Low fat meal plan, fat where it counts.
This week keeps fat at 21 to 24 percent of calories, near the low end of the 20 to 35 percent range in the Dietary Guidelines, and saturated fat under 10 percent. About 1,800 calories a day. Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from AHA, NHLBI and Dietary Guidelines advice.
The rules
Three rules hold a low fat week
Fat in the low 20s
Small amounts of oil, nuts and fish, not fat-free products.
Keep saturated fat low
Skim dairy, white fish and beans in place of cheese and butter.
Fiber carries the volume
Beans, oats, barley and fruit do the filling when fat is low.
Sample week
Seven days of low fat meals
About 1,800 calories a day, with 41 to 48 g of fat. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
Day 1Monday
BreakfastOats with banana and peanut butter½ cup dry rolled oats cooked in water, 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, ½ cup skim milk
LunchLentil soup with a roll and side salad2 cups lentil and vegetable soup, 1 whole grain roll, side salad with 1 tsp olive oil
SnackPopcorn with an orange and an apple3 cups air-popped popcorn, 1 orange, 1 apple
DinnerBaked cod with rice and broccoli7 oz cod, 1½ cups cooked white rice, 2 cups broccoli with 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon
About 1,800 kcal42 g fat47 g fiber
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastShredded wheat with strawberries and milk3 shredded wheat biscuits, 1 cup skim milk, 1 cup strawberries
- LunchTurkey, lettuce and tomato wrap4 oz sliced turkey breast, whole wheat tortilla, lettuce, tomato, mustard, 1 apple
- SnackNonfat Greek yogurt with blueberries and almonds1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, ½ cup blueberries, 1 oz almonds
- DinnerChicken with couscous and roasted peppers5 oz chicken breast, 1½ cups cooked couscous, 1½ cups roasted peppers and onion, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,790 kcal41 g fat34 g fiber
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastEgg white omelet with spinach and toast1 egg and 3 egg whites with 1 cup spinach cooked in 1 tsp olive oil, 2 slices whole grain toast, 1 orange
- LunchTuna, white bean and lemon salad1 can tuna in water, 1 cup white beans, cucumber, red onion, 1½ tbsp light vinaigrette, 1 slice whole grain bread
- SnackApple with cottage cheese and almond butter1 apple, ½ cup low fat cottage cheese, 1 tbsp almond butter
- DinnerBaked chicken with sweet potato and green beans6 oz skinless chicken breast, 1 large sweet potato, 2 cups green beans, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,790 kcal47 g fat41 g fiber
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastYogurt with granola and raspberries1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup granola, 1 cup raspberries
- LunchVegetable and bean soup with bread2 cups bean and vegetable soup, 2 slices whole grain bread, side of cherry tomatoes
- SnackPear with yogurt and almonds1 pear, ¾ cup nonfat plain yogurt, 10 almonds, cinnamon
- DinnerGarlic shrimp with spaghetti and tomato sauce6 oz shrimp, 1½ cups cooked spaghetti, tomato and garlic sauce, 1½ tbsp olive oil
About 1,800 kcal46 g fat41 g fiber
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastEgg, avocado and tomato on toast2 poached eggs, 2 slices whole grain toast with ¼ avocado, grilled tomato, 1 orange
- LunchGrilled chicken and pasta salad4 oz grilled chicken breast, 1 cup cooked pasta, ½ cup peas, carrot, 1 tbsp light dressing
- SnackFrozen grapes with a few almonds1 cup frozen grapes, 10 almonds
- DinnerBaked haddock with mashed potato and peas6 oz haddock, 1½ cups mashed potato with skim milk, 1 cup peas, 2 tsp olive oil
About 1,810 kcal45 g fat37 g fiber
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastPancakes with berries and yogurt3 small pancakes from ½ cup mix with skim milk, 1 cup strawberries, ½ cup nonfat yogurt
- LunchChicken and vegetable rice bowl4 oz chicken breast, 1 cup cooked brown rice, broccoli and carrots, 1 tbsp soy sauce
- SnackCantaloupe, cottage cheese and almonds1 cup cantaloupe cubes, ½ cup low fat cottage cheese, 10 almonds
- DinnerTurkey meatballs with spaghetti4 oz turkey meatballs (93% lean), 1½ cups cooked spaghetti, marinara sauce, 1 tbsp Parmesan, 2 tsp olive oil
About 1,830 kcal44 g fat20 g fiber
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastScrambled eggs with grilled tomato2 eggs and 1 egg white scrambled in 1 tsp olive oil, 2 slices whole grain toast, grilled tomato
- LunchBean and corn salad with lime1 cup black beans, ½ cup corn, tomato, ¼ avocado, cilantro, lime, 1 whole wheat pita
- SnackOrange with rice cakes1 orange, 2 brown rice cakes
- DinnerRoast chicken with rice and carrots5 oz skinless chicken breast, 1½ cups cooked white rice, 2 cups carrots, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,820 kcal48 g fat43 g fiber
Shopping list
What to buy
Most days
Lean protein and skim dairyChicken breast, turkey, cod, haddock, shrimp, tuna, eggs, skim milk, nonfat yogurtchicken breastgreek yogurteggcottage cheese
Now and then
Nonfat products with added sugar are not the upgrade they look like.
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
How much fat is low fat?
There is no single number. The Dietary Guidelines put the range for fat at 20 to 35 percent of calories, so this week sits near the low end, at 21 to 24 percent, which is 41 to 48 g of fat on a 1,800 calorie day. Some clinicians set lower targets for specific conditions.
Is a low fat diet still recommended?
Not as the default for everyone. Current advice focuses on the type of fat: saturated fat under 10 percent of calories, and unsaturated fats from olive oil, nuts and fish. The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines also favor full-fat dairy with no added sugar, so the nonfat dairy here is a choice, not a requirement. NHLBI's DASH plan uses low fat dairy too.
Should I avoid all fat?
No. Some fat is needed to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K, and it makes food taste like food. This week keeps 41 to 48 g a day, from olive oil, nuts, peanut butter, eggs, avocado and fish. It never cuts fat out entirely.
Why do low fat products sometimes have more sugar?
When fat comes out, sugar, refined grains or starch often go in to keep the texture and flavor, as Harvard's Nutrition Source notes. Flavored yogurt and low fat cookies are the usual examples. Plain yogurt, plain milk and plain frozen vegetables are the simpler choices.
Is this plan right for gallbladder or pancreas problems?
Ask your clinician. People with gallbladder or pancreas problems are sometimes given a specific fat target, and it may be lower or higher than this week. Follow the number your care team gave you, and use this page for meal ideas around it.
How many calories is this meal plan?
Between 1,785 and 1,825 calories a day, with 41 to 48 g of fat, 20 to 47 g of fiber and 98 to 155 g of protein. Your needs depend on your size and activity, so scale portions up or down. The calorie calculator gives you a starting number.
How does Alma help with a low fat plan?
Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds. Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100, drawing on Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index, and the macro view shows fat for the day so you can see where the grams come from.
Sources
Written by Alma from the sources below and reviewed November 4, 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
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030
- American Heart Association: Saturated fat
- American Heart Association: Dietary fats
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source: Fats and cholesterol
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: DASH eating plan
- USDA FoodData Central, for calorie and protein estimates
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.