggests that people who
have gallstones should adopt a healthy diet, choosing lower fat options as part of a
healthy diet.
Gallstones can cause pain and some people find that certain foods can be a trigger.
These foods may be high in fat, but other foods may also cause a problem.
It is important that you do not completely avoid fat in your diet, as a certain
amount of fat is needed by the body to avoid deficiencies. It is also virtually
impossible to achieve a diet that is completely fat free.
Source: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Reference No: D038 - 03
Issue date: January 2024
Review date: January 2026
Page 1 of 5
If you are overweight, losing weight will be beneficial. However, it is important to do
this gradually, as rapid weight loss has been associated with the development of
gallstones. A safe weight loss of 1-2 lbs (0.5 to 1 kg) per week is recommended.
If you are already slim or underweight and are worried about losing weight, please
ask your doctor to refer you to a Dietitian.
Note: After a cholecystectomy (removal of the gall bladder) you do not need to
follow a low fat diet. Following a healthy diet is advisable for optimal health.
A healthy balanced diet consists of:
• At least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day – 1 portion = 80g or about 1
palmful, and may be fresh, frozen or tinned.
• A portion of starchy carbohydrates at each meal. Examples include bread, rice,
cereals, pasta, potatoes, etc. Choose wholegrain varieties where possible.
• Dairy products and calcium-fortified alternatives (2-3 portions per day). Choose
low-fat versions.
• Protein foods 2-3 times per day, such as meat, fish, eggs and vegetarian
alternatives such as beans and pulses. There is some evidence that regular
intake of nuts can help reduce your risk of developing gallstones.
• Limit foods high in fats and sugars. Limit saturated fat that is found in animal
products, such as butter, ghee, cheese, meat, cakes, biscuits and pastries.
Replace these with unsaturated fats found in non-animal products, such as
sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds. But remember that
unsaturated fats can also trigger gallstone pain.
• Make sure your diet is high in fibre – aim for 30g per day. This can be found in
beans, pulses, fruit and vegetables, oats, and whole grain products, such as
bread, pasta and rice.
• Drink plenty of fluids – aim to have at least 6-8 (1.5L - 2.0L) glasses daily. All
fluids count, avoid too many drinks with caffeine and choose no added sugar
drinks.
It might be helpful to have smaller and more frequent meals. Keep a food and
symptom diary to help you identify trigger foods. Avoid these foods for a two-week
trial period and note any improvements in symptoms. It is important to reintroduce
foods if you do not think they are causing you problems.
Cutting down on fat
The page overleaf shows ways of reducing fat in the diet, which should be done as a
part of your healthy balanced diet.
Reducing your fat intake
Food Group Avoid or eat less of these foods Choose these foods instead
Fats and Oils Butter, margarine, lard, suet, Low fat spreads, such as Flora
cooking oils including olive oil, Light, Bertolli Light or half fat
sunflower oil, vegetable oil. butters.
Oil sprays for cooking.
Still use these sparingly.
Cooking Fried foods. Grilled, boiled, baked,
Methods poached or casseroled foods.
Dairy Full cream or Jersey milk. Semi skimmed or fully
Products Evaporated and condensed milk. skimmed milk.
Full fat cheese, such as Cheddar Low fat cheese, such as
or Stilton. cottage cheese, Edam, half fat
Full fat soft cheese. hard cheeses.
Cream. Low fat soft cheese, such as
Full fat yogurt. Dairylea Light, Laughing Cow
Milkshakes. Light, Philadelphia Light.
Low fat yogurt, such as Shape,
Muller Light, Weight Watchers,
Activia 0%.
Plant based milks and yogurts.
Meats and Fatty and processed meat such as Red meat (if all visible fat is
Fish sausages, corned beef, beef removed).
burgers, meat pies, and tinned Chicken and turkey (remove
meat. skin).
Oily fish, such as mackerel, White fish, cod, haddock,
sardines, kippers, tuna in oil. plaice, tuna in brine/spring
water, shellfish, salmon.
Biscuits and Digestives, cream and chocolate Crispbread, rice cakes, Rich
Cakes biscuits, Hob-Nobs. Tea, Garibaldi, Morning
Cream cakes, Danish pastries, Coffee.
cakes with marzipan, sponge Low fat biscuits or cakes.
cake. Meringues.
Scones, teacakes, crumpets –
avoid adding too much
butter/spread.
Fatless sponge.
Snack Foods Crisps, nuts, Bombay mix. Low-fat crisps, Skips, French
Seeds (including sunflower, Fries, Quavers, breadsticks,
pumpkin) Twiglets.
Fruit (fresh, tinned and dried).
Popcorn. Rice cakes.
Confectionary Chocolate, toffee, fudge, coconut. Boiled fruit sweets, mints,
marshmallows, liquorice,
Turkish Delight.
Desserts Fruit pies, fruit crumbles. Low fat yogurts (as above).
Milk puddings. Sorbet.
Ice-cream. Jelly, fruit – fresh, cooked or
Gateaux. tinned.
Low fat ice-cream
Low fat milk puddings, such as
custard or rice pudding.
Miscellaneous Creamy dips, hummus, avocado Low fat salad dressing, salsa
pears, cream soups. dips.
Pastry foods such as quiche. Light mayonnaise. Mustard.
Oil-based salad dressings, such Balsamic dressing. Lemon
as vinaigrette, mayonnaise. juice and herbs dressing.
Cream and cheese sauces. Tomato based or low fat
Gravy made with fat or meat cooking sauces. Sauces made
juices. with cornflour and low-fat milk
and/or low fat cheese.
Gravy made with stock cubes
and cornflour (if used, meat
juices should have the fat
drained).
Low fat ready-made meals.
Note: Check labels for high-fat products. You can use the ‘traffic light’ system on
labels to help you identify foods that are high in fat content. A product that is high in
fat contains 17.5g or more of fat per 100g and will be labelled as red. Look for foods
that contain 3g of fat or less per 100g instead. Those would be labelled as green.
If you would like any information regarding access to the West Suffolk Hospital and
its facilities please visit the hospital website www.wsh.nhs.uk and click on the link, or
visit the disabledgo website: http://www.disabledgo.com/organisations/west-suffolk-
nhs-foundation-trust/main
© West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
