Nutrition Low Residue Diets

The medical dictionary defines a low-residue diet as "a diet that leaves a minimal residue in the lower intestinal tract after digestion and absorption." Low-residue diets are very similar to low-fiber diets in that they both restrict fiber consumption. A low-residue diet, however, also restricts milk and dairy products known to increase bowel movements. The purpose of a low-residue diet, according to the Mayo Clinic, is to reduce your number of eliminations as well as the size of your stools.

Diet Details

• A low-residue diet is highly effective in relieving diarrhea, abdominal pain, digestive problems, and bowel inflammation. These diets are typically recommended by doctors for people with diverticulitis (inflammation of an abnormal pouch in the intestinal wall), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and other types of inflammatory bowel disease. Low-residue diets are not meant to be used as a method of losing weight.

Food and Nutrition

• Low-residue diets are highly restrictive. On average, you are expected to intake less than 10 to 15 g of fiber daily, according to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Because they cannot completely provide your body with the nutrition it needs, low-residue diets are generally recommended for short-term use only. Many doctors will recommend that you take a multivitamin with minerals to restore some of the nutrients you may be lacking. The restriction of fruits and vegetables on a low-residue diet may not provide you with the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) of calcium, vitamin C, and folic acid.

  On a low-residue diet, eat 6 to 11 servings of breads and starches per day. Eat white bread, white rice, and refined cereals and pasta. Avoid eating granola, oatmeal, cornbread, and products made with bran, wheat, and whole grain flour. Eat two to four servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Include canned fruits and vegetables, applesauce, and vegetable and fruit juices (without pulp). Exclude all raw fruits and vegetables, except for bananas and chopped lettuce. Eat two to three servings per day of meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. Avoid all beans, legumes, and peas. Limit milk and dairy products while on a low-residue diet. Consume no more than 16 oz. (total) of dairy per day. Avoid popcorn, nuts, chocolate, peanut butter, cheese, yogurt containing fruit, caffeine, coconut, and all foods with seeds.