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Low-Fiber/Low-Residue Diet

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA

En Español (Spanish Version)

What is This Diet?

A low-fiber/low-residue diet limits how much dietary fiber and residue-providing food you eat. Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate in plants. Your body cannot process it. Residue is the undigested part of food that makes up stool. Eating less lowers how much food passes through the large intestine.

Why Should I Follow This Diet?

This diet may be good if you have have gastrointestinal pain or if your system needs to rest. It may also help those with ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease. It may be used after surgery or if you are having radiation therapy to your belly.

The Basics

Fiber is in plant-based foods such as fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes. You can still eat some foods with fiber, but high-fiber foods need to be limited. Ask your doctor or a dietitian how many grams you can have each day.

To lower residue, you will need to limit foods that have fiber, milk and milk products, and caffeine. You can have two cups of milk or milk products per day. You may need to stay away from milk if you are lactose intolerant.

You will not be able to eat some healthful foods. So this diet may not meet all of your needs. Ask your doctor or dietitian if you should take vitamins.

Eating Plan

Food Group	Eat This..	Do Not Eat This...
Grains	Refined breads, crackers, cereals, pancakes, and waffles with less than 0.5 grams fiber per serving Pasta like macaroni, noodles, and spaghetti White rice	Whole-grain breads and crackers like whole wheat, pumpernickel, rye, and cornbread Whole-grain pancakes and waffles Whole-grain cereals like bran, oatmeal, and granola Breads and cereals with seeds, nuts, or dried fruits Whole-grain pasta Brown rice
Veggies	Well-cooked and canned veggies without skin or seeds Lettuce Veggie juice without pulp or seeds	Raw veggies Cooked peas, winter squash, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions, cauliflower, baked beans, and corn Veggie sauces like tomato sauce Veggie skins like potato skin
Fruits	Canned or cooked fruit with skin (except canned pineapple) Applesauce Ripe bananas Ripe cantaloupe and honeydew melon Fruit juices without pulp	Raw fruit Dried fruit Prune juice Canned pineapple
Milk	Milk Yogurt Cheese, cottage cheese Ice cream Soy, almond, and rice milk Lactose-free milk Note: Limit milk and milk products to no more than two cups per day.	Milk products with fruit, seeds, or nuts More than two cups of milk or milk products per day Milk and milk products if you are lactose intolerant Milk products with dried fruit, seeds, or nuts

Meats and Beans	Well-cooked or tender beef, lamb, ham, pork, poultry, fish, shellfish, and organ meats Eggs Smooth nut butters	Tough meats Meat with seeds like salami Dried beans or peas Seeds and nuts
Oils	Oil Mayonnaise Salad dressings without seeds	Salad dressings with seeds
Fats and Sweets	Butter, margarine Plain cakes, cookies, and pies made with allowed fruits and no nuts Ice cream and frozen yogurt (within two cup limit) Plain sherbet and fruit ice Plain hard candy	Candy, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods made with whole grains, seeds, nuts, coconut, or dried fruit
Other	Strained soups Plain gravy Jelly, honey, syrup Plain candy Salt, pepper, and herbs Ketchup Carbonated drinks	Marmalade, jam, or preserves Popcorn Pickles Coconut Coffee Tea

Tips

Here are some diet tips:

Read food labels:
- Look for items made with refined flour.
- Do not choose whole grain items.
- Do not choose foods with the word “whole” at the top of the item list (like whole-wheat flour).
Take off the skins of fruits and veggies before you cook them.
Limit fatty foods. They can increase residue.
Work with a dietitian to make a meal plan.

RESOURCES:

American Society for Nutrition
http://www.nutrition.org

Eat Right—Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
http://www.eatright.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada
https://crohnsandcolitis.ca

Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca

REFERENCES:

Irritable bowel syndrome: dietary management. EBSCO Nursing Reference Center website. Available at: https://www.ebscohost.com/nursing/products/nursing-reference-center. Accessed July 26, 2021.

Nutrition care manual. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website. Available at: http://www.nutritioncaremanual.org. Accessed July 26, 2021.

Last reviewed July 2021 by EBSCO Medical Review BoardDianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN Last Updated: 7/26/2021

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