Low residue diet information

A low residue may be required in preparation for a colonoscopy.

This is a diet, which contains little or no fibre/roughage. The aim of this diet is to reduce the amount of undigested food that passes into the large bowel. A low residue diet may help prevent blockages in your bowel by reducing foods that are poorly or partially digested. Very fatty foods, such as fried foods can also be difficult to digest and may cause discomfort if eaten in large quantities.

Meat, fish, eggs and alternatives - foods allowed
  • All tender meat, poultry and fish.
  • Tofu
  • Eggs
 Foods to avoid
  • Tough meat and gristle
Vegetables - foods allowed

All vegetables must be well cooked; remove skins and seeds where possible

  • De-skinned potatoes, sweet potato, Butternut squash
  • Well-cooked carrots, turnips, cauliflower and broccoli (without stalks)
  • Tinned tomatoes (without seeds), passata or tomato puree
  • Finally chopped and well-cooked onions
Foods to avoid
  • Potato skins
  • Parsnips
  • Salad veg– cucumber, lettuce, spring onions, radishes, beetroot, tomatoes, pepper, raw spinach, raw onion, celery
  • Coleslaw
  • Peas, sweetcorn, beansprouts, broad beans.
  • Cabbage, kale, Brussel sprout
  • Mushrooms
Fruit - foods allowed
  • Peeled, well-cooked/stewed fruit
  • Soft peeled fruit e.g. plums, mangos, nectarines
  • Smooth fruit juice
  • Tinned apricots, peaches, mandarins, pears
  • Melons without seeds
  •  Bananas
  • Sieved pureed fruits
 Foods to avoid
  • Dried fruits e.g. currants, sultanas, prunes and prune juice, figs apricots
  • Fruits with skins and pips e.g. Raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, pineapple and pomegranate
  • Oranges and other citrus fruits
  • Fruit juice or smoothies with bits
  • Tomatoes

 Dairy Produce - foods allowed

  • Milk
  • Cheese
  • Plain or fruit flavoured  yoghurts
  • Fromage frais
  • Cream
  • Butter/margarine
  • Spreads
  • Crème fraiche
  • Soured cream
 Foods to avoid
  • Yoghurt containing who fruits, nuts or muesli
  • Cheese containing fruits or nuts
Cereals - foods allowed
  • Cornflakes, rice cereals, strained porridge e.g. Ready Brek
  • White bread, Chapattis made with white flour, white pitta bread, poppadum's, garlic bread, cream crackers, rice crackers, plain biscuits– Rich Tea, Nice, Custard creams, Bourbons, Shortbread
  • Plain scones, sponge cakes, crispy cakes 
Foods to avoid
  • High fibre cereals e.g. All Bran, Weetabix, Muesli, Fruit and Fibre, Oatibix, Porridge oats, Bran flakes, Shreddies
  • Any cereals containing dried fruit or nuts
  • Wholemeal bread,    wholemeal crisp breads, seeded crackers
  • Cakes and biscuits made with wholemeal flour, e.g. Digestive biscuits or fruitcakes
Pasta - foods allowed

* Any variety of white pasta or noodles e.g. Spaghetti, Macaroni, lasagne sheets, tinned spaghetti

Foods to avoid
  • Wholemeal pasta or  noodles
Rice - foods allowed
  • White rice
Foods to avoid
  • Brown rice
  • Pearl barley
  • Quinoa
Drinks - foods allowed
  • Cocoa powder, drinking chocolate, Horlicks, Ovaltine, milkshake syrup or mix
  • Squash, water, fizzy drinks
  • Tea/coffee
Miscellaneous - foods allowed
  • Soups– clear or any soup without chunks of  vegetables e.g. cream of chicken soup or strained vegetable soup
  • Sugar, honey and syrup
  • Jelly, seedless jam, shredless marmalade, smooth peanut butter, lemon curd, ice cream, lollies, sorbet
  • Boiled sweets, mints, marshmallows, chocolate, toffee or fudge with any fruit or nuts
  • Bovril, marmite, gravy, stock cubes
  • Crisps
  • Mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, salad cream, brown sauce, smooth mustard, barbecue sauce
Foods to avoid
  • Soup with chunks of  vegetables
  • Jams or marmalades with skins or pips
  • Sweets, chocolates, toffee or fudge with fruit and nuts
  • Highly spiced foods e.g. Chillies and curries
  • Bombay mix, topical mix
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Popcorn

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For further information on confidentiality contact the Information Governance Team:

Information.Governance@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 603961

Feedback

We appreciate and encourage feedback, which helps us to improve our services. If you have any comments, compliments or concerns to make about your care, please contact the Patient, Advice & Liaison Service:

pals@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 814008 or 01946 523818

If you would like to raise a complaint regarding your care, please contact the Complaints Department:

complaints@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 936302