A low fiber diet, also referred to as a low residue diet, helps keep flare-ups at bay by reducing the quantity of undigested fiber in the gut. As a bonus, it helps with constipation and smaller stools with a lower frequency of bowel motions.
Furthermore, to ease the burden on your digestive tract, your doctor may recommend reducing the amount of fiber you consume, depending on your specific health needs.
Hence, the following sections explore details about the low fiber diet, foods to eat, foods to avoid, and low fiber diet foods meal plans. Keep reading.
What is a Low-Fiber Diet?
A low fiber diet cuts back on the variety of fruits and vegetables eaten each day to keep fiber intake to 10 grams per day. Moreover, regulating the transit of undigested food through the digestive tract aids in the reduction of stool output.
Additionally, soluble fibers and insoluble fibers are the two main categories of fibers. The former forms a gel-like substance by drawing water from the intestines; it passes through the bowels much more readily than the latter, which stays entirely undissolvable and may irritate the stomach lining as it passes through. Depending on the individual’s digestive capacities, the contraindications may vary.
For many medical issues, doctors will advise patients to cut back on fiber in their diet. To find out who should follow it, continue reading.
Who Can Benefit From a Low Residue Diet?
People who have Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or are healing after bowel procedures could benefit from a low fiber diet. Furthermore, constipation, gas, bloating, and abdominal pain are all alleviated by it.
However, a low fiber diet isn’t a long-term solution because it doesn’t contain enough nutrients and can be extremely restrictive. Also, if your symptoms improve or if your consulting physician recommends it, you can gradually increase your intake of fiber foods.
The Low Fiber Diet: What to Eat?
On a low residue diet, it is very important to keep nutrient consumption at a healthy level. However, to keep dietary fiber consumption below 5 to 10 grams per day, it is necessary to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains with caution. Moreover, based on the specific health needs of the individual, this limit might be different. Furthermore, here are the foods you can eat in a low residue diet:
- White bread
- White rice
- Whitened pasta and grains
- Veggies that have been peeled include summer squash, radishes, cucumbers, mushrooms, potatoes, and green onions
- Honeydew melons, grapes, cherries, and watermelons are some examples of fruits.
- Meats that are lean, small, ground, or cooked thoroughly
- beef and eggs
- Chicken Fish
- Milk, yogurt, and other dairy products
- Pureed liquids are free of seeds and skin
However, the foods that are restricted to a low fiber diet are also important to be aware of. Keep reading to find out what to avoid when following this low residue diet.
What To Avoid?
One thing you should stay away from on a low fiber diet is meals that are high in fiber. In addition to increasing the frequency of bowel movements, they can aggravate gastrointestinal disorders, and induce gas, and bloating. Thus, avoid:
- Vegetables include okra, Brussels sprouts, peas, celery, sweet potatoes, onions, celery, kale, peas, carrots, and turnips
- Smooth peanut butter chunks
- Eaten with nuts, seeds, and crushed fruit
- Rye, oatmeal, whole-grain pasta, cereals, and bread
- Wild rice is often known as brown rice
- Sweet bananas
Sample 7-Day Low Fiber Meal Plan
Efficient meal planning and diet organization are made easier with a low fiber diet plan. Stay hydrated and restore electrolytes by drinking lots of fluids like water, herbal tea, clear broth, or sports drinks. Here is a sample of a 7-Day Low Fiber Meal Plan.
Day 1:
| Meals | What to eat |
| Breakfast | 2 Scrambled eggs, 2 slices of white toast, banana, and tea |
| Lunch | Served with roasted chicken breast, sautéed carrots, white rice, and applesauce |
| Dinner | Strawberry yogurt, baked fish, steaming green beans, and white potatoes |
| Snacks | Hummus on rice crackers topped with sliced cantaloupe |
Day 2:
| Meals | What to eat |
| Breakfast | Almond milk, cinnamon, blueberries, and muesli topped with chamomile tea |
| Lunch | White bread, canned peaches, ginger ale, turkey breast |
| Dinner | Carrot and potato stew with beef served with vanilla pudding |
| Snacks | Almond butter with rice cakes and applesauce |
Day 3:
| Meals | What to eat |
| Breakfast | Green tea, peanut butter, banana, almond milk, and vanilla protein powder blended into a smoothie |
| Lunch | Orange juice, steamed zucchini, white rice, baked chicken breast |
| Dinner | A fruit cocktail, turkey chili, and white bread |
| Snacks | Popcorn and grapes |
Day 4:
| Meals | What to eat |
| Breakfast | Strawberry and syrupy French toast, herbal tea |
| Lunch | Rye crackers, canned pears, white bread, and tuna salad |
| Dinner | Sorbet with lemon, roasted pork, sweet potatoes, and sautéed green beans |
| Snacks | Cream cheese, apple sauce, and rice cakes |
Day 5:
| Meals | What to eat |
| Breakfast | Orange juice, white bread, and scrambled eggs |
| Lunch | Tomato soup, saltine crackers, grilled cheese sandwich, and canned peaches |
| Dinner | Sorbet with raspberry puree, baked fish, broccoli in a sauté pan, and white rice |
| Snacks | Banana slices, almond butter, and rice cakes |
Day 6:
| Meals | What to eat |
| Breakfast | Grapes, cream cheese, English muffins, and chamomile tea |
| Lunch | Cobb salad made with quinoa, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and vinaigrette dressing; ginger ale |
| Dinner | White rice, a stir-fry of chicken and vegetables, and vanilla yogurt topped with diced peaches |
| Snacks | Carrot sticks, cheese, and rice crackers |
Day 7:
| Meals | What to eat |
| Breakfast | Strawberry, almond milk, Greek yogurt, honey, and green tea |
| Lunch | Salted crackers, pineapple, and egg salad on white bread |
| Dinner | White spaghetti, steamed asparagus, lemon sherbet, and prawn scampi |
| Snacks | Peanut butter and raisins stuffed inside rice cakes |
Conclusion
To sum up, a low fiber diet restricts the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed and is typically advised for patients having digestive system surgery or colonoscopies. Furthermore, some gastrointestinal problems, such as bloating and excessive flatulence, may be alleviated by reducing the amount of undigested food in the gut. Also, this low residue diet eating plan may assist with inflammation and constipation by cutting back on indigestible fibers.
A low fiber diet may help in the short term, but it won’t solve the problem permanently. It poses health hazards, including dietary inadequacies and cardiovascular and coronary heart ailments, if followed for a long time. So, to tailor a diet to your requirements, it’s best to seek the advice of a healthcare provider or a nutritionist.
Read More information
For further information on fiber foods and their benefits, check out these articles:
- High Fiber Fruits: A Comprehensive Guide
- Advantages of High Fiber Foods: Why You Should Incorporate Them Into Your Diet
- Types of Fiber: Understanding the Different Forms and Their Health Benefits
These articles provide valuable insights into various aspects of fiber-rich diets and their impact on health and well-being.
