General diet - high fibre and lower fat
This document is part of the ACI Diet Specifications for Adult Inpatients. It is not to be used for patient education.
Aim
To provide a diet that is high in fibre and lower in total fat than the Full diet for people who are at risk of or who are overweight or obese, or who have metabolic syndrome.
Characteristics
A diet that conforms to the Nutrition standards for consumers of inpatient mental health services in NSW with 20–35% energy from total fat, high fibre (30g/day), and low saturated and trans fat (<10% energy/day).
Indications
- Mental health illness
- Overweight, obesity
- Metabolic syndrome.
This diet may also be suitable to support recovery for people needing long term rehabilitation including after spinal injury.
Nutritional adequacy
This diet is nutritionally adequate.
Precautions
A generous intake of fluid (at least two to three litres per day) should accompany a high-fibre diet. Not to be used for people who require individual diet modification for treatment (e.g. eating disorders, malnutrition).
Paediatrics
Suitable for use in paediatrics when combined with an age-appropriate diet.
Specific menu planning guidelines
| Allowed | Not allowed | |
|---|---|---|
| Hot main dishes | Dishes with ≤15g total fat and ≤10g saturated fat per serve Vegetarian dishes may contain <25g total fat per serve. Lean meats, skinless chicken, all fish, eggs Soy products, e.g. tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP) Cooked legumes | Fatty meat, offal Deep-fried foods and shallow fried meals |
| Sauces, gravies | Sauces and gravies with ≤1.5g saturated fat per serve | Cream based sauces |
| Starchy vegetables / pasta / rice | Dishes prepared without added fat, or made with small amounts of mono or polyunsaturated oil/margarine (e.g. mashed and steamed potato, sweet potato) Use low-GI rice (e.g. basmati or Doongara) where possible (see GI website for full list) Noodles, polenta, semolina, quinoa, couscous | All others, including dishes prepared with butter, cream or full fat cheese |
| Vegetables | Vegetables that are raw, steamed, boiled or roasted and prepared with small amounts of mono or polyunsaturated oil | All others, including dishes prepared with butter, cream or full fat cheese |
| Soups | Soups with ≤1.5g saturated fat per serve | >1.5g saturated fat per serve |
| Sandwiches | Sandwiches with ≤15g fat and ≤7g saturated fat per serve Preferably made with mono-unsaturated margarine, but polyunsaturated also allowed Sandwiches made on high fibre white, wholemeal or multigrain bread | Sandwiches with >15g fat and >7g saturated fat per serve Plain white bread Butter |
| Salads, dressings | All salads ≤10g saturated fat per serve Low-joule dressings, or dressings made with mono or polyunsaturated oils | All salads >10g saturated fat per serve |
| Breads, cereals | High fibre white, wholegrain or wholemeal breads (preferably grainy low-GI breads) are default Fruit/raisin bread Higher-fibre breakfast cereals only (e.g. rolled oats, muesli, bran cereals, Guardian®, wheat biscuits) At least two low-GI cereal choices per breakfast (see GI website for full list) | Plain white bread Highly sugared breakfast cereals |
| Spreads | Jam, yeast spread, honey, marmalade, nut butters/pastes (1 portion control unit of spread per meal in addition to margarine) Preferably mono-unsaturated margarines, oils or mayonnaise, but polyunsaturated also allowed Hummus, tzatziki, tahini, avocado |
Saturated fats (e.g. butter, shortening, lard, cooking margarine) |
| Hot breakfast choices | Hot breakfast items with ≤5g saturated fat per serve (e.g. boiled, poached or scrambled egg and omelettes) Mushrooms, baked beans, tomatoes, spaghetti and creamed corn These items limited to once per week: pancakes, hotcakes or waffles | Hot breakfast items with >5g saturated fat per serve Fatty or deep fried breakfast items e.g. fatty bacon |
| Fruit | Fresh, dried, frozen or canned fruit (unsweetened in natural juice or water) | Canned fruit in syrup |
| Yoghurt |
All yoghurts with ≤5g saturated fat per serve (e.g. plain, natural or flavoured) | All others |
| Desserts | Band 1 and 2 desserts with ≤3g saturated fat per serve One Band 3 dessert offered no more than once per week Low-fat ice-cream (no more than twice per week) Diet jelly | Desserts with >3g saturated fat per serve Full-fat ice-cream High-fat and sugar pastries and pies Regular jelly and jellied fruit |
| Milk and cheese | Allow all milk at all meals. Encourage lower fat or skim milk where possible Full fat dairy alternatives e.g. soy beverage Low fat soft cheese (e.g. ricotta and cottage cheeses) Hard cheese ≤5 gram total fat per serve | Full-fat soft cheeses and cheese spreads Hard cheese with >5g total fat per serve |
| Beverages | Water, milk and dairy alternative beverages Encourage lower fat or skim milk where possible Fruit juice without added sugar (maximum 1 serve per day) Tea and coffee, including decaffeinated | Regular carbonated drinks and cordial, flavoured mineral water, alcoholic drinks, full fat milk drinks, energy drinks |
| Biscuits | Plain low-fat biscuits and crackers with ≤2g saturated fat per serve Biscuits and crackers with >1.5g fibre per serve are preferred Limit sweet biscuits to once per day | Cream or chocolate biscuits |
| Miscellaneous | All herbs and spices, pepper Salt (limited to 1 sachet per meal) Nuts (unsalted) Sugar (limit to 1 sachet with cereal and 1 sachet per serve of hot beverage) Artificial sweeteners | Cream, sour cream Potato crisps Chocolate |
References
- NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation. Nutrition standards for consumers of inpatient mental health services in NSW. Sydney: ACI; 2013
- Dietitians Association of Australia. Nutrition manual. 9th ed. Canberra: DAA; 2014.
- National Health and Medical Research Council (2013) Australian Dietary Guidelines. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council.