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Diet for gallbladder disease
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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A diet for gallbladder diseases is recommended for use in cases of treating cholecystitis, for example, acute or chronic forms, cholelithiasis.
Many of the causes of these fairly common diseases depend directly on the person himself. First of all, this refers to poor nutrition and a disdainful attitude towards one's body. The diet of a modern person is dominated by high-calorie, fatty and fried foods, with a huge content of harmful cholesterol. This, of course, is fast food, snacks on the go. In recent decades, food production technologies have changed significantly, unfortunately, not for the better.
Instead of expensive and high-quality natural components, low-quality and dubious components are now widely used in food production, for example, the well-known palm oil, soy concentrates and many other substitute components. All this is done to make products cheaper, while no one thinks about the health of consumers. But this is not what we are talking about now, let's now find out what exactly causes gallbladder diseases.
The gallbladder is a muscle tissue, by means of which the walls of the gallbladder contract, the movement of bile occurs. Under normal conditions of the body's functioning, muscle tissues contract systematically. The occurrence of disturbances in the mobility of the biliary tract provokes their dyskinesia. Dyskinesia, as a rule, in most cases provokes diseases of the gallbladder and even cholelithiasis. The main symptom of dyskinesia is the systematic appearance of periodic pain in the right hypochondrium.
The appearance of stones in the gallbladder or bile ducts causes the course of cholelithiasis. Small stones can pass into the duodenum quite painlessly, usually without causing an attack. In the case of blockage of the bile ducts, acute cholecystitis occurs, which is characterized by an inflammatory process in the bile ducts and gallbladder. A less pronounced, gradual course of the inflammatory process can provoke chronic cholecystitis.
As a rule, in the above cases, a diet for gallbladder diseases is recommended along with the treatment course. The nutritional diet depends on the nature of the disease and the complexity of its course. In the event of an acute form of cholecystitis, the diet mainly consists of liquid dishes and non-concentrated in their chemical composition. These can be light vegetable puree soups, decoctions or fruit juices diluted with boiled water in a 1:1 ratio. After about three to four days, when the attack is less pronounced, you can diversify the patient's diet with various cereals. Chronic cholecystitis allows the patient to eat a little more varied and less strictly, however, it is necessary to adhere to the principle of fractional nutrition. Portions of about 300 grams are consumed five to six times a day. It is the principle of fractional nutrition that promotes the timely outflow of bile and prevents stagnation. A diet for gallbladder diseases involves dishes and products that are rich in proteins and a small amount of vegetable fats and butter. It is impossible to imagine the full functioning of the body without proteins and fats. But in the therapeutic diet for gallbladder diseases, the use of animal fats, such as pork fat, beef or mutton fat, is strictly contraindicated. Only in the case of surgery is a strict diet for gallbladder diseases prescribed. In such cases, fats - vegetable and animal - are completely excluded from the diet of the postoperative patient, and it becomes almost vegetarian. Vegetables and fruits that contain essential oils, such as garlic, onions, radishes, radishes, rhubarb, are also excluded. It is important for a patient with gallbladder disease to drink plenty of fluids. The approximate daily fluid intake is three liters. During a diet for gallbladder disease, all kinds of hot sauces and marinades, adjika, mustard, mayonnaise, vegetable pickles, smoked meat and fish are excluded from the patient's diet.
Restoration of the excretory function of the biliary tract and gallbladder is achieved not only by medication. The use of dietary nutrition for gallbladder diseases is no less important in the treatment course and is an integral part of it. As a rule, the patient's diet consists of products that contain vegetable fats, milk protein, fiber, and plenty of fluid. The use of meat, fish, fatty, mushroom dishes containing extractive substances is limited. The technology of preparing dietary dishes is limited to boiling or steaming. Dietary nutrition for gallbladder disease should be regular and fractional, at least five times a day in small portions of medium temperature.
The diet for gallbladder diseases consists of the following approximate diet: weak tea with milk, fruit compotes, berry kissels, dried fruit decoctions, juices diluted with boiled water in a 1:1 ratio are allowed as drinks. It is best to use slightly dried rye bread. Gradually, after three to four days, dairy products, sour cream, kefir, fermented baked milk are introduced into the patient's diet, but in very small quantities. Fat consumption is limited to 30-50 grams, in the form of dressing for main dishes, this can be butter, olive or vegetable oil. You can eat eggs, in the form of omelets without yolks, which are best steamed. Vegetarian vegetable soups, without frying, will be a mandatory component of the nutritious diet. In small quantities, you can eat lean boiled meat, poultry, fish. It is recommended to eat buckwheat, pearl barley, oatmeal, crumbly or semi-viscous consistency. Vegetables and fruits will be very useful, they can be eaten raw or baked and in large quantities.
It should not be forgotten that a diet for gallbladder diseases does not exclude the main course of drug treatment and is an integral part of it.
Nutrition for gallbladder diseases
Therapeutic nutrition for gallbladder diseases, first of all, contributes to the most favorable effect on the diseased organ. The diet for gallbladder diseases is determined by a large number of vegetables and fruits. As is known, fruits and vegetables have a pronounced choleretic effect, and especially juices from them. The bile excretion function increases significantly if you eat vegetables in combination with vegetable oil, which contributes to this. For this reason, patients with gallbladder diseases are recommended salads from fresh vegetables with oil and vinaigrette. Vitamins contained in vegetables significantly improve the functioning of the gallbladder and liver, remove cholesterol from the body, thereby providing a preventive effect. However, not all fruits and vegetables can be useful for gallbladder diseases. In the therapeutic diet for gallbladder diseases, there is a whole list of restrictions on vegetables and fruits, this must be taken into account when preparing a patient's diet. Of the fruits, pears, apples, tangerines, oranges can be recommended. Berries that are useful include grapes, strawberries, watermelon, melons, raspberries, and cherries. Vegetables that stimulate bile secretion and have a mild laxative effect are recommended. For example, zucchini, carrots, beets, pumpkin, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cauliflower. Beans and potatoes should be consumed with caution because they can cause increased gas formation in the intestines. Sour vegetables and fruits, such as sour apples, lemons, gooseberries, sorrel, and spinach, are not allowed. This can cause increased pain and new spasms. Oxalic acid also provokes the formation of stones and irritates liver cells. It is best to combine vegetables and fruits with other products and consume them in the form of ready-made dietary dishes.
Therapeutic nutrition for gallbladder diseases excludes fried vegetable dishes and all kinds of marinades from the diet. On the recommendation of the attending physician, vegetable or fruit fasting days may be prescribed, during which the patient eats a certain type of fruit or vegetable, such as watermelons, apples, grapes, melons, cherries, pears or carrots. As a rule, such fasting days have a good effect on the body as a whole.
Diet for chronic gallbladder diseases
Diet for chronic gallbladder diseases is an important element of the treatment course. Strict adherence to the diet is especially important, due to the likelihood of possible exacerbations and painful sensations. Therapeutic nutrition for chronic gallbladder diseases, first of all, ensures minimal stress on the digestive system and gallbladder and at the same time ensures the vital functions of the entire body. Depending on the degree of inflammatory processes, individually, in each individual case, a therapeutic diet for chronic gallbladder diseases is prescribed. Such a diet mainly includes dishes steamed or boiled, ground to a mushy consistency. The range of dishes in the diet for chronic gallbladder diseases is quite wide. These can be all kinds of cream soups from cereals, various porridges, for example, semolina, oatmeal, rice. Of meat dishes, it is recommended to eat lean meats, fish, poultry, in the form of steamed cutlets. Dairy products, vegetable dishes, fresh or canned berries and fruits are also recommended. Drinks include jelly, rosehip infusion, berry and vegetable juices.
As a rule, for chronic diseases of the gallbladder, diet table No. 5 is prescribed. This diet has the principle of fractional food intake, which helps improve the excretion of bile. The effectiveness of bile secretion is significantly enhanced if the patient's diet contains a large amount of vegetables in combination with vegetable oils. Light carbohydrates, such as honey, sugar, jams, preserves, and sweets, are subject to complete exclusion from the patient's diet. Easily digestible carbohydrates contribute to stagnation in the gallbladder. For full vital activity, the body requires the intake of animal proteins. All these features must be taken into account when drawing up a nutritional diet for chronic diseases of the gallbladder.
The chemical composition of the diet for chronic gallbladder diseases is represented by the following components: protein in the amount of 100 grams, of which 60% is of animal origin, carbohydrates in the amount of 450 grams, of which 75-80 grams are sugar, fats in the amount of 90 grams, of which vegetable fats make up 30%. The daily caloric content of dietary dishes is approximately 2900 kcal, which fully satisfies the physiological need. The recommended amount of liquid consumption is 2 liters.
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Diet recipes for gallbladder diseases
Recipes for a diet for gallbladder disease offer a variety of dishes. Therefore, it would not be entirely correct to call a diet for gallbladder disease strict or restrictive. Let's consider an approximate diet for one day for a patient with gallbladder disease: morning I breakfast - vinaigrette with butter 200 grams, 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, dried piece of bread, 25 grams of butter, tea; II breakfast - buckwheat porridge 250 grams, boiled meat 90 grams, fruit juice; lunch - vegetable puree soup seasoned with low-fat sour cream, boiled fish with carrots and potatoes, beetroot salad, apple compote; afternoon snack - a glass of fermented baked milk, prunes; dinner - cabbage cutlets, cottage cheese and pasta casserole, fruit and berry compote; one hour before bed – a glass of kefir, 3 oatmeal cookies.
Cooking dishes for a therapeutic diet is not a complicated process at all and even novice cooks can do it, however, it requires mandatory maintenance of proportions and the sequence of all technological processes. Let's consider several recipes for dishes for a diet for gallbladder diseases.
To prepare the pureed soup for lunch on our menu, you will need several potatoes, half a glass of milk, one carrot, a tablespoon of rice, a tablespoon of low-fat sour cream, 1 gram of salt, a little dill and parsley root. Rinse and boil the rice. Cut the vegetables and boil them together with the rice, then mix everything with a blender and add milk. Boil again and remove from the stove. Season with sour cream, salt and garnish with herbs. You can prepare other versions of pureed soups using the same technology; you just need to supplement the recipe with other ingredients.
To prepare barley soup, you will need 50 grams of barley groats, one carrot, one medium onion, parsley root, a tablespoon of butter, water, and 1 gram of salt. Boil the vegetables for half an hour. Boil the barley groats separately. Then mix the vegetables with the barley broth and grind with a blender, bring to a boil, and add butter.
To prepare the second course of our menu, you will need 200 grams of lean veal, a quarter cup of milk, four potatoes, a tablespoon of flour, a tablespoon of grated cheese, a tablespoon of butter, parsley root, and one carrot. Boil the prepared meat with carrots and parsley root. Make mashed potatoes. For the milk sauce, mix hot milk with flour. Cut the boiled meat into thin slices and place in a frying pan, place mashed potatoes around it, pour in milk sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese, and bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
Diet menu for gallbladder diseases
An approximate weekly menu of a diet for gallbladder diseases can be represented by a fairly wide range of dietary dishes. This once again proves the fact that therapeutic nutrition can be varied. Let's consider it in more detail.
Day one
- 1st breakfast – buckwheat porridge with butter, cottage cheese, tea, oatmeal cookies;
- II breakfast – apple, glass of fermented baked milk;
- Lunch – vegetarian cream soup, boiled rice with meat, berry jelly;
- Afternoon snack – a glass of kefir, cookies;
- Dinner – mashed potatoes, boiled fish, a glass of fruit juice;
- Before bed – a glass of warm kefir;
Day two
- 1st breakfast – pasta with cottage cheese, milk and cookies;
- II breakfast – buckwheat porridge with milk, tea;
- Lunch – potato soup with oatmeal, meat cabbage rolls, fruit jelly;
- Afternoon snack – prunes;
- Dinner – milk rice porridge, unleavened cheese, baked apple;
- Before bed – a glass of warm kefir;
Day three
- 1st breakfast – oatmeal porridge with milk, boiled fish, tea;
- II breakfast – cottage cheese, cabbage casserole;
- Lunch – milk soup, boiled meat with carrots, apple compote;
- Afternoon snack – a glass of fermented baked milk, an apple;
- Dinner – buckwheat soup with vegetables, a glass of still mineral water;
- Before bed – a glass of warm kefir;
Day four
- 1st breakfast – steamed protein omelette, rice milk porridge, tea;
- II breakfast – cottage cheese, kefir;
- Lunch – vegetarian borscht, mashed potatoes with boiled meat, fruit compote;
- Afternoon snack – tea, oatmeal cookies;
- Dinner – boiled pasta, unleavened cheese, tea;
- Before bed – a glass of warm kefir;
Day five
- 1st breakfast – apple and carrot salad, steamed meat cutlets, tea;
- II breakfast – baked apples with cottage cheese;
- Lunch – mashed potato soup, boiled fish, stewed cabbage, apple;
- Afternoon snack – rosehip decoction, oatmeal cookies;
- Dinner – buckwheat soup, cottage cheese, tea;
- Before bed – a glass of warm kefir;
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Day six
- 1st breakfast – boiled potatoes with butter, steamed poultry, tea;
- II breakfast – baked apple;
- Lunch – vegetarian soup with fresh cabbage, steamed cutlets, apple jelly;
- Afternoon snack – oatmeal cookies, rosehip infusion;
- Dinner – steamed protein omelette, cheesecakes, juice;
- Before bed – a glass of warm kefir;
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Day seven
- 1st breakfast – carrot cutlets with buckwheat porridge, tea;
- II breakfast – carrot puree with apple jam;
- Lunch – vegetarian borscht, cottage cheese pudding, baked apple;
- Afternoon snack – fruit and berry jelly, cookies;
- Dinner – milk semolina porridge with raisins, juice;
- Before bed – a glass of warm kefir.
This is an approximate menu of a diet for gallbladder diseases, some dishes can be replaced with equivalent ones in chemical composition, but from other ingredients. As a rule, to achieve a stable, sustainable result and increase the effectiveness of treatment, the necessary course of therapeutic nutrition is from six months to a year, everything depends on the degree of development of the disease.
What foods can you eat if you have gallbladder disease?
Compiled according to the recommendations of nutritionists, this list cannot be called limited and very strict. So, let's look at this list in more detail. Experts recommend eating a large amount of carbohydrates, namely, vegetables and fruits, both fresh and in the form of ready-made dishes. These can be potatoes, cauliflower, pumpkin, carrots, beets. It will be very good to combine vegetables with vegetable oils, for example, olive or sunflower, while the beneficial properties of vegetables increase significantly. Technological processing of vegetables for the preparation of dietary dishes consists of steaming or boiling. Frying and long simmering of vegetables is not allowed. From berries and fruits, it is recommended to eat strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, watermelons, melons, grapes. Naturally, the use of berries and fruits is seasonal. From fruits and berries, you can make many healthy desserts that will not only improve your mood, but also replenish the deficiency of vitamins. These can be kissels, compotes, jellies, jams, mousses, marmalade. Fruit and vegetable juices are best diluted with boiled water in a 1:1 ratio. Eating dill and parsley will also be very beneficial. The carbohydrate component of the diet continues with cereals and pasta. It is recommended to eat light soups based on vegetables and various cereals, such as oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, and wheat. Cereals are recommended in the form of crumbly porridges, to which you can add a little butter. Porridges are prepared in water with a small amount of milk, approximately in a 1:1 ratio.
It is very important for gallbladder diseases to have a complete diet, which in turn includes protein products. It is recommended to eat lean meats, poultry, and fish. The technology for preparing dietary dishes from meat, poultry, and fish is to boil or steam them. You can also eat eggs and dishes made from them in small quantities. These can be steamed protein omelets or boiled eggs. Milk and fermented milk products are an integral part of the diet. You can eat cottage cheese, cheeses, kefir, milk, and milk jelly. It is necessary to ensure that dairy products are fresh and as natural as possible. Teas are recommended for drinks, black and green, with or without milk - a matter of your taste, fruit compotes, juices - it is best to dilute with water in a 1:1 ratio.
There are still a few recommendations from specialists regarding the recommended list of products for gallbladder diseases. Fruits and vegetables should be ripe, matured, you should not eat sour berries and fruits. Dietary nutrition involves fractional consumption of food during the day, approximately five to six times. An important point is the temperature of the food consumed, it should be average, not very hot, but not cold either. Yes, and the portions should not be very large, no more than 300 grams. This is also important, since large portions are more difficult to digest.
What foods should not be eaten if you have gallbladder disease?
Let's consider in more detail what foods should not be eaten with gallbladder diseases or can be consumed in limited quantities. Any fresh bread - rye, wheat, white, gray - is excluded from the therapeutic diet. Bread can be eaten slightly dried or crackers. Any fresh products made from rich dough are also excluded. It is not allowed to eat fatty meats, fish, poultry, for example, lamb, pork, geese, ducks, regardless of the technology of their preparation and method of culinary processing. All types of meat dishes, fried and stewed meat, smoked meat and fish, canned meat products, meat by-products, for example, liver, lungs, salted fish, canned fish products are excluded from the therapeutic diet. In general, it is best to exclude the use of heavy foods from the diet of a patient with gallbladder diseases. First courses prepared on the basis of mushroom, fish and meat broths are excluded. Dairy products that contain a high fat content are excluded. These may include various cheeses with a fat content of over 35%, cottage cheese with a fat content of over 4%, cream with a fat content of over 10%. It is not allowed to consume animal fats, such as pork, beef, and lamb. Legumes - beans, peas, millet and pearl barley - are subject to complete exclusion from the diet. Vegetables that are excluded include all types of mushrooms, sauerkraut, onions, garlic, sorrel, radish and horseradish. In general, it is best not to consume any vegetables that have a sour or tart taste, so as not to provoke possible complications. The consumption of sweets, chocolate, cocoa, all kinds of spices, ice cream, pastila and halva is significantly limited. All spicy and bitter dishes, all kinds of sauces, adjika, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard are excluded.
If we talk about what foods should not be eaten with gallbladder diseases, then the excluded foods can be grouped according to taste characteristics. Namely, bitter, spicy, sour, fatty, tart, salty foods are excluded.