what to eat
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What to eat

A fatty liver diet built on real food

The foods that help, the ones to ease off, and a day on a plate.

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Clay illustration of a cooked Mediterranean plate with baked fish, roasted vegetables, chickpeas and black coffee

What is a fatty liver diet?

A fatty liver (MASLD) diet means more vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans, with fish and olive oil in place of saturated fat. It also means fewer sugary drinks and less alcohol. NIDDK advice favors low glycemic index foods and limiting fructose, found in soda, sweet tea and juice.1

Built from NIDDK, NHS and Harvard advice. Reviewed November 13, 2026.

Eat more

Eat more of these

  • Oily fish

    Salmon, sardines or mackerel, cooked, twice a week.

    2 portionsof fish a week, 1 oily, NHS3

  • Vegetables and fruit

    Half the plate at lunch and dinner, skins left on.

    5 a dayportions, NHS4

  • Oats and whole grains

    Oatmeal, brown rice and whole grain bread.

    25 to 35 gfiber a day, Harvard7

  • Black coffee

    Unsweetened, regular or decaf, with breakfast.

    3+ cupsa day, fewer abnormal liver tests8

Ease off

Ease off these

  • Sweet drinks

    Soda, sweetened tea, sports drinks and juice.

    68%higher liver death risk, women 50+, 1+ a day5

  • Added sugar

    Cereal, flavored yogurt, cakes and cookies.

    17 tspaverage added sugar a day, US6

  • Alcohol

    NIDDK says to keep alcohol to a minimum.

    14 unitsa week, NHS upper limit2

Alma turns these foods into meals that fit your numbers.

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A sample day

One day on a plate

  1. BreakfastOats with yogurt and berriesOatmeal, plain yogurt and blueberries, with black coffee.
  2. LunchChickpea and vegetable bowlChickpeas, roasted peppers, spinach and olive oil.
  3. SnackAlmonds and an appleA small handful of almonds with a piece of fruit.
  4. DinnerBaked fish and greensBaked white fish, roasted broccoli and brown rice.

What people ask

Which foods should I avoid with fatty liver?

The main ones are sugary drinks, sweets, refined carbohydrates such as white bread, and alcohol. NIDDK singles out fructose in soft drinks, sweetened tea and juice, and suggests limiting foods high in saturated fat.

How do you lower liver enzymes with food?

Coffee is one of the most studied foods here. In a US survey of nearly 28,000 adults, three or more cups a day went with lower odds of abnormal ALT, AST, ALP and GGT than none, and decaf looked similar. It shows a link, not proof.

What is the best diet for fatty liver?

There is no single one. NHS advice is a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and alcohol kept low. NIDDK suggests low glycemic index foods, and unsaturated fats in place of saturated fat, which suits a Mediterranean style plate.

How much alcohol is safe with a fatty liver?

NHS advice is no more than 14 units a week. For fatty liver, NIDDK says to keep alcohol to a minimum, because drinking can damage the liver further.

Can you reverse fatty liver with diet?

NHS advice is that healthy lifestyle changes can reduce the build-up of fat in the liver and help repair damage or stop it getting worse. The pattern over months matters more than any single food. Your clinician can tell you which stage you are at.

Is NAFLD the same as MASLD?

Yes. MASLD, short for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, is the newer name for NAFLD, and NIDDK uses both. The food advice is the same under either name.

Sources (8)
  1. NIDDK, Eating, diet and nutrition for NAFLD (MASLD) and NASH
  2. NHS, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
  3. NHS, Fish and shellfish nutrition
  4. NHS, Why 5 A Day?
  5. Harvard T.H. Chan Nutrition Source, Sugary drinks
  6. Harvard Health, The sweet danger of sugar
  7. Harvard T.H. Chan Nutrition Source, Fiber
  8. Hepatology, Coffee and liver enzyme levels, NHANES 1999 to 2010

Editorial standards

This guide is general education. Talk with your clinician before changing your diet or medicines.

Meals built around your numbers.

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