What is a low-fiber (fiber-restricted) diet? The fiber-restricted, or low fiber, diet is based on a well-balanced diet with special emphasis on those foods containing low amounts of fiber. Fiber refers to the structural parts of plant foods that are resistant to human digestion, such as fruits and vegetables (particularly skins and seeds), whole grains and cereals, and unprocessed bran.

Why follow a low-fiber diet? Radiation therapy to the abdomen, pelvis or rectum can sometimes cause diarrhea-like side effects that can be properly managed by promptly following a low fiber diet.

• Diet Guidelines
• Sample Meal Plan

Diet Guidelines

Beverages
Allowed Items: Water, fruit-flavored drinks, carbonated beverages, coffee, tea, milk drinks and milk used in cooking (2 cups of milk or milk products allowed per day, if tolerated), and all other items that are not excluded.
Excluded Items: Prune juice and pear nectar.

Breads
Allowed Items: French, Vienna, Italian, refined wheat, white and rye breads without seeds; crackers; biscuits; French toast; plain hard crust; and zwieback rolls.
Excluded Items: Breads, crackers, rolls or cereals containing whole grain or graham flour; bran; seeds; nuts; raisins; and cornbread.

Cereals
Allowed Items: All refined, cooked or dry cereals, such as cream of wheat or rice, and flaked or puffed cereals.
Excluded Items: All whole grain cereals made from prohibited flours or other foods; oatmeal, and granola.

Cheeses
Allowed Items: Cottage, cream, American, Swiss, Muenster or other mild cheeses; 1 oz. of cheese may be substituted for 1 oz. of milk.
Excluded Items: All other cheeses.

Eggs
Allowed Items: All except raw eggs.
Excluded Items: Raw eggs.

Fats/Oils
Allowed Items: Butter, oils, cream, dry cream substitutes, margarine, mayonnaise, shortenings, smooth salad dressings, and sour cream.
Excluded Items: Salad dressing made with excluded foods and tartar sauce.

Fruits
Allowed Items: Canned or cooked fruits without skins, seeds or membranes including apples; applesauce; cherries; grapefruit; oranges; tangerines; peaches; pineapple; pears; and fruit cocktail. Raw fruit including ripe bananas; melon; grapefruit; oranges; and tangerines. All juice except prune juice and pear nectar (2 servings allowed per day).
Excluded Items: All other fruits, dried fruits, berries, figs, grapes with seeds, stewed prunes and prune puree, plums and pear nectar.

Meats/Poultry/Meat Substitutes
Allowed Items: Tender beef, ham, lamb, liver, poultry or veal that is baked, broiled or stewed; and lean or low-fat cold cuts and frankfurters.
Excluded Items: Fried meats and poultry, smokes or cured meats, cold cuts, corned beef, pastrami, and sausage; and tough and fibrous meats with gristle (chuck and blade steak); and full-fat cold cuts and frankfurters.

Fish
Allowed Items: Fresh or frozen fish without bones, canned tuna or salmon, and cooked shellfish.
Excluded Items: All fried or smoked fish, sardines and herring.

Legumes/Nuts
Allowed Items: None.
Excluded Items: All dried legumes, lima beans, peas and nuts.

Dairy Products
Allowed Items: Buttermilk and chocolate, skim, low-fat and whole milk if tolerated; yogurt, plain and custard-style, with allowed fruits and without nuts (2 cups, including that used in cooking, allowed per day).
Excluded Items: Yogurt containing fruit not allowed.

Potatoes/Rice/Pasta
Allowed Items: Boiled, creamed, mashed and scalloped potatoes without skin; macaroni, noodles, white rice and spaghetti (1 serving of potatoes allowed per day; all others, no limit).
Excluded Items: Potato skin, potato cakes, French fries, hash browns, potato salad, sweet potato, brown and wild rice, barley and hominy.

Soups
Allowed Items: Cream- and broth-based soups made with allowed foods.
Excluded Items: All other soups.

Sweets
Allowed Items: Honey, jelly, syrup, plain hard candy, molasses, marshmallows and gumdrops.
Excluded Items: Jams, preserves, candies with fruits, coconut, raisins, nuts and candied fruits.

Vegetables
Allowed Items: Canned or cooked asparagus tips, green beans, mushrooms, peas and pumpkins (no limitation on vegetable juices; 1 serving whole vegetables allowed per day).
Excluded Items: All raw vegetables except iceburg or butter lettuce; canned or cooked vegetables not specifically allowed, such as high-fiber vegetables including beans, carrots, peas, spinach and other greens, and beets.

Miscellaneous
Allowed Items: Ground or finely chopped herbs and spices, salt, flavoring extracts, ketchup, chocolate, mild gravy, white sauce, soy sauce and vinegar.
Excluded Items: All other spices and condiments, olives, pickles, potato chips and popcorn.
Back to top

Sample Meal Plan

This sample meal plan is a suggested basic guideline, which should be tailored to meet your individual needs. If you are already following a special diet for another health problem, such as diabetes or high cholesterol, this meal plan may not meet all of your nutritional needs. You and your primary doctor and registered dietician should work together to develop your new plan, to make sure that all your caloric needs and requirements are met.

Breakfast
½ cup strained fruit juice *
1 egg
1 slice white toast
1 tsp. butter or margarine
Jelly

Snack
1 cup milk **
1 serving allowed cereal
Sugar

Lunch
½ cup soup ***
2 oz. meat, fish or poultry
½ cup allowed vegetable
2 slices white bread or roll
1 serving allowed desert

Snack
2 slices white toast
2 tsp. butter or margarine
Jelly or honey

Dinner
5 oz. meat, fish or poultry
1 cup milk **
3 tsp. butter or margarine
1 baked potato, without skin
1 serving allowed desert
½ cup vegetable juice

Snack
½ cup strained fruit juice
3 plain cookies

* 2 servings of fruit/juices allowed per day.
** 2 servings of milk allowed per day.
*** Count as ½ cup milk if made with milk.

Summary

A fiber-restricted diet limits the amount of vegetables, fruits, cereals and grains that you can eat. It also limits to two cups per day the amount of milk and milk products, such as cream, yogurt and cheese, that you can eat. Milk does not contain fiber, but it leaves a residue in the GI tract that can irritate the bowel and cause diarrhea and cramping. The diet is also helpful for the many cancer patients who have a hard time digesting the milk sugar lactose. Good eating habits are important, including eating regular meals in a relaxed atmosphere. Use the diet in this handout as a guide and discuss any changes with your doctor or nurse.
Back to top