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There's Always Room for Jell-O!

An example of a soft, low-residue diet.

By Amber J. Tresca, About.com

Updated: May 16, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Kate Grossman, MD

This diet may be prescribed when there is danger of a blockage in the intestine (such as after surgery) or when the intestine is inflamed. Because this diet might need to be followed for several weeks, it includes more foods than any of the previous diets.

When following a fiber restricted diet the following items should be considered:
  1. Use refined grain products in place of whole grain products
  2. Avoid vegetables or fruits with skins, hulls, or seeds
  3. All vegetables should be cooked and without seeds, with the exception of lettuce
  4. All fruits should be canned with the exception of ripe bananas, watermelon, and honeydew melon with seeds removed
  5. All whole nuts, seeds, and legumes should be avoided

Restricted Fiber Diet

Milk
Foods Allowed
Buttermilk, evaporated milk, skim, low fat and whole milk, powdered milk, plain yogurt
Foods Omitted
Fruited yogurt with seeds or nuts

Meat & Meat Alternatives
Foods Allowed
Beef, poultry, pork, lamb, fish, eggs, cheese, veal, smooth peanut butter
Foods Omitted
Tough meats with gristle, crunchy peanut butter

Breads, Cereals
& Grains

Foods Allowed
Breads, rolls, bagels, muffins, crackers and cereals made from refined white flour; cooked noodles; and white pasta and rice
Foods Omitted
Breads, rolls, bagels, muffins, crackers and cereals made from whole grains; breads, crackers, cereals, and rolls with seeds or nuts; whole grain pasta, brown rice, popcorn

Vegetables
Foods Allowed
Vegetable juices without pulp; cooked vegetables without seeds; carrots, asparagus, waxed and green beans, eggplant, acorn squash, regular and sweet potatoes without the skin, turnips; tomato past and tomato sauce without seeds; lettuce
Foods Omitted
All raw vegetables except lettuce; corn, dried beans and peas, green peas, lentils, lima beans, potato skins

Fruits
Foods Allowed
Juices without pulp (excluding prune) canned fruit, ripe bananas; watermelon & honeydew with seeds removed
Foods Omitted
Most raw fruits should be avoided such as dates, figs, prunes, apples, berries with seeds, peaches, grapes, pears, rhubarb, fresh grapefruit and orange slices, prune juice

Fats
Foods Allowed
Butter, margarine, cream, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, oil
Foods Omitted
Avoid all nuts, coconut, seeds

Desserts
Foods Allowed
Plain ice cream, sherbet, fruit ice, custard, plain pudding, hard candy, jelly beans; cakes, pies and cookies made from refined flour and with no fresh fruit or nuts
Foods Omitted
Desserts with fresh fruit, nuts or coconut

Miscellaneous
Foods Allowed
Clear broths and strained soups, soda, hot chocolate, coffee, tea, clear juices, decaffeinated beverages
Foods Omitted
None

Sample Menu

Breakfast
  • Grapefruit juice (4 oz)
  • Banana (1/2)
  • Rice krispies (3/4 c)
  • English muffin (1/2)
  • Peanut butter, creamy (1 Tbsp)
  • Low fat (2%) milk (8 oz)
  • Coffee (1c)
  • Lunch
  • Hamburger on bun (1) lean ground beef (3 oz), bun (1), ketchup (1 Tbsp.), mayonnaise (1 tsp.)
  • Applesauce (1/2 c)
  • Chocolate chip cookies, no nuts (2)
  • Low fat/2% milk (8 oz)
  • Dinner
  • Roast turkey breast (3 oz)
  • Gravy (1 Tbsp)
  • Mashed sweet potatoes (1/2 c)
  • Green beans (1/2 c)
  • Dinner roll (1)
  • Margarine (2 tsp)
  • Peach halves (1/2 c)
  • Tea with lemon juice (1 c)
  • Snack
  • Sparkling water with lime juice (12 oz)
  • Shortbread cookies (3)
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