A diet low in fiber may be recommended preoperatively, in the preparation of some tests such as colonoscopy or in cases of diarrhea or intestinal inflammation, such as diverticulitis or, for example, Crohn's disease.
A poor fiber diet facilitates the entire digestion process and also greatly reduces gastric movements, reducing pain in case of intestinal inflammation, and decreases the formation of feces and gas which is important, especially before some types of surgery general anesthesia, for example.
Foods low in fiber
Some of the poorer fiber foods that can be inserted in this type of diet are:
- Skim milk or yogurt;
- Fish, chicken and turkey meat;
- White bread, toast, well-cooked white rice;
- Boiled pumpkin or carrot;
- Peeled and cooked fruits such as bananas, pears, or apples.
In addition to giving preference to foods that do not have many fibers, food preparation is another important strategy to reduce the amount of fiber in the food, cooking and removing the bark of all foods that are consumed.
During this poor diet it is important to eliminate raw fruits and vegetables as well as legumes such as beans or peas because they are foods with many fibers and that stimulate the functioning of the intestine.
To learn more about foods to avoid in low-fiber diet read: Foods rich in fiber.
Low fiber diet menu
An example of a low fiber diet menu may be:
- Breakfast - White bread with skim milk.
- Lunch - Soup with carrots. Pear cooked for dessert, without peel.
- Snack - Apple and pear puree with toast.
- Dinner - Hake cooked with rice and pumpkin puree. For dessert, baked apple, not shelled.
This diet should be done for 2-3 days, until the bowel regain its functioning, so if it does not improve in that period, it is important to consult the gastroenterologist.
Diet low in fiber and waste
The low-residue diet is an even more restrictive diet than the low-fiber diet and no fruits or vegetables can be consumed.
This diet should be made only with medical indication and with nutritional supervision because it is nutritionally incomplete and you can only eat lean meat broths, coarse fruit juices, gelatine and teas.
Generally, a diet low in fiber and waste is intended for patients preoperatively or in gut preparation for surgery or some diagnostic examination or soon after surgery.
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