Low fibre diet sheet

Please follow this low-fibre diet as part of your bowel preparation as closely as possible. If you have any questions, please call 020 8321 5191 or 020 8321 2585.

4 days to 2 days before your procedure

Choose low-fibre foods and avoid foods that are high in fibre.

Food type	Low fibre – choose	High fibre – avoid
Bread, cereals and nuts	White bread or white pitta bread Plain naan bread or white flour chapatti White rice White pasta Plain biscuits, such as rich tea or shortcakes Plain croissants and pastries Cakes without fruit or nuts Mashed potatoes	Wholemeal bread High-fibre cereals, such as Weetabix or bran flakes High-fibre crackers, such as Ryvita Brown rice or noodles Porridge Nuts and seeds
Fruit	Tinned or cooked fruit Ripe banana Fruit juice without bits	Fruit skins, stalks, seeds and stones Raw and dried fruit Prunes Smoothies
Vegetables	Sieved tomato sauces, including passata Strained vegetable juices	Vegetable stalks, skins, seeds and peel Raw vegetables and salads Pulses and lentils, such as baked beans, kidney beans and chickpeas
Milk and dairy products	Milk of any type Cream Fromage frais Plain yoghurt Cheese	Milk or dairy products containing fruit, nuts, seeds or cereals
Meat and alternatives	Well-cooked or tender meat Fish and eggs Tofu	Gristly or fatty meat Tough skin Fish skin and bones
Drinks	Fruit juice without pulp Milk Water Soft drinks Tea and coffee Herbal tea	Fruit or vegetable juice with pulp Prune juice

Please note: You can add seasonings to your meals, such as salt, pepper or curry powder.

Day before your procedure

Morning appointment

Have a light, low-fibre breakfast. Finish your meal at least 24 hours before your procedure. After this, have clear fluids only.

Afternoon or evening appointment

Have a light, low-fibre breakfast and lunch. Finish your meal at least 24 hours before your procedure. After this, have clear fluids only.

Clear fluids

You can have:

Water
Diluted cordial
Herbal tea
Black tea
Black coffee
Clear or watery soup, such as chicken broth or miso soup without bits
Clear juice without bits

Day of your procedure

Do not eat any food. Have clear fluids only, following the instructions below.

If you are having a colonoscopy only

You can have clear fluids until 2 hours before your procedure.

If you are having both a gastroscopy and colonoscopy

You can have clear fluids until 6 hours before your procedure. After this, you can have small sips of water only until 2 hours before your procedure.

Sample low-fibre menu

4 days to 2 days before your procedure

The following are examples of meals you can choose while following a low-fibre diet.

Meal	Example 1	Example 2	Example 3
Breakfast	Refined cereal, such as Rice Krispies or plain Cornflakes, with milk	Plain English muffins with eggs	White toast with smooth peanut butter or seedless jam
Lunch	Smooth tomato soup or clear soup with white bread without seeds and butter	Plain white pitta bread without seeds with cream cheese	White bagel without seeds with cheese or skinless chicken
Dinner	White pasta with sieved tomato sauce and cheese	Skinless, boneless chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy	White rice or white flour chapatti with poached coconut fish curry without vegetables
Dessert	Clear jelly	Plain ice cream	Custard
Drinks	Water Diluted cordial, but not blackcurrant Herbal tea, tea or coffee with milk	Water Diluted cordial, but not blackcurrant Herbal tea, tea or coffee with milk	Water Diluted cordial, but not blackcurrant Herbal tea, tea or coffee with milk

Day before your procedure

Morning appointment: Have a light, low-fibre breakfast. Finish your meal at least 24 hours before your procedure. After this, have clear fluids only.
Afternoon or evening appointment: Have a light, low-fibre breakfast and lunch. Finish your meal at least 24 hours before your procedure. After this, have clear fluids only.

Day of your procedure

If you are having a colonoscopy only: No food. You can have clear fluids until 2 hours before your procedure.
If you are having both a gastroscopy and colonoscopy: No food. You can have clear fluids until 6 hours before your procedure.

After this, you can have small sips of water only until 2 hours before your procedure.

Why bowel preparation is important

Follow your bowel preparation instructions carefully to ensure your colon is as clean as possible for your procedure.

If the bowel preparation is only fair or poor, material may remain in the colon. This can make it more difficult for your doctor to identify abnormal growths.

Abnormal growths can include:

flat lesions
depressed lesions
polyps
elevated lesions

Diagram showing four types of bowel lesion: flat lesion, depressed lesion, polyp and elevated lesion.

Contributors

Ciara Callan