The Swank Diet for Multiple Sclerosis

All grains and cereals are permitted, but whole-grain products are preferable. All hot cereals are permissible, including Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice, and oatmeal. Choose breakfast cereals that are low in fat, such as Cheerios, Grapenuts, puffed rice, or shredded wheat. Avoid high-fat granola.

Angel food cake is an acceptable desert. Other desserts include butter, margarine, and eggs, and are too high in fat.

Up to 3 eggs per week are permitted, but no more than 1 egg per day.

Catsup, mustard, and salsa can be consumed without limitation, but mayonnaise must be counted against your daily allowance of saturated fat. Two tablespoons of mayonnaise contains 1 tablespoon of saturated fat is your entire allowance of saturated fat for one day. Two tablespoons of a mayonnaise-based salad dressing is likewise your entire allowance of saturated fat for 1 day.

Avocado, olives, nuts, and seeds are a good source of unsaturated fat, required in the diet. One-third your daily allowance of unsaturated fat may be obtained from:

Avocados. 1/8 = 1 tsp. of unsaturated fat (oil)

Olives. 3 medium black = 1 tsp. of unsaturated fat (oil)

Olives. 6 medium green = 1 tsp. of unsaturated fat (oil)

3 tsp. sunflower seeds

3 tsp. pumpkin kernels

2 tsp. peanut butter or other nut butters (grind-yourself, not processed) = 1 tsp. oil

1/3 oz. Energy Snack Mix = 1 tsp. oil (mix together almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds)

1/3 oz. (about 10) any other kind of nuts (walnut and pecan halves, filberts, hazelnuts)

1/2 oz. (about 10) peanuts, almonds or cashews

Choose 3 servings from the list above every day.

All non-fat dairy products are permitted. Two servings per day are recommended.
All fruits are permitted. Two servings per day are recommended.

All white fish and shellfish (abalone, cod, flounder, haddock, mahi mahi, perch, smelt, snapper, sole, sturgeon, tuna canned in water) are permitted in unlimited quantities. Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna packed in oil are limited to 3 tablespoons per day.

Red meat (beef, pork, and game) is not permitted the first year of the diet. One 3-ounce serving per week is permitted after the first year.

Dr. Swank also recommends taking 5 grams of fish oil, 1,000 IU of vitamin C, and 400 IU of vitamin E per day.