Gallbladder diet, fat spread thin.
With gallstones, or a few weeks after gallbladder removal, smaller meals with less fat at a time are easier to handle. This week keeps fat between 40 and 51 grams a day and spreads it across four meals, at about 1,800 calories. Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from NIDDK, Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic advice.
The rules
Three habits for an easier meal
Spread the fat out
Four meals, and no single meal carrying more than about 20 g of fat.
Build fiber up slowly
Oats, beans and vegetables, added over a few weeks rather than overnight.
Choose olive oil and fish
Healthy fats help the gallbladder empty. Fried food and rich desserts do not.
Sample week
Seven days of lower-fat meals
About 1,750 to 1,850 calories a day, 40 to 51 g of fat and 25 to 30 g of fiber. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
Pain after meals, fever, or yellow skin and eyes needs a clinician quickly. In the first weeks after gallbladder surgery, your surgeon may want low-fiber food, and this plan includes oats, beans and broccoli.
Day 1Monday
BreakfastCinnamon oatmeal with banana½ cup rolled oats, 1 cup 2% milk, 1 banana, 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
LunchChicken soup with rice and peas3 oz chicken breast, 1 cup cooked white rice, ½ cup peas, ½ cup cooked carrots, 2 cups broth, ½ tbsp olive oil
SnackStrawberry yogurt cup1 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 1 cup strawberries, 1 tsp honey, 6 whole-grain crackers
DinnerBaked cod with potatoes and broccoli6 oz cod, 1 potato, 1 cup broccoli, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,840 kcal50 g fat28 g fiber
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastWhole-grain toast with cottage cheese2 slices whole-wheat bread, ½ cup 1% cottage cheese, 1 banana
- LunchTurkey and hummus sandwich2 slices whole-wheat bread, 3 oz sliced turkey, 2 tbsp hummus, 1 tomato, ½ cup carrot sticks, ¾ tbsp olive oil, 1 slice sourdough on the side
- SnackApple with a little cheddar and crackers1 apple, ½ oz cheddar, 6 whole-grain crackers
- DinnerBaked chicken with couscous and zucchini6 oz chicken breast, 1 cup cooked couscous, 1 cup zucchini, ½ tbsp olive oil, ½ cup cooked white rice
About 1,790 kcal43 g fat27 g fiber
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastOatmeal with berries and flaxseed½ cup rolled oats, 1 cup 2% milk, ½ cup blueberries, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 1 tsp honey
- LunchLentil soup with sourdough½ cup cooked lentils, 2 cups broth, ½ cup cooked carrots, 3 slices sourdough, ½ tbsp olive oil
- SnackYogurt with blueberries¾ cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup blueberries
- DinnerBaked salmon with new potatoes and asparagus4 oz salmon, 3 small new potatoes, 1 cup asparagus, 1½ cups cooked white rice, ¼ tbsp olive oil
About 1,780 kcal40 g fat30 g fiber
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastEgg on whole-grain toast2 eggs, 1 slice whole-wheat bread, 1 tomato, 1 orange
- LunchChicken salad wrap with lettuce1 flour tortilla, 3 oz chicken breast, 1 tomato, ½ cup cucumber, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, ½ cup cannellini beans
- SnackCantaloupe with cottage cheese and apple1 cup cantaloupe, ¾ cup 1% cottage cheese, 1 apple
- DinnerBaked tilapia with rice and soft carrots6 oz tilapia, 1½ cups cooked white rice, 1 cup cooked carrots, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,810 kcal49 g fat25 g fiber
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastYogurt with peaches and granola1 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 1 peach, ½ cup granola
- LunchTurkey and bean soup3 oz sliced turkey, ½ cup cannellini beans, 2 cups broth, ½ cup cooked carrots, ½ tbsp olive oil, 1 slice sourdough
- SnackCarrot sticks with hummus and crackers1 cup carrot sticks, 3 tbsp hummus, ½ slice sourdough
- DinnerBaked cod with sweet potato and green beans6 oz cod, 1 sweet potato, 1 cup green beans, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup cooked white rice
About 1,770 kcal45 g fat30 g fiber
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastPancakes with berries and yogurt3 pancakes (4 inch, from a packaged mix), 1 cup blueberries, ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 banana
- LunchTuna sandwich with cucumber1 can tuna in water, 2 slices whole-wheat bread, ½ cup cucumber, 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- SnackPear with a few almonds1 pear, ½ oz almonds
- DinnerBaked chicken with potatoes and broccoli5 oz chicken breast, 1 potato, 1 cup broccoli, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,770 kcal49 g fat28 g fiber
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastOatmeal with pear and almonds½ cup rolled oats, 1 cup 2% milk, 1 pear, ½ oz almonds, 1 banana
- LunchChicken and vegetable soup3 oz chicken breast, ½ cup cooked carrots, 1 cup zucchini, 2 cups broth, 1 slice sourdough, 1 tbsp olive oil
- SnackPeach with cottage cheese1 peach, ¾ cup 1% cottage cheese
- DinnerBaked salmon with rice and spinach4 oz salmon, 1½ cups cooked white rice, 1 cup cooked spinach
About 1,810 kcal51 g fat27 g fiber
Shopping list
What to buy
Most days
Lean proteinChicken, cod, tilapia, tuna, turkey, eggschicken breastegg
Now and then
Cook with 1 tbsp of oil at most per meal, and measure it rather than pouring.
Make it yours
This week is a sample. Alma builds yours.
- Meals fit to your goal and the foods you like
- Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds
- Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100
Questions
What people ask
What can you eat on a gallbladder diet?
Lean protein like chicken, fish and eggs, plenty of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, beans and lentils, and small amounts of olive oil. The NIDDK suggests more fiber from fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains, fewer refined carbohydrates and less sugar, and healthy fats like olive oil in place of the fats in fried food and desserts.
Do you need a special diet after gallbladder removal?
Not a permanent one for most people. For diarrhea after surgery Mayo Clinic says there is no specific gallbladder removal diet to follow, and Cleveland Clinic says most people can return to a regular diet within a month, though some need long-term changes. Starting with smaller meals and less fat per meal is the usual advice.
How much fat should I eat with gallstones?
There is no single number. This week keeps fat between 40 and 51 grams a day, spread across four meals, with no meal above about 20 grams. Cleveland Clinic gives 30% of calories as a general ceiling after surgery, which is about 60 grams at 1,800 calories. Mayo Clinic notes that smaller amounts of fat at a time are easier to digest.
Why do smaller meals help?
Mayo Clinic says smaller amounts of fat are easier to digest, and larger amounts can remain undigested and cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. After gallbladder surgery, Cleveland Clinic suggests four to six scaled-down meals instead of three larger ones. This plan uses four meals.
Can very low calorie diets cause gallstones?
They can raise the risk. The NIDDK says very low-calorie diets raise the risk of gallstones, and that going a long time without eating makes the liver release extra cholesterol into the bile. Regular meals are the steadier pattern. Ask your clinician before starting any very low-calorie plan.
How many calories is this meal plan?
About 1,750 to 1,850 calories a day, with 95 to 135 grams of protein and 25 to 30 grams of fiber. Needs vary with your size, age and activity, so scale portions up or down. The calorie calculator gives you a starting number, and the saturated fat calculator tracks the fats that matter here.
Can Alma help me follow this plan?
Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds. Each meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100, drawing on Harvard’s Alternate Healthy Eating Index, and the fat and fiber totals show whether a day stayed in range. Alma also builds a plan around your goal and the foods you like.
Sources
Written by Alma from the sources below and reviewed October 28, 2026. Calories and protein are estimates. This is general information, not medical advice. If you manage a health condition or take medication, check changes with your clinician. Editorial standards
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.