A low fiber diet should only be followed under the supervision of a physician. While this diet is going to be recommended in certain situations, but it’s not a diet that can be followed long-term. A healthy diet does include significantly more fiber than is going to be possible while following this diet. When it’s time to reintroduce foods with fiber, start slowly and keep in touch with your healthcare team every step of the way.
Following a restricted fiber diet is actually not too difficult in Western countries. When following a fiber restricted diet, keep the following rules of thumb in mind:
Use refined grain products in place of whole grain productsAvoid vegetables or fruits with skins, hulls, or seedsAll vegetables should be cooked (with the exception of lettuce) and without seedsAll fruits should be canned with the exception of ripe bananas, watermelon, and honeydew melon (with seeds removed)All whole nuts, seeds, and legumes should be avoided
Foods Allowed/Not Allowed
Milk Products
Allowed: Buttermilk, evaporated milk, skim, low fat and whole milk, powdered milk, plain yogurtOmitted: Fruited yogurt with seeds or nuts
Meat and Meat Alternatives
Allowed: Beef, poultry, pork, lamb, fish, eggs, cheese, veal, smooth peanut butterOmitted: Tough meats with gristle, crunchy peanut butter
Breads, Cereals, and Grains
Allowed: Breads, rolls, bagels, muffins, crackers and cereals made from refined white flour; cooked noodles; and white pasta and riceOmitted: Breads, rolls, bagels, muffins, crackers and cereals made from whole grains; breads, crackers, cereals, and rolls with seeds or nuts; whole grain pasta, brown rice, popcorn
Vegetables
Allowed: Vegetable juices without pulp; cooked vegetables without seeds; carrots, asparagus, waxed and green beans, eggplant, acorn squash, regular and sweet potatoes without the skin, turnips; tomato paste and tomato sauce without seeds; lettuceOmitted: All raw vegetables except lettuce; corn, dried beans and peas, green peas, lentils, lima beans, potato skins
Fruits
Allowed: Juices without pulp (excluding prune) canned fruit, ripe bananas; watermelon & honeydew with seeds removedOmitted: Most raw fruits should be avoided such as dates, figs, prunes, apples, berries with seeds, peaches, grapes, pears, rhubarb, fresh grapefruit and orange slices, prune juice
Fats
Allowed: Butter, margarine, cream, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, oilOmitted: Avoid all nuts, coconut, seeds
Desserts
Allowed: Plain ice cream, sherbet, fruit ice, custard, plain pudding, hard candy, jelly beans; cakes, pies, and cookies made from refined flour and with no fresh fruit or nutsOmitted: Desserts with fresh fruit, nuts or coconut
Drinks
Allowed: Clear broths and strained soups, soda, hot chocolate, decaffeinated coffee, decaffeinated tea, clear juices, decaffeinated beverages
A Sample Low Fiber Menu
Breakfast
Grapefruit juice (4 oz)Banana (1/2)Rice Krispies (3/4 c)English muffin (1/2)Peanut butter, creamy (1 Tbsp)Low fat (2%) milk (8 oz)Coffee (1c)
Lunch
Hamburger on bun (1) lean ground beef (3 oz), bun (1), ketchup (1 Tbsp), mayonnaise (1 tsp)Applesauce (1/2 c)Chocolate chip cookies, no nuts (2)Low fat/2% milk (8 oz)
Dinner
Roast turkey breast (3 oz)Gravy (1 Tbsp)Mashed sweet potatoes (1/2 c)Green beans (1/2 c)Dinner roll (1)Margarine (2 tsp)Peach halves (1/2 c)Tea with lemon juice (1 c)
Snack
Sparkling water with lime juice (12 oz)Shortbread cookies (3)
