What Is a Low-Fiber Diet? A Detailed Beginner’s Guide

Fiber is integral to a healthy diet. But your healthcare provider may recommend that you follow a low-fiber diet on occasion for specific health reasons.

While they aren’t recommended for the general population — and are often temporary — low-fiber diets can help with certain symptoms and conditions.

Here's what you need to know if you’ve been told to follow a low-fiber diet or think you might benefit from one.

A low-fiber diet entails limiting foods containing fiber, which refers to indigestible carbohydrates in plant foods.

Someone on a low-fiber diet will typically cut out or severely limit nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, whole grains, and most fruits and vegetables, says Shelby Yaceczko, RD, a registered dietitian at UCLA Health Digestive Diseases in Westwood, California.

It isn’t a weight loss diet, and healthcare providers don’t often recommend a low-fiber diet for general well-being.

Instead, the diet is used as a temporary measure to manage symptoms of certain health conditions or prepare for medical procedures, says Heidi J. Silver, PhD, a research professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Low-residue diets and low-fiber diets are often recommended interchangeably, although they are two distinct diets,” says Felice Schnoll-Sussman, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist and the director of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

The low-residue diet is more restrictive because it limits meat and dairy as well as fiber, but both diets have the same goal of decreasing stool volume, Dr. Schnoll-Sussman says.

Because fiber has many health benefits, a low-fiber diet isn't a good idea for most people.

“Most of the time, following a low-fiber diets is a short-term strategy, because fiber is important for everything from gut to heart and metabolic health,” says Kaytee Hadley, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist specializing in digestive health and the owner of Holistic Health and Wellness, a private nutrition practice in Richmond, Virginia.

You should only attempt a low-fiber diet if a healthcare provider recommends it and gives you guidance on which foods to eat and avoid for your particular symptoms or condition.

Here are some reasons why your healthcare provider might recommend a low-fiber diet.

Symptom Management for Digestive Issues

Management of an Intestinal Blockage

In this case, it’s important to work with a registered dietitian. They can recommend sources of fiber you may be able to tolerate, so that you don’t miss out on the health benefits, Yaceczko says.

Surgery Prep

Your physician may prescribe a low-fiber diet in the days before any procedure that involves the colon or rectum, like a colonoscopy or a bowel resection (a surgery that removes damaged parts of the colon or a colostomy that connects the large intestine to an opening in the abdominal wall).

A low-fiber diet helps ensure your colon is as clean and empty as possible before surgery, Schnoll-Sussman says.

Surgery Recovery

It’s often recommended to continue a low-fiber diet during recovery from a procedure involving the colon or rectum, Yaceczko says. Limiting fiber in the digestive tract post-surgery can aid the healing process and minimize uncomfortable symptoms like diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Low-fiber diets are recommended for managing certain health conditions and preparing for specific procedures — they’re not recommended for weight loss or general health.

In fact, fiber can be helpful for weight loss and offers many health benefits. “Fiber can help you feel full quicker and has beneficial effects on metabolic health and blood sugar, so eating more fiber, not less, is usually a good strategy for weight loss,” Hadley says.

Fiber has many health benefits backed by research. So, following a low-fiber diet comes with some disadvantages and potential health risks, including:

• Constipation “A low-fiber diet will typically lead to fewer bowel movements and smaller stools,” Schnoll-Sussman says. She recommends drinking plenty of water to reduce the risk of constipation.
• Hemorrhoids or Anal Fissures “Constipation from a low fiber diet can also lead to straining to have a bowel movement, and this can at times lead to the development of hemorrhoids or fissures in the rectum,” Schnoll-Sussman says. Hemorrhoids are enlarged or swollen veins around the anus or in the lower rectum that can cause itching, bleeding, and pain, especially during bowel movements.

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   Fissures are small tears in the anal or rectal tissue that cause similar symptoms.

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• Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Fiber slows the body’s absorption of sugar, helping keep blood sugar levels stable.

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   Over time, a low-fiber diet can lead to higher blood sugar levels and increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, Hadley says.
• Increased Risk of Gastrointestinal Disorders Fiber feeds probiotics, good bacteria in your gut that promote digestive health.

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   Limiting fiber long-term may negatively impact this community of gut bacteria (also known as the gut microbiome), increasing your risk of GI disorders, Hadley says.
• Micronutrient Deficiencies Low-fiber diets require cutting out or severely limiting nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Going without these foods for long periods can lead to deficiencies in micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, Silver says.

While most low-fiber diets follow the same guidelines, the exact foods to eat or avoid can vary based on your body and symptoms, Yaceczko says. Through trial and error, and with the help of a registered dietitian, you can figure out which foods and combinations are better suited for your specific symptoms and health concerns.

Top 10 Foods to Eat

1. Milk and other dairy products
2. Refined white bread
3. Refined cereals
4. Oil, butter, and margarine
5. Cooked meat, poultry, fish, and eggs
6. Tofu
7. Applesauce
8. Certain fruits (seeds and skin removed): very ripe bananas, apricots, and melons
9. Certain well-cooked or canned vegetables (seeds and skin removed): squash, spinach, potatoes, carrots, green beans, asparagus, beets, and eggplant
10. Certain raw vegetables (seeds and skin removed): shredded lettuce, cucumbers, and zucchini

Top 10 Foods to Limit or Avoid

1. Whole-grain breads, cereals, crackers, pasta, rice, oats, and popcorn
2. Deli meats, hot dogs, and sausage
3. Beans and legumes
4. Whole nuts and seeds
5. Most raw vegetables
6. Most cooked vegetables
7. Most fruits
8. Fried foods
9. Chunky condiments and sauces (like relish, tomato sauce, and chunky peanut butter)
10. Tempeh and soybeans

Following a low-fiber diet requires planning. Here are some expert tips for staying nourished and minimizing overwhelm throughout the process.

1. Include Protein at Every Meal

2. Don’t Eat All Your Fiber in One Sitting

“The fiber you eat should be spaced out throughout the day,” says Sauceda. “You don’t want to eat all the fiber in one sitting,” she explains, since that could exacerbate your symptoms.

3. Use a Food Journal

Tracking your food intake for a day or two can help you get an idea of how much fiber you’re getting, Sauceda says. Use a food tracking app or plain pen and paper. You can also use the journal to track any uncomfortable digestive symptoms you have and work with a dietitian to figure out which foods might be causing these symptoms.

4. Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can help prevent constipation while your fiber intake is lower. “Watching that your urine stays light yellow to clear is a good way to make sure you are drinking enough water,” Schnoll-Sussman says. Keep a water bottle nearby and sip regularly throughout the day.

5. Work With a Registered Dietitian

Low-fiber diets are often recommended to help manage symptoms of digestive conditions. Since the specifics of a low-fiber diet will vary between people, It’s important to get personalized expert guidance, Silver says. A registered dietitian can help you create a nutritionally sound plan that’s tailored to your health condition(s), tastes, finances, and short- and long-term health goals.

6. Have a Plan to Reintroduce Foods When You Feel Better

Once your symptoms are under control and you no longer need to follow a low-fiber diet, it’s important to have a plan in place for reintroducing all the foods you limited or avoided. Yaceczko says it’s important to work with a dietitian during this reintroduction phase, so that you don’t need to stay on the diet longer than necessary or add fiber too quickly.