Diet is one of the most important factors in managing very high triglycerides (TGs)
Here are 9 ideas from an expert panel of registered dietitians that may help lower triglyceride levels.
Try to maintain a very low-fat diet by:
Eating less than 15-20 grams of fat daily (less than 10-15% of your daily caloric
intake)*
Ensuring essential fats (the fats that the body cannot produce on its own), such as
alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid) and linolenic acid (LA, an omega-6
fatty acid), are 2% to 4% of daily calories
Flaxseeds and chia seeds are good sources of ALA in small amounts, as they supply
essential fatty acids*
*Appropriate daily fat intake depends upon the individual. Consult your doctor or a
licensed dietitian for guidance.
Eating small amounts of the following example foods may help ensure you consume
essential healthy fats:
Beans
Chia seeds
Flaxseed
Light canned tuna in water
Oysters
Scallops
Sea bass
Shrimp
Tilapia
Tofu
Swap your fat source for a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil
Medical-grade MCT oil doesn’t increase triglycerides in people with FCS. There are
different kinds of MCT oil available that might help meet the dietary needs of someone
living with FCS. You can ask your doctor or dietitian to help you find the one that’s
best for you and prescribe it for you.
Add fat-free or low-fat, protein-rich foods to every meal and snack
Great sources of protein that are low in fat include lean chicken, lentils, non-fat
dairy like yogurt or cheese, shrimp, tuna, and turkey. See the table for the fat and
protein content in a typical serving size.
Food
Serving Size
Fat
Protein
Lean Chicken
3 ounces
3.8 grams
26.4 grams
Lentils
1 cup
0.8 grams
17.9 grams
Non-fat Cheese
1 ounce
0 grams
9.1 grams
Large Shrimp
6 pieces
0.6 grams
7.5 grams
Tuna
3 ounces
0.8 grams
16.5 grams
Ground Turkey, fat free
3 ounces
2.3 grams
27 grams
Opt for complex carbohydrates, limit refined and simple carbs, and avoid added sugars
Complex carbohydrates include:
Whole grains like quinoa, oats, and brown rice
Chickpeas, black beans, and peas
Starchy vegetables like potatoes, butternut squash, and beets
Fruits like bananas, apples, and blueberries
Have your levels of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and minerals regularly checked, and
supplement if necessary
The main food sources for fat-soluble vitamins are animal fats, vegetable oils, dairy
foods, liver, and oily fish. Your body needs these vitamins, but these foods may have
too much fat content for a person living with FCS. Consider talking to your doctor about
checking levels of these vitamins and any potential supplements you may need.
Minerals, such as calcium and iron, are found in meat, fruits, and vegetables. You may
be able to get what your body needs in an extremely low-fat diet.
Focus on nutrient-dense foods
These include vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fat-free dairy, and lean proteins.
Avoid added sugars, desserts, sugary drinks, fruit juices, high-fat cooking oils, and
foods made with fats or oils. People living with FCS have an extremely low-fat diet that
only allows 15-20 grams of fat per day.
Examples of nutrient-dense foods within fat limit:
Vegetables
Whole grains
Legumes
Fat-free dairy
Lean proteins
Spread calorie and fat intake evenly throughout the day and avoid overeating. Try to eat
small portions to avoid feeling too full
Typical dietary recommendations for people living with FCS:
Include these:
Fat-free dairy products
Fat-free milk
Lean proteins
Legumes
Vegetables
Water
Whole grains
Avoid these:
Added sugars
Alcohol
Cooking spray and high-fat oils
Cream
Desserts
Foods made with or containing fats or oils
Fruit juices
Sugar-sweetened drinks
Avoid drinking alcohol
Drinking alcohol raises triglyceride levels.
The National Lipid Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-higher
intensity physical activity per week
While this is a general guideline for those living with high triglycerides, people with
FCS should consult their healthcare team to create a personalized exercise plan.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have very high triglycerides, you should talk to your doctor or professional healthcare provider about the diet and exercise plan that is right for you.
Tasty, enjoyable FCS-safe tips for cooking and dining out
Because diet is one of the most important factors when managing FCS, cooking and dining out
may become a major source of stress. But there are ways to enjoy cooking and dining out
while maintaining your diet. Here are some tips for cooking and dining out on an
FCS-friendly diet:
Plan your meals out
Whether it’s making food at home or going out to eat, planning your meals out allows you to choose low-fat options.
Evaluate menu options ahead
When you’re planning to dine out, try finding the menu online or calling ahead to make sure that there’s something available that fits your low-fat diet.
Eating with friends
Give them a list of foods that you can eat. If that’s not an option, bring your own FCS-safe foods. Eating with friends is a social experience—FCS shouldn’t limit that.
“There’s cooking because you have to cook and you have to eat. And there’s cooking because you love food and you are excited by being able to provide food for yourself and for others, more than that, for others that they enjoy.”
—Fin, parent of child living with FCS
“He [my husband] brought in the concepts of cooking from scratch, from starting with what I can eat, rather than thinking about what I can’t eat, with trying to cook food that is from the ingredients I can eat.”
—Jill, living with FCS
Traveling with FCS
Although your dietary requirements can make traveling more difficult, they may not make it
impossible. Talk to your doctor about how you can maintain your diet while traveling with
very high triglycerides, like from FCS.
Practical support and advice from people living with very high triglycerides
If you have very high triglycerides, you may find it helpful to hear what others with very
high triglycerides have learned along their journeys.
Not actual patients.
Join and learn
“When you start to engage with a community of others with the condition, the more you learn, the stronger you can be and the better you can be at advocating.”
“There are a few things I’m proud of with Action FCS, one of which is the experience of bringing patients together. And I have many messages from individual patients telling me how meeting a community is changing their lives.”
“To help avoid stigma or misdiagnosis, I hand carry a provider letter saying, ‘This patient is under my care. She’s not lying. This is what she has. This is what needs to happen.’ Signed by my provider, it cuts through so much red tape.”
“We had mental health support, which I think is absolutely critical for anyone with FCS. Like anything that’s rare that makes you different, it can be an isolating thing.”
“Everybody was delighted to have found somebody else who had the same condition to talk, and to exchange stories, and to validate their experiences, their feelings, work out what was to do with FCS and what was to do with just being them.”
Managing very high triglycerides may be an emotional challenge as well as a physical one.
Emotional support from family, friends, and patient organizations may reduce stress and
empower people with FCS. You don’t need to bear the burden alone.
“Once I finally had a diagnosis and got close to figuring it out, I jumped both feet in into finding people that had this disease as well because I had been on an island by myself for so long. Just the thought of knowing that there is someone else in this world that has this same thing was very comforting to me.”
— Scott, living with FCS
“You deal with this thing where you start to have to learn a new language because I was told he had hepatosplenomegaly, which obviously meant nothing to me, but I found out it meant enlarged liver and spleen.”
— Fin, parent and caregiver to Devon, living with FCS
Want to hear more from others who are living with FCS?
