Low insoluble fibre diet | North Bristol NHS Trust

Introduction

You have been asked to follow a low insoluble fibre diet. This can help improve symptoms, give your bowel time to rest after surgery, or help prevent a blockage in your bowel.

You may only need this diet for a short time. If your doctor says you need to follow it for longer than a month, we might suggest taking a daily multivitamin to make sure you get all the nutrients you need.

If you have any questions or worries about this diet, ask your doctor or healthcare professional.

Types of fibre

There are different types of fibre in the foods we eat. The two main types are called "soluble fibre" and "insoluble fibre."

Soluble fibre

Soluble fibre mixes with water in your gut and turns into a gel-like substance that your gut bacteria can break down. It can help with both diarrhoea and constipation. Soluble fibre is usually safe for you to eat.

Here are some examples of foods with soluble fibre:

Milled or ground oats, like Quaker Oat So Simple or Ready Brek.
Fruit without the peel, seeds, or skin.
Vegetables without the peel, seeds, or skin.

Insoluble fibre

Insoluble fiber is the "roughage" in our food. It does not get broken down by our body and helps make our stools bigger and easier to pass.

Here are some examples of foods with insoluble fiber:

Wholegrain foods like brown or seeded bread, cereal, rice, pasta, and couscous.
Skins of vegetables, fruits, beans, and pulses
Pith, seeds, and stringy parts of fruits and vegetables.
Nuts and seeds.
Salad and leafy greens.

Removing insoluble fibre

Many foods, like some fruits, vegetables, beans, and lentils, have both soluble and insoluble fibre. To make these foods easier for you to eat, you need to remove the insoluble fibre.

Here’s how you can do that:

Peel the skins and cook vegetables until they’re soft.
Peel the skins and stew fruits until they’re soft.
Peel and remove seeds, then blend vegetables into a smooth soup or sauce, or fruits into a smoothie.
If you can’t peel or remove seeds, blend the fruit or vegetable and then use a sieve to strain out the “bits”.

Recommended foods and foods to watch

Food type	Recommended foods (low insoluble fibre)	Foods to watch (higher insoluble fibre or foods that increase risk of blockage)
Meat, fish and meat alternatives	Most meats, fish or meat alternatives are fine to eat. Including: Fresh or frozen lean meats/poultry and fish. Meat or fish in batter or breadcrumbs. Tofu/Quorn.	Processed meats or fish dishes that have fruit or vegetables are not suitable. Including: Avoid meat that is fatty or has tough parts like gristle, and fish with tough skin or bones. Sausages with big chunks of fruit or vegetables inside.
Dairy and dairy alternative foods	Most dairy or dairy alternative products are fine to eat. Including: Smooth yoghurt. Milk. Eggs. Cream, crème fraiche, sour cream. Hard and soft cheeses. Ice cream, custard, milk puddings.	Dairy or dairy alternative products containing fruit or vegetables are not suitable. Including: Yoghurt with big chunks of fruit, nuts, granola or muesli Cheese with fruit or nuts.
Vegetables	Flesh of well-cooked veg that have had the peel and seeds removed like aubergine, avocado, beetroot, butternut squash, carrots, courgettes, cucumber, marrow, parsnips, pumpkin, swede, sweet potato, turnip. Sieved tomato sauce e.g. tomato purée, passata sauce, ketchup. Smooth vegetable juice, puree, soup.	Green leafy vegetables e.g. Brussel sprouts, cabbage, curly kale, lettuce, spinach, spring greens. Vegetables with lots of roughage e.g. celery, coleslaw, cassava, leek, mushroom, okra, onion, olive, pak choi, peas, radish, spring onion, yam. Corn e.g. sweetcorn, popcorn. Tomatoes with skins and seeds.
Fruit	Some fruits are suitable but you need to peel, remove seeds and cook well. Including: Tinned fruit (no skins) e.g. apricots, nectarines, pears, peaches. Stewed/fresh fruit e.g. apples, apricots, banana, mango, melon, nectarine, pear, peaches, plantain, plums Smooth fruit juice Smoothies with no bits.	Fruits where you cannot peel, remove seeds, or piths are not suitable. Including: All dried fruits e.g. figs and raisins. Berries, citrus fruits, grapes, kiwi, passion fruit, pomegranate, strawberries, and rhubarb Fruit juices/smoothies with bits.
Cereals	‘White’ varieties are suitable. Make sure there are no nuts, seeds or dried fruit. Including: Low fibre breakfast cereals e.g. Rice Krispies, Cornflakes, Coco pops, Frosties, porridge, Ready Brek. White bread products e.g. sourdough, bread, rolls, bagels. Plain pasties e.g. croissant. Plain naan bread, chapatti. White rice, pasta, plain couscous, egg/rice noodles. Tapioca, semolina. Plain biscuits/ crackers.	Wholemeal, wholegrain and brown varieties are not suitable. Including: High fibre/wholegrain breakfast cereals e.g. All Bran, Branflakes, Weetabix, Granola, Muesli. Brown/wholemeal and rye bread. Bulgar wheat, buckwheat, pearl pearl barley, quinoa. Rough oatcakes,wholemeal/grain crackers. Wholegrain rice, wild rice, wholewheat pasta, wholemeal couscous. Biscuits/crackers/pastries containing dried fruit, nuts, seeds, or coconut.
Miscellaneous	Potato crisps. Condiments and smooth dips e.g. BBQ/brown sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, salad cream. Salt/ ground pepper, herbs, spices. Smooth paste e.g. harissa, chipotle, Thai green curry.	Savoury snacks containing nuts e.g. Bombay mix, cereal bars.

Meal ideas

Breakfast:

Cereal with milk, such as cornflakes, rice crispies.
White toast, low fat spread and a topping such as smooth jam, smooth peanut butter.

Midday meal:

White bread sandwich with lean meat, fish, eggs, cheese or a meat alternative.
Jacket potato with cheese , fish, chili without beans and blended onions or onion powder. Remember to avoid the potato skin.
Smooth pesto pasta with chicken breast and cheese.
Smooth soup with white bread.
Peeled roasted root vegetables with white pasta, couscous, rice.

Evening meal:

Meat, fish, or a meat alternative with peeled mashed potatoes, and peeled, well-cooked carrots and broccoli florets.
Stew with peeled and well-cooked carrots, potatoes, and courgette.
Meat or meat alternative stir fry with white rice or noodles, and peeled carrot, courgette, and broccoli florets.
Spaghetti Bolognese made with lean mince, peeled carrots, onion/garlic puree or powder, and passata tomato sauce (using white spaghetti).
Fish pie with peeled carrots, broccoli florets, and a peeled mashed potato topping.
Meat, fish, or cheese risotto made with onion/garlic puree or powder.

Tips

High insoluble fibre foods include:
- Nuts
- Pips
- Piths
- Seeds
- Skins on fruits and vegetables
- Wholemeal/grain
- Leaves
If you cannot peel a fruit or vegetable, like raspberries, they’re not suitable - unless blended into a smooth consistency. Sieve any remaining bits out.
Prepare a sauce as usual (e.g. with onions, garlic, peppers), then blend and sieve to remove large bits. Cook meat or meat alternatives separately, then add the blended sauce.
Blend onions, garlic, and ginger, then freeze in portions using an ice cube tray to add to meals later.
Batch freeze peeled vegetables to save time later.
Onion, garlic, and ginger powder can be used instead of whole onions, garlic, or ginger.
Salad alternatives:
- Cooled white pasta with smooth pesto or a smooth tomato sauce (such as passata).
- White rice or couscous with peeled and roasted root vegetables.
- Peeled white or sweet potato salad with a smooth dressing.
- Add protein like cheese (such as feta, halloumi) or egg.