Modified Fibre
DC-313
Section 3: Therapeutic Diets
Compendium Definition
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Note:
– This diet is appropriate for those who have undergone ostomy surgery (for 6-8 weeks following surgery), for those at risk of bowel obstruction, for individuals experiencing loose stools, and for individuals who are post-op and requiring a low-residue diet.
– Cooking, chopping or blending does not change the fibre content, but peeling and removing the seeds lowers fibre content
Vegetables
Allowed
- Well cooked vegetables without skins or seeds: carrots (peeled), potatoes, parsnips, squash, beets, broccoli tips, cauliflower, asparagus tips, eggplant, pumpkin, rutabagas, turnip, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sweet potatoes/yams, green or yellow beans, all vegetables juices
- Canned vegetables: all except corn or mushrooms
- Raw vegetables: tomatoes (skin and seeds removed), cucumbers (skin and seeds removed)
NOT allowed:
- All raw vegetables and stringy vegetables such as: celery, brussels sprouts, peppers, cabbage, sauerkraut, corn, cucumber, mushrooms, onions, peas, radish, spinach, swiss chard, salads (includes kale, lettuce), potatoes with skin, zucchini
Fruit
Allowed
- Soft, ripe or frozen fruit with skins and seeds removed: apple, pear, applesauce, apricots, watermelon, peaches, nectarines, mango, papaya, ripe banana
- Canned fruit: pears, peaches, mandarin oranges, apricots
- Fruit juice: all pulp-free juices except prune
NOT allowed:
- dried fruits, berries, cherries, kiwi, apple with skin, orange, grapefruit, grapes, pineapple, rhubarb
- non-ripe or non-soft cantaloupe, honeydew melon
- high fibre fruit spreads
- prune juice
Salads
Allowed
- Potato salad, macaroni salad made with allowed ingredients, pickled beets, jello salad made with allowed ingredients
NOT allowed:
- All other salads (e.g. coleslaw, etc)
Grain Products
Allowed
- Cereals: Cream of Wheat®, cream of rice, oatmeal, Cornflakes®, Cheerios®, puffed rice, Rice Krispies®, Special K®, other cold breakfast cereal with less than 2 g of fibre per serving
- Breads: white bagels, buns, biscuits, English muffins, waffles, pancakes, pita or flour tortilla; white or oatmeal bread, light rye
- Other: white rice, white pasta, chow mein noodles, rice noodles, couscous (cooked soft)
NOT allowed:
- Cereals: Red River® oatmeal, oat bran, bran cereals (All-Bran®, bran flakes), shredded wheat cereals, Just Right®, puffed wheat, granola
- Breads: any bread product made with 100% whole grain flour, bran, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, pumpernickel, dark rye
- Other: wheat bran, barley, whole wheat pasta, fibre-enriched white pasta, brown rice, wild rice, popcorn, millet, quinoa, other whole grains
Milk & Alternatives
Allowed
- All plain dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese) unless bothered by lactose
- Plant-based alternatives (soy beverage)
NOT allowed:
- Any dairy product containing berries, seeds or nuts
*If having problems with lactose, refer to ‘Lactose Free Diet’
Note: skim milk powder should not be provided to individuals having problems with lactose
Meat & Alternatives
Allowed
- all meat, poultry, fish; eggs, tofu, well pureed hummus, smooth peanut butter, almond butter
*Limit nut butters to 1 tbsp per serving
NOT allowed:
- legumes (lentils, beans, peas, soybeans), nuts and seeds, chunky peanut or nut butters, processed meats with casings or skins, meat and alternatives with high fibre breading
Soups
Allowed
- soups with allowed ingredients
NOT allowed:
- soups with ingredients not allowed
Oils & Fats
Limit fat intake to 2 – 3 Tbsp. per day
Allowed
- all oils, butter, margarine, salad dressings except those with ingredients not allowed
NOT allowed:
- those with ingredients not allowed
Desserts & Sweets
Allowed
- plain cake or cookies, sherbet, Jell-O®, frozen yogurt, ice milk or ice cream, pudding, custard, hard candy, marshmallow
NOT allowed:
- desserts made with ingredients not allowed (whole-grain flour, bran, nuts, seeds, coconut, high fibre fruit, dried fruit)
Fluids
Allowed
- Coffee, tea, soft drinks, pulp-free juices (except for prune juice)
- Oral nutritional supplements without fibre (Boost Fruit Beverage, Ensure Plus)
NOT allowed:
- Fluids with high-fibre ingredients added (e.g. smoothie with berries), prune juice
- Oral nutritional supplements containing fibre
- For post-op ileostomy: carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages
Miscellaneous
Allowed
- ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, gravy, jelly, ground powdered spices
- chips, pretzels, cheezies®
NOT allowed:
- jam or marmalade, relish, olives, pickles, coconut, whole spices
- corn chips
References:
- Government of Canada. (2013, March 18). Nutrient Value of Some Common Foods.
- Hamilton Health Sciences. (2019, March 13). Low Fibre Diet. Hamilton Health Sciences.
- Li, B. W., Andrews, K. W., & Pehrsson, P. R. (2002). Individual Sugars, Soluble, and Insoluble Dietary Fiber Contents of 70 High Consumption Foods. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 15, 715-723.
- Niagara Health System. (n.d.). Low Residue Diet. Niagara Health.
- UVA Nutrition. (2022). Low Fiber Diet. University of Virginia Health System
