Sticking with Your Medical Diet

Plan for dietary success and the best health

Medical diets guide food choices to help you manage certain conditions. Eating right for your condition may help you need less medication and avoid complications. The right nutrition can also help your body heal.

Types of Medical Diets

There are a wide range of medical diets. Some common medical diets include:

Diabetic diet. Controls carbohydrates for a stable blood sugar.
Cardiac diet. Limits sodium, fat, and cholesterol for cardiac health.
Renal diet. May limit fluid, potassium, and phosphorus intake for patients with kidney failure.
Allergy-avoidance diets. Avoids certain foods for those with allergies or sensitivity.
Symptom-management diets. Avoids foods that trigger symptoms, such as fried and fatty foods for patients with gallbladder disease.

Medical diets can be restrictive, and getting the correct nutrition within those restrictions is essential. Any prescribed diet should be followed under the guidance of a doctor.

Learn to Read a Food Label

Understand what you are eating by reading food labels. Pay attention to the ingredients as well as the nutrition facts and opt for choices without additives. Learn more about food labels with these FDA resources.

Tips for Staying on Your Diet

Medical diets can help you meet your health goals, but staying on a diet can be tricky. You may slip up if you don’t know what to eat, eat to cope with feelings, or participate in an activity associated with food. Follow these tips to be prepared and set yourself up for success.

Build routines

Create routines and habits instead of relying on willpower. Planning meals and keeping healthy snacks on hand will go a long way to helping you stick to your diet. Keep the foods that should form a large part of your diet within easy reach and make the less healthy choices harder to get.

Get educated

Learn about your diet, what it involves, and why it’s important for you. Understanding how the diet can protect your health can motivate you to stay on track. Learn about foods you need to avoid, how to identify them, and possible alternatives.

Food labels are an excellent source of information. Whole, unlabeled foods are often excellent, healthy choices, but be aware that they can be high in substances you need to avoid for some diets. For foods without labels, you can find detailed information at the USDA’s FoodData Central.

Start small

Make small, realistic changes and build on them. Change takes time, but it does get easier! If you slip up, don’t be too hard on yourself and resolve to make different choices next time.

Find replacements

Many activities are associated with food and can trigger dietary slips. Find healthier alternatives to replace foods you need to avoid.

Cook at home

It’s much easier to control what you eat if you’re the one cooking. Learn how to make a few dishes that follow your diet. Over time, you can add more recipes.

Keep track

Keep a food journal and track what you eat. Writing it all down can help you stay accountable, identify when you tend to slip up, and provide your doctor with helpful information.

Get support

Tell friends and family about your diet and why it’s important for you. A trusted friend or family member can help you stay accountable. Online and in-person support groups can also be helpful.

Eat Your Veggies First

If one of your dietary goals includes getting more fruits and vegetables, try eating your vegetables before the rest of your meal. You will fill up and naturally eat less of other foods.

A Mindset of More

Instead of thinking of your diet as restricted, focus on what you can add. For example, aim to eat a wide variety of fresh vegetables prepared in delicious ways, rather than thinking about how you must avoid fried foods.

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