What is a low-fibre diet, and what foods can you eat?

Fibre is a carbohydrate in many plant foods, and your body doesn’t digest or absorb it.

So, a low-fibre diet reduces the amount of undigested food that has to move through your gut. It's also called a low-residue diet.

Doctors may recommend this for a short period if a medical condition is affecting your gut and fibre is contributing to your symptoms.

It’s important to only follow a low-fibre diet if a doctor or dietitian recommends it. 

There’s no single best low-fibre diet because experts haven’t come up with a universally accepted definition. There are variations, and what works best may depend on your body.

In this article, we’ll look at which foods belong in a low-fibre diet. We’ll also explore meal plans and tips for making this diet work.

Foods to eat on a low-fibre diet

Generally, foods count as low-fibre if they have fewer than 3 grams of fibre per 100 g, so focus on these when following a low-fibre diet.

Below, you’ll find some tips for how to pick low-fibre foods, along with a few options in different food groups. 

Fruits and vegetables

Try to only eat the flesh of fruits and vegetables – avoid skins, seeds, pips and stalks. Tinned fruits and vegetables in natural juices are a great option.  

If you have time, stewing, cooking or blending fruits or veggies without their skins can make these foods easier to digest.

Boiling and mashing are good ways to prepare fibrous vegetables, breaking down the fibres and making the veggies more digestible. In general, it’s best to avoid raw vegetables on a low-fibre diet.

Here are some low-fibre fruit and vegetable options:

• apples

• ripe bananastinned fruit cocktail

• avocado (smooth)

• cauliflower

• celery

• cucumber without the skin

• lettucepeppers

• potatoes and sweet potatoes

Meats, fish, dairy and meat alternatives

When you’re choosing meats, steer clear of tough or fatty cuts to be kinder to your gut.

Some examples include:

• cheese

• eggs

• fish

• chicken, turkey and lean cuts of beef and pork

• tofu

• smooth yoghurt

Breads and cereals

Go for breads and cereals made from white flour, and steer clear of whole-grain products.

The lowest-fibre options will also be plain foods that don’t contain any added fruits, nuts or seeds.

If you’re looking for pasta or rice, opt for the white varieties. It’s also best to avoid cooling and reheating it. This process converts some of the carbs in the foods to resistant starch, a type of fibre.

• cereals made from corn or rice

• crackers, like cream crackers and other types without added seeds or oats

• crumpets, Scotch pancakes and plain scones

• white breads (including pitta and naan) 

• white pasta, noodles and rice

Drinks

There’s no fibre in water, so water-based drinks are good to go. When it comes to plant-based drinks, the smoother it is, the less fibre it will have.

• coffee

• fruit or vegetable juice without bits

• smooth fruit smoothies

• milk

• squash

• tea

Other foods

• Snacks: plain biscuits, corn snacks, potato crisps and pretzels  

• Condiments: smooth peanut butter, brown sauce, mayonnaise, salad cream and yeast extract 

• Soups and sauces: smooth soups, tomato puree, tomato sauce and gravy

• Sweet extras: chocolate and smooth jams and marmalades

Learn more about which foods are low in fibre.

 

What foods should I avoid on a low-fibre diet?

When you’re following a low-fibre diet, it’s best to avoid whole-grain foods and the skins of fruits and vegetables, as well as seeds and pulses. These foods are typically richest in fibre.

Dried fruits like raisins are also higher in fibre per 100 g, compared with their non-dried equivalents.

Go for smooth foods over crunchy ones and other products that have bits in them, like soups, yoghurts and jams. The ingredients that provide the crunch or texture are usually fibre-filled.

It’s also worth steering clear of spicy foods if you’re on a low-fibre diet. Although this won’t keep your fibre intake down, spicy foods can worsen any gut symptoms you might be experiencing.

If you’re not sure how much fibre a food has, check the nutrition label. Anything containing 3 g or more of fibre per 100 g is considered high in fibre and should be avoided.

 

Low-fibre diet meal plan for 7 days

You can make many meals with the above ingredients. But if you’re looking for ideas, we’ve put together a 7-day low-fibre meal plan to try.

Some researchers suggest that a low-fibre diet means consuming no more than 10 g of fibre a day, so that’s what we’ve aimed for with this menu.

Day 1

Breakfast: Toast and jam

Two slices of white bread (1.256), smooth strawberry jam (0.44), with or without butter

Fibre: 1.7 g

Lunch: Ham salad sandwich

Two slices of white bread (1.256), a slice of ham (0), mayonnaise (0), lettuce (0.104), tomato (0.999)

Fibre: 2.359 g

Dinner: Bangers and mash

Two sausages (0), mashed potato (3), gravy (0.36), tinned carrots (1.5)

Fibre: 4.86 g

Snack: Boiled egg

One or two hard-boiled eggs (0)

Fibre: 0 g

Total fibre: 8.92 g

Day 2

Breakfast: Poached egg on toast

Two slices of white bread (1.256), poached egg (0), tomato (0.999)

Fibre: 2.255 g

Lunch: Baked potato

Baked potato with skin removed (2.34), butter (0), grated cheddar cheese (0)

Fibre: 2.34 g

Dinner: Cauliflower macaroni cheese

Macaroni (3.9), cauliflower (0.78), broccoli (0), cheddar cheese (0), butter (0), milk (0), flour (0.192)

Fibre: 4.872 g

Snack: Yoghurt

Smooth yoghurt (0)

Fibre: 0 g

Total fibre: 9.47 g

Day 3

Breakfast: Cereal

One bowl of cornflakes (1.05), milk (0)

Fibre: 1.05 g

Lunch: Tuna salad

Tinned tuna (0), lettuce (0.104), tomato (0.999), cucumber (0.833), mayonnaise (0) 

Fibre: 0.937 g

Dinner: Steak and eggs

Beef steak (0), one fried egg (0), sweet potato fries (2.89), tinned carrots (1.5)

Fibre: 4.39 g

Snack: Fruit cocktail

Tinned fruit cocktail (2.37)

Fibre: 2.37 g

Total fibre: 9.74 g

Day 4

Breakfast: Fruit and yoghurt

Smooth yoghurt (0), stewed apple with skin removed (2.09)

Fibre: 2.09 g

Lunch: Soup

Tin of creamy tomato soup (1.24)

Fibre: 1.24 g

Dinner: Chicken and rice

Chicken (0), white rice (1.74), smooth tomato sauce (1.4)

Fibre: 2.14 g

Snack: Crumpets

Two crumpets (3.16), butter (0), yeast extract (0.585)

Fibre: 3.745 g

Total fibre: 9.22 g

Day 5

Breakfast: Cooked breakfast

Egg (0), sausage (0), bacon (0), tomato (0.999), one toasted slice of white bread (0.628)

Fibre: 1.627 g

Lunch: Tuna sandwich

Two slices of white bread (1.256), tinned tuna (0), mayonnaise (0)

Fibre: 1.256 g

Dinner: Stir-fried noodles

Rice noodles (1.76), tofu (0.372), broccoli (1.612), cauliflower (0.78), soy sauce (0.288)

Fibre: 4.812 g

Snack: Biscuits and melon

Two plain rich tea biscuits (0.49), slice of melon (0.552)

Fibre: 1.042 g

Total fibre: 9.73 g

Day 6

Breakfast: Crumpets

Two crumpets (3.16), butter (0), peanut butter (1.6)

Fibre: 4.76 g

Lunch: Soup

Chicken broth (0)

Fibre: 0 g

Dinner: Cheese and tomato omelette and salad

Eggs (0), cheddar cheese (0), tomato (0.999), potato with skin removed (0.915), lettuce (0.104), cucumber (0.833)

Fibre: 2.851 g

Snack: Cheese and crackers

Four plain white or cream crackers (0.296) with butter and cheddar cheese (0) or soft cheese and smoked salmon (0)

Fibre: 0.3 g

Total fibre: 7.90 g

Day 7

Breakfast: Cheese bagel

Plain bagel (2.42), cottage cheese (0)

Fibre: 2.42 g

Lunch: Egg and soldiers

Two boiled eggs (0), two slices of white bread (1.256)

Fibre: 1.256 g

Dinner: Fish and chips

Cod fillet (0), oven chips (1.6), well-cooked broccoli (1.65)

Fibre: 3.25 g

Snack: Hummus and vegetables

Shop-bought hummus (1.65), small-to-medium bell pepper (1.2)

Fibre: 2.85 g

Total fibre: 9.766 g

 

Tips for a low-fibre diet

• Following a low-fibre diet can be tricky before you get the hang of it., but these tips could help get you started: 

• Remember to remove the skins, seeds and stalks of fruits and vegetables to reduce their fibre contents.

• Opt for soft over hard foods.

• Vary your meals to make sure you’re getting a range of nutrients.

• If you’re following the diet for a few weeks, consider taking a multivitamin supplement to ensure that you’re not missing important nutrients.

• To make your meals more nutritious, pair them with a low-fibre salad of lettuce, cucumber (without skin), tomato (without skin and seeds) and an olive oil dressing.

• Cooking doesn’t impact a food’s fibre content, but stewing, boiling, blending and pureeing make foods easier to digest, which is kinder on your gut.Why follow a low-fibre diet?

 

Why follow a low-fibre diet?

A doctor may recommend a low-fibre diet if you’re having a difficult time with a medical condition affecting your bowel.

These conditions and situations include:

• Crohn’s disease (active, or in a flare stage)

• ulcerative colitis

• diverticulitis

• narrowing or a blockage in the bowel

• a high-output stoma

• recent abdominal surgery

You may also need a low-fibre diet if you’re due for a colonoscopy.

In this procedure, a clinician inserts a thin tube with a camera into your bottom to take a look at your bowel.

Doctors tend to recommend a low-fibre diet as a temporary measure. If you need to follow the diet for more than a few weeks, a dietitian should guide you.

Effects of a low-fibre diet

A low-fibre diet means that your gut will have to do less work digesting food and transporting what you don’t digest. 

Following this diet reduces your amount of poo and how often you poo. It may also help minimise gut symptoms such as bloating and diarrhoea.

A low-fibre diet can also reduce the risk of gut blockages, as less food that’s difficult or impossible to digest will be passing through your gut.

You should only have a low-fibre diet for a specific medical reason. 

It's important for a dietitian to support you as you follow the diet and gradually build back up to a regular one when it’s appropriate.

Are there any risks of a low-fibre diet?

For most people, eating lots of fibre keeps the digestive system healthy and supports the gut microbiome. This community of microbes living in your gut can influence many areas of your health.

Eating a low level of fibre every day can put you at risk of constipation.

Also, fibre fills you up, so a low-fibre diet may mean that you’re hungry more often.

Meanwhile, a high-fibre diet likely offers health benefits. Research suggests an association between high-fibre diets and a lower risk of early death and health conditions like heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

That said, if your low-fibre diet is just temporary, it won’t negatively affect your gut health in the longer term.

And if a doctor has recommended this diet, the benefits will likely outweigh the risks.

 

Low-fibre diet before a colonoscopy

You may need to follow a low-fibre diet for 2 days before a colonoscopy. Throughout the day before, you’ll also need to take laxatives.

The aim of both the diet and laxatives is to make sure your bowel is as empty as possible, giving the doctor the clearest view during their examination.

 

Reintroducing fibre

Once you’ve been advised to finish your low-fibre diet, you’ll gradually start eating more fibre.

This gentle approach gives your body time to adjust and allows you to take note of any returning symptoms.

‘Switching from a low- to high-fibre diet in one swoop is likely to result in lots of gas and discomfort and is a surefire way to put you off a change which has lots of benefits in the long term,’ explains dietitian Laura Tilt.

For the first week, add a little fibre once a day. This could mean a portion of fruit or vegetables with the skin on. 

If this seems OK, try adding a portion of wholemeal carbs once a day for the following week.

Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water to keep your poo soft and allow your body to make the most of the extra fibre.

It’s important to only start increasing your fibre intake when your doctor or dietitian recommends it.

After a colonoscopy, you can go back to eating normally straight away, though some people have softer or lighter meals for a day or so.

Learn more about high-fibre meals for constipation.

 

Frequently asked questions

Let’s look at some questions that people have asked about low-fibre diets.

Can you eat bananas on a low-fibre diet?

Yes, you can eat bananas on a low-fibre diet. Opt for riper bananas, which are softer and easier on your digestive system.

Can you eat crisps on a low-fibre diet?

Yes, you can eat crisps on a low-fibre diet. In this case, potato crisps are better than vegetable crisps.

But avoid any with spicy flavouring, which might irritate your gut.

How about a baked potato?

Yes, baked potatoes belong in a low-fibre diet. But don’t eat the skins, as they contain the most fibre.

 

Summary 

A low-fibre diet limits how much indigestible food has to pass through your gut.

You may need to follow this diet temporarily if you have a bowel condition, you’re recovering from abdominal surgery or you’re due for a colonoscopy.

If following a low-fibre diet makes you feel worse or you notice any new symptoms, be sure to speak with your doctor or dietitian. 

To learn more about fibre and other gut health topics, visit Symprove’s Gut Hub.

 

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Bowel preparation for colonoscopy: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) guideline. Endoscopy. (2019). Link.  

Carbohydrate quality and human health: A series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet. (2019). Link.

Colonoscopy. (2022). Link.

FoodData Central. (n.d.). Link.

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Low-residue and low-fiber diets in gastrointestinal disease management. Advances in Nutrition. (2015). Link.