Low Residues Diet

What is Low Residues Diet?

Residue means any food which has fibre. The diet which is low in residue is essentially a diet which limits the intake of residue food. This diet is similar to the low fibre diet but it is slightly different. The diet in focus here-Low residue diet is restrictive in nature vis-a-vie a low fibre diet.Use of Low Residues Diet

This is a prescribed diet which your physician might recommend after you experience any digestive problem, or have undergone a surgery.

Details of Low Residues Diet

This diet limits fibre intake and also restricts consumption of food which are considered undigested and that pass through the large intestine. Hence this diet brings down the number and size of stool, it relieves us from any sought of stomach pain, constipation, diarrhoea, and digestive problems.

One should be aware that this diet is unable to give you all the components and nutrients your body requires to stay fit & healthy, this diet shouldn’t be chosen if you haven’t consulted a doctor and the low residues diet shouldn’t be undergone for a long time.

You can eat the following while on a Low-Residues Diet:

Refined cereal, bread, cracker, pasta, chip etc. (be sure that these have less that a gram of fibre)
White rice
Veggie juice (take it out without any pulp or seeds)
No Pulp fruit Juice
Strained milk, pudding, yogurt, ice cream, creamed sauces & soups
Poultry, eggs and fish
Oil, butter, margarine and mayo
Jelly, syrup and honey

Make sure you restrict your dairy intake when you are on this diet, you should limit this to 1-2 cups in a day.

You have to avoid the following food:

Whole-grained cereal, bread, pasta, etc.
Whole veggies and their sauces
Whole fruits (Canned or Fresh)
Coarse Meat
Coconut
Peanut Butter
Salad dressing which contain any whole fruits or their seeds
Any kinds of nuts or seeds
Marmalade

A Sample Menu

Breakfast:

Half cup of cereal (with less than a gram of fibre) with milk
6 ounce of fruits without the pulp and seeds

Mid Morning Snack:

Slices (1-2) of white bread (low fibre) with jelly/jam (without pulp or seeds)
6 ounces of veggie juice

Lunch:

Six ounce fruit juice as prescribed
2-3 ounce of broiled fish
Half Cup white refined rice

Evening Snack:

A cup yogurt
6 ounces of veggie juice

Dinner:

6 ounces of veggie juice or water
A cup of broth based soup (strained)
Three ounce of broiled chicken
A cup of low fibre pasta with little butter or mayo

Effects of Low Residues Diet

Relieves you from any kind of stomach problem
Eases digestion

Risks attached with Low Residues Diet

Nutritionally it is not beneficial as discussed earlier.