The fiber in food provides the roughage or bulk that, in turn, stimulates the bowel. It is generally recommended that you consume at least 25 grams of dietary fiber a day to promote good bowel health. The major sources of dietary fiber are fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dried beans.
However, a common side effect of radiation treatment and many chemotherapy drugs is diarrhea. If you experience treatment-related diarrhea you should follow a low fiber diet and limit your intake of dietary fiber to about 10 grams a day. A low fiber diet is better tolerated with diarrhea because it will not stimulate the bowel as much and it will be easier to digest.
|
Food Group |
High Fiber Foods to AVOID |
Low Fiber Foods ALLOWED |
|
Fruits |
Raw fruits |
Bananas |
|
Vegetables |
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, peas, peppers, radishes, and spinach Raw vegetables |
Vegetables not on avoid list. Best tolerated: asparagus, green beans and summer squash Peel, seed and cook vegetables until they are soft |
|
Breads & pastas |
Whole wheat and whole grains Brown rice |
Bread products made with refined white flour |
|
Food Group |
High Fiber Foods to AVOID |
Low Fiber Foods ALLOWED |
|
Cereals |
Whole grains |
Cold cereals - Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Cheerios, Special K, Golden Grahams, Rice and Corn Chex Hot cereals - Oatmeal, Cream of Rice, Cream of Wheat, Farina and Grits Choose cereals that have less than 2 grams of fiber per serving |
|
Nuts |
Whole nuts and chunky nut butters |
Smooth nut butters |
|
Dried beans & legumes |
Lentils, lima beans, chick peas, kidney beans and black beans, etc. |
|
|
Meat, poultry, fish and eggs |
All allowed |
|
|
Milk and milk products |
Allowed unless lactose intolerant |
|
|
Miscellaneous |
Any foods that contain corn (including popcorn and tortilla chips), seeds, nuts, coconut or dried fruit |
Food labels list grams of fiber
To find out how much fiber is in a serving of a food use food labels. Look for “Dietary Fiber” in the list of nutrients. Choose foods that have 2 grams or less of dietary fiber per serving.
Soluble fiber
Soluble fiber is a type of fiber found in some foods. Soluble fiber absorbs fluid and can help relieve diarrhea. Foods high in soluble fiber include:
- Fruits : Applesauce, bananas (ripe), canned fruit, orange and grapefruit sections
- Vegetables : Boiled potatoes
- Breads & pastas : White rice and products made with white flour
- Cereals : Oatmeal, cream of rice, cream of wheat and farina
Other foods that can contribute to diarrhea
- Fatty, greasy and fried foods
- Spicy and highly seasoned foods
- Caffeinated foods and beverages e.g. coffee, tea and chocolate
- Milk and milk based drinks
- Avoid chewing gum, as well as sugar free candies and gums that contain sugar alcohols such as sorbitol or mannitol
Foods best tolerated when diarrhea is severe
Eat bland and easy to digest foods such as chicken, fish, eggs, puddings, mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream of wheat, farina, smooth peanut butter, white bread, bananas, applesauce, canned fruit and well cooked vegetables. Eating 5 to 6 small meals/snacks throughout the day is often better tolerated than eating 3 large meals.
Sample menu
This is a sample meal plan to follow if you have diarrhea. It is low in dietary fiber and high in soluble fiber.
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| 6 oz orange juice (no pulp) 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal 1 cup 2% milk 1 medium banana Decaffeinated coffee |
1 cup chicken rice soup 3 oz sliced turkey breast 2 slices white bread 1 tsp mayonnaise |
4 oz salmon 1/2 cup white rice 1/2 cup asparagus 1 dinner roll 1 tsp butter 1/2 cup fruit sorbet |
|
Snack |
Snack |
Snack |
| 1 slice white bread toast 1 tablespoon peanut butter 1 tsp jelly |
2 rice crackers 1 oz cheese 1/2 cup applesauce |
1 cup vanilla yogurt |
Nutrients:
- Calories 1946
- Protein 101 gm
- Fat 54 gm
- Dietary fiber 10 gm
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