Fatty Liver Meal Plan: A 7-Day Menu and Shopping List

TL;DR

• This 7-day plan turns the Mediterranean-style fatty liver diet into real meals: vegetables at every lunch and dinner, fish and legumes for protein, whole grains in modest portions, olive oil and nuts as the main fats, and fruit for dessert.
• There are no sugary drinks, juice, processed meat or alcohol, and portions are sized with your hand instead of exact calorie counts.
• Use the shopping list, cook twice and eat leftovers, and adjust portions to your hunger and weight trend.

A good fatty liver meal plan is the Mediterranean diet turned into a week of ordinary meals: vegetables at most meals, fish, beans, eggs and poultry for protein, whole grains in modest portions, olive oil and nuts as the main fats, and water, coffee or tea instead of sugary drinks. Below is a 7-day menu with breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack, plus a shopping list and tips for keeping it going.

The plan follows the main guidelines for MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, formerly NAFLD). It doesn’t promise a calorie total, because the right amount depends on your body and goals. Instead, portions use a simple hand guide you can scale up or down.

How This Fatty Liver Meal Plan Works

Every day follows the same rules, taken from the AASLD 2023 guidance and the 2024 EASL–EASD–EASO guideline:

• Mediterranean-style foods. Vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, fish, nuts and olive oil, the pattern both guidelines recommend.
• No sugar-sweetened drinks or juice. The European guideline says to avoid sugary drinks and lists “fruits (not juice)” among the foods to eat more of.
• Very little ultra-processed food and processed meat. No bacon, sausage, deli meats or packaged snacks.
• Olive oil instead of butter. Swapping saturated fat for unsaturated fat.
• Calorie-aware portions. If you’re overweight, the AASLD guidance calls for a diet that creates a calorie deficit.
• Lots of fiber. Beans, lentils, oats, vegetables and berries show up daily.

Cooking is kept simple. Several dinners make leftovers for the next day’s lunch, which is how most people keep a plan like this going past the first week.

How Big Should Portions Be?

Use your hand and a normal dinner plate (about 9–10 inches) rather than a scale:

Food group	Portion per meal	Hand guide	Examples
Non-starchy vegetables	Half the plate	Two open handfuls or more	Salad, broccoli, peppers, green beans, zucchini
Protein	A quarter of the plate	Your palm	Fish, chicken, eggs, tofu, 1 cup beans or lentils
Whole grains or starchy vegetables	A quarter of the plate	Your fist	Brown rice, quinoa, whole-wheat pasta, potato with skin
Added fat	1 tbsp or so	Your thumb	Olive oil, nuts, avocado
Fruit	1 piece or 1 cup	Your fist	Apple, orange, berries

Healthy fats are still calorie-dense. A tablespoon of olive oil has about 119 calories, an ounce of almonds about 164, and a cup of cooked brown rice about 249 (USDA FoodData Central). Measure them for the first couple of weeks until your eye is calibrated.

If you’re hungry, add more vegetables first. If you’re not losing weight and want to, trim the grain portion and the added fat slightly before anything else.

The 7-Day Fatty Liver Meal Plan at a Glance

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snack
1	Oatmeal with berries and walnuts	Chickpea Greek salad with pita	Baked salmon, roasted vegetables, brown rice	Apple and almonds
2	Spinach and tomato scrambled eggs, whole-grain toast	Salmon grain bowl (leftovers)	Lentil and vegetable soup, side salad	Plain Greek yogurt with strawberries
3	Greek yogurt with raspberries and ground flax	Lentil soup (leftovers) with raw vegetables	Chicken and vegetable stir-fry over brown rice	Vegetables with hummus
4	Overnight oats with chia and apple	Olive-oil tuna salad sandwich, pear	Turkey and bean chili, side salad	Orange and pistachios
5	Avocado toast with a boiled egg	Chili (leftovers)	Whole-wheat pasta with vegetables, white beans and tomato sauce	Plain yogurt with blueberries
6	Vegetable omelet with fruit	Quinoa, chickpea and herb salad	Sheet-pan cod with sweet potato and green beans	Edamame
7	Mediterranean breakfast plate	Sardines on whole-grain toast, green salad	Roasted chicken with Greek salad and potatoes	Baked apple with cinnamon

Drink water, sparkling water, coffee or unsweetened tea with every meal. The days are interchangeable. Repeat your favorites and swap anything you don’t like for another meal from the list.

Day-by-Day Meals and Prep Notes

Day 1

• Breakfast: ½ cup rolled oats cooked in water or unsweetened milk, topped with 1 cup berries and a tablespoon of chopped walnuts. Coffee.
• Lunch: Greens, ½ cup chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, red onion and a little crumbled feta, dressed with olive oil and lemon, plus a small whole-wheat pita.
• Dinner: A palm-sized salmon fillet baked at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 minutes, with broccoli and carrots roasted in a tablespoon of olive oil and a fist of brown rice. Cook double salmon and rice.
• Snack: An apple and a small handful of almonds.

Day 2

• Breakfast: Two eggs scrambled in a teaspoon of olive oil with spinach and cherry tomatoes, one slice of whole-grain toast.
• Lunch: Leftover salmon and rice over greens with cucumber, shredded carrot and a spoon of hummus.
• Dinner: A big pot of lentil soup: onion, carrot, celery and garlic softened in olive oil, then dried lentils, canned tomatoes, low-sodium broth and cumin, simmered about 30 minutes. Side salad. Save half the pot.
• Snack: Plain Greek yogurt with cinnamon and sliced strawberries.

Day 3

• Breakfast: Plain Greek yogurt with raspberries and a tablespoon of ground flaxseed or chopped nuts.
• Lunch: Leftover lentil soup with raw peppers, cucumber and carrot sticks.
• Dinner: Skinless chicken breast stir-fried with peppers, broccoli, snap peas, garlic and ginger in a little oil, finished with a splash of reduced-sodium soy sauce, over a fist of brown rice or quinoa.
• Snack: Carrot and cucumber sticks with 2–3 tablespoons of hummus.

Day 4

• Breakfast (made the night before): Overnight oats with rolled oats, unsweetened milk or soy drink, a tablespoon of chia seeds, grated apple and cinnamon.
• Lunch: Canned tuna in water mixed with olive oil, lemon, celery and herbs (instead of mayonnaise) on whole-grain bread with lettuce and tomato, plus a pear.
• Dinner: Chili with lean ground turkey (or extra beans for a meatless version), kidney and black beans, canned tomatoes, onion, peppers, chili powder and cumin. Side salad. Make enough for tomorrow.
• Snack: An orange and a small handful of unsalted pistachios.

Day 5

• Breakfast: Whole-grain toast with a third of an avocado, mashed, topped with a sliced boiled egg and black pepper. Coffee.
• Lunch: Leftover chili.
• Dinner: A fist of whole-wheat pasta with tomato sauce loaded with zucchini, mushrooms and spinach, plus white beans or grilled chicken, and a light sprinkle of parmesan.
• Snack: Plain yogurt with blueberries.

Day 6

• Breakfast: A two-egg omelet with peppers, onions and mushrooms, with a piece of fruit.
• Lunch: Tabbouleh-style salad of cooked quinoa, chickpeas, lots of parsley and mint, tomato, cucumber, olive oil and lemon. Make a double batch for a quick lunch later in the week.
• Dinner: Sheet-pan cod (or any white fish) with sweet potato wedges and green beans, all roasted with a tablespoon of olive oil, garlic and paprika.
• Snack: A cup of steamed edamame in the pod.

Day 7

• Breakfast: A Mediterranean plate: a boiled egg, sliced tomato and cucumber, a few olives, half a whole-wheat pita and a spoon of hummus.
• Lunch: Canned sardines (or salmon) on whole-grain toast with lemon and a large green salad.
• Dinner: Skinless chicken thighs roasted with lemon, garlic and oregano, a Greek salad, and a small portion of roasted potatoes with the skin on.
• Snack or dessert: An apple baked with cinnamon, or fresh fruit.

Fatty Liver Shopping List

This list covers the full week. Buy fresh produce for the first half, and lean on frozen vegetables and fruit for the second.

Section	What to buy	Calorie-aware tip
Vegetables	Leafy greens, spinach, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, mushrooms, green beans, snap peas, celery, sweet potatoes, potatoes, frozen mixed vegetables	Fill half the plate; frozen is just as good
Fruit	Berries (fresh or frozen, unsweetened), apples, oranges, pears, lemons	Whole fruit, never juice
Fish and seafood	Salmon, cod or other white fish, canned tuna in water, canned sardines	Twice a week or more; bake, grill or roast
Poultry, eggs, tofu	Skinless chicken breasts and thighs, lean ground turkey, eggs, tofu	Palm-sized portions; skip bacon, sausage and deli meats
Legumes	Dried or canned lentils, chickpeas, black, kidney and white beans, hummus, frozen edamame	Choose no-salt-added cans and rinse them
Whole grains	Rolled oats, brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain bread, whole-wheat pita, whole-wheat pasta	A fist per meal; the first ingredient should say “whole”
Healthy fats	Extra-virgin olive oil, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, avocado, olives	Measure: about 119 calories per tbsp of oil, 164 per oz of almonds
Dairy and alternatives	Plain Greek yogurt, low-fat milk or unsweetened soy drink, feta, parmesan	Buy plain and add your own fruit
Pantry	Canned tomatoes, low-sodium broth, vinegar, mustard, reduced-sodium soy sauce, dried herbs and spices, cinnamon	Flavor without added sugar or saturated fat
Drinks	Coffee, tea, sparkling water	No soda, juice or sweet tea

What’s not on the list matters too: soda, juice, sweetened cereals, flavored yogurt, pastries, chips, processed meat, butter and alcohol. For the reasons behind each, see foods to avoid with fatty liver.

Why Is the Plan Built This Way?

Each choice traces back to the guidelines:

• Weight loss if you need it. The European guideline recommends a sustained loss of at least 5% of body weight to reduce liver fat, 7–10% to improve inflammation and 10% or more to improve fibrosis. The hand-sized portions and vegetable-heavy plates are designed to make a moderate calorie deficit easier without feeling starved.
• The Mediterranean pattern. The European guideline recommends improving diet quality “similar to the Mediterranean dietary pattern”, which it describes as high in olive oil, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, fish and seafood.
• No sugary drinks. The AASLD guidance says excessive fructose raises the risk of fatty liver, MASH and advanced fibrosis independent of calories. NIDDK advises avoiding simple sugars, especially from soft drinks, sweetened tea and juices.
• Fish and legumes instead of processed meat. The European guideline recommends minimizing processed meat.
• Coffee is welcome. The AASLD guidance says three or more cups a day could be recommended if you have no reason to avoid it. See is coffee good for fatty liver?
• Eggs are in. They’re an affordable protein with no significant link to fatty liver in a 2020 meta-analysis. More in are eggs good for fatty liver?

For the full reasoning, see our complete fatty liver diet guide, and for how strong the evidence is behind each food, the best foods for fatty liver.

Tips to Make the Plan Stick

• Cook twice, eat three times. Salmon, lentil soup, chili and quinoa salad all make planned leftovers.
• Repeat breakfasts. Rotating two or three breakfasts saves decisions, and fewer decisions means fewer detours to the drive-through.
• Prep on the weekend. Wash and chop vegetables, cook a pot of brown rice or quinoa, boil a few eggs, and make the overnight oats.
• Keep emergency meals on hand. Canned fish, canned beans, frozen vegetables and whole-grain pasta can become dinner in 15 minutes and keep you away from takeout.
• Plan your treats. A dessert on the weekend is fine. A daily pastry is the habit to break.
• Eating out: choose grilled fish or chicken with vegetables, ask for dressing on the side, swap fries for a salad or vegetables, and drink water.
• Move after meals. A 10–15-minute walk after dinner is an easy way to add to the 150 minutes a week of moderate activity the European guideline recommends.
• Check your real meals. Recipes rarely match what ends up on the plate. An app like Liverly can scan a meal, give it a Liver Score and track added sugar, saturated fat, fiber and water, so you can see where your week drifts.

How to Adjust the Plan for Your Needs

• To lose weight faster: shrink the grain portion at dinner, measure oil and nuts strictly, and add more vegetables. Avoid crash diets. The guidelines’ targets are about sustained weight loss.
• Vegetarian: replace fish and chicken with tofu, tempeh, eggs, beans and lentils. The lentil soup, chili (with extra beans), pasta with white beans and chickpea salads already work.
• Don’t like fish: use chicken, tofu or legumes, and include walnuts, chia and ground flaxseed.
• Type 2 diabetes: the pattern fits well, but ask your care team about carbohydrate portions, especially if you take insulin or other glucose-lowering medicines.
• Normal weight with fatty liver: keep the food choices and portions that maintain your weight. The European guideline still recommends diet and exercise for normal-weight adults with MASLD.
• Cirrhosis: this plan isn’t the right template. Cirrhosis often calls for more protein, a late-evening snack and, with fluid buildup, a sodium limit. See our cirrhosis diet guide and follow your care team.

The Bottom Line

A fatty liver meal plan doesn’t need special products or strict rules. It needs vegetables at most meals, fish, legumes, eggs and poultry for protein, whole grains in fist-sized portions, olive oil and nuts as the main fats, whole fruit instead of dessert, and water, coffee or tea instead of sugary drinks. Use this week as a template, repeat what you like, adjust portions to your hunger and weight trend, and let your doctor track how your liver responds over time.

Sources

• EASL–EASD–EASO Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of MASLD (Journal of Hepatology 2024)
• AASLD Practice Guidance on the clinical assessment and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (Hepatology 2023)
• NIDDK: Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for NAFLD & NASH
• He K et al. Food groups and the likelihood of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis (British Journal of Nutrition 2020)
• USDA FoodData Central

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or hepatologist about your specific situation.