A low-fiber diet is a type of diet that involves the consumption of low-fiber foods like white rice, applesauce, and peeled boiled potatoes. The aim of this diet is to promote digestion, decrease the volume of stools, reduce the frequency of bowel movements, limit stimulation along the gastrointestinal tract and improve food absorption.

This diet is often recommended to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms (such as diarrhea or abdominal pain), to manage disease flare-ups (like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or irritable bowel syndrome), or prior to procedures (like surgery or a colonoscopy).

The low-fiber diet is often a temporary diet, and should only be followed as approved by a a gastroenterologist or registered dietitian, who will assess you thoroughly and ensure you do not undergo any nutritional deficiencies while maintaining this diet.

Why it's recommended

A low fiber diet can be recommended in specific situations, like:

Diarrhea or abdominal pain
Difficulty digesting food
Flare-ups of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or irritable bowel syndrome
Narrowing or partial obstruction of the intestines
Before or after intestinal surgeries
Preparation for exams, such as colonoscopy

A low-fiber diet should be monitored by a gastroenterologist or registered dietitian, any will vary according to the condition being treated.

What to eat

Some foods that are low in fiber that can be included in this diet are:

Biscuits and crackers
Meats, such as fish, chicken, turkey or tofu
Boiled or scrambled eggs
Low-fat white cheeses, such as cottage cheese
Lactose-free milk and yogurt
Plant-based milks, such as coconut, almond or rice milk;
Carbohydrates, such as white bread, white pasta, well-cooked white rice, tapioca, tortillas
Vegetables cooked without their peel and seeds, such as pumpkin, carrots and zucchini;
Boiled and peeled tubers, such as potatoes, yams and okra
Strained, unsweetened fruit juices
Natural fruit sweets and jellies
Clear liquids, such as broth, coconut water or rice water
Fruits cooked without the peel, such as bananas, pears, peaches or apples

While the foods you eat should generally be low in fiber, the way they are prepared can also help to reduce their fiber content. When possible boil and peel foods that are to be consumed.

When maintaining a low fiber diet, it is important to avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables, as well as legumes, such as beans or peas, because these tend to be high in fiber and can trigger bowel movements.

3-day meal plan

The following table outlines a sample meal plan for a low fiber diet. It can be maintained for 2 or 3 days, until symptoms improve and intestines return to regular functioning:

Meal	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Breakfast	White bread with cottage cheese + blended and strained apple juice	Scrambled eggs with white bread + 1 pureed cooked pear	1 glass of coconut milk + tapioca with cheese
Morning snack	i baked apple, peeled	1 banana cooked in the oven or microwave	1 cream cracker with cottage cheese
Lunch	Chicken broth + white pasta with shredded chicken in a natural tomato sauce + 1 baked apple	Grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and carrot salad with cooked zucchini + 1 glass of apple juice	Carrot cream + white pasta with tuna in natural tomato sauce + 1 banana cooked in the oven or microwave
Afternoon snack	1 cream cracker with strawberry jam	2 white bread toasts with peach jam	1 cooked pear, peeled
Dinner	Pumpkin cream soup + hake cooked with white rice and diced boiled carrots and potato salad (without mayonnaise) + 1 baked apple without peel for dessert	Chicken soup with carrots, boiled potatoes, diced pumpkin and coriander + peeled boiled pear for dessert	Vegetable broth + 1 turkey breast, cut into strips, with carrot puree + 1 glass of pear juice, blended and strained

This diet should be maintained for a short period of time, mainly to relieve diarrhea or abdominal pain. It is important to have guidance from a gastroenterologist or registered dietitian, especially when it is necessary to follow a low-fiber diet for more days.

That way, the health care professional can ensure you receive adequate nutrients as per your individual needs.

Food to avoid

When maintaining a low-fiber diet, you should avoid high-fiber foods, such as wheat bran, rolled oats, bread, whole-grain pasta or rice, granola, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, or fruits or vegetables with seeds and skins.

This is because fiber, especially insoluble fiber, takes longer to digest and also stimulates the intestinal tract, increasing stool bulk and the number of bowel movements you have. Read more about high-fiber foods that you should avoid eating when adhering to this diet.