Bowel Cancer Screening – Low Fibre Diet

Bowel Cancer Screening – Low Fibre Diet

Aim of the leaflet

You have been advised to follow a low fibre diet. This leaflet will help you to identify foods and drinks that contain small amounts of fibre and avoid those which are high.

A low fibre diet will reduce the activity of your bowel by reducing stomach discomfort and bloating. It will also help to prevent your bowels becoming blocked if you are at risk of an obstruction.

Fibre is the part of food that is not broken down and digested. It passes through the gut and then forms your bowel movement.

Important points

• Foods high in fibre are wholegrain, wholemeal, bran, oats, nuts, seeds, skins and stalks of certain fruit and vegetables
• Avoid foods labelled “high fibre”
• Avoid spicy foods as these can irritate the bowels

Food Type	Foods Allowed	Foods to avoid
Bread, cereals and grains	Refined breakfast cereals such as: Rice Krispies®, Coco Pops®, Weetos®, Frosties®, Cornflakes®, Sugar puffs®   Products made from white flour for example, white bread, white pasta, crumpets, English muffins, wraps, pitta bread, bagels. Well-cooked white rice, rice noodles, egg noodles, white noodles.   Plain naan bread, plain chapatti, poppadums.   Plain couscous and Polenta.	Wholemeal cereals. Cereals containing nuts, seeds or dried fruit.   Muesli, fruit and fibre, porridge shredded wheat, bran flakes, Crunchy Nut Cornflakes®   Any bread products or biscuits containing coarse grains, seeds or nuts or dried fruit such as multigrain bread, seeded batch, rye crispbread, rough oatcakes, hobnobs, muesli bars, flapjacks, teacakes, scones, fruit loaves.   Brown rice, brown pasta, quinoa, pearl barley
Food Type	Foods Allowed	Foods to avoid
Meat, poultry and fish	Soft and tender meats or poultry without visible fat and with skin removed such as poultry, lamb, beef, pork, veal and ham.   Plain tofu, Seitan, Quorn®.   All types of eggs. Fish without bones such as cod, salmon.   Seafood (ensure prawns and shrimps are peeled).	Tough, gristly meat or skin including pork scratchings.   Fish with bones like sardines or with edible bones like whitebait.
Dairy products, fats and oils	Limit all types of milk including: nut and plant-based milks to no more than half a cup a day.   Any dairy alternatives are also allowed, in the same quantities. Plain Cheese	Cheese containing dried fruit, onions or nuts.   Yoghurts or fromage frais
Vegetables	Vegetable juices or soups – sieved to get rid of any seeds/skins.   Mashed potatoes or well-cooked potatoes without skin, for example jacket potato, boiled potato.   Potato gnocchi is also allowed. Potatoes can be made into chips but NOT deep fried. (Fatty foods are difficult to digest and may cause discomfort)	Avoid All Raw and cooked vegetables including Potato skins.   All curries made with lentils, beans, legumes/pulses.
Food Type	Foods Allowed	Foods to avoid
Fruits	Fruit juice (no seeds / pips / skins / piths).	Avoid all Raw and cooked fruits
Desserts	Clear jelly – Lemon, lime or orange flavours only. (The red/purple ones may stain the bowel) This should be in moderation only.	Coloured jelly e.g. red jelly.   Ice cream containing fruit and nuts, cakes, puddings and pies containing any of the following: Wholemeal flour, dried fruit, nuts, dried coconut and any fruits you have been advised to avoid.
Drinks	Fruit and vegetables juices with no bits. Clear Apple juice (This is an excellent choice to drink alongside the sachets of bowel prep)   Water, soft drinks, tea and coffee, herbal tea.	Fruit and vegetable juices/smoothies with pulp and seeds.
Other	Clear or strained soups.   Sugar, honey, golden/maple syrup, seedless jam, marmalade.   Dark/milk/white chocolate, boiled sweets, marshmallows, toffee	Chocolate with fruit or nuts. Nuts, seeds, coconut and desiccated coconut.   Marmalade with peel, jam with seeds.

If your symptoms or condition worsens, or if you are concerned about anything, please call your GP, 111, or 999.

Patient Experience

We know that being admitted to hospital can be a difficult and unsettling time for you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with a member of staff on the ward or in the relevant department who will do their best to answer your questions and reassure you. 

Feedback

Feedback is really important and useful to us – it can tell us where we are working well and where improvements can be made. There are lots of ways you can share your experience with us including completing our Friends and Family Test – cards are available and can be posted on all wards, departments and clinics at our hospitals. We value your comments and feedback and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

If you have any concerns or questions about your care, we advise you to talk with the nurse in charge or the department manager in the first instance as they are best placed to answer any questions or resolve concerns quickly. If the relevant member of staff is unable to help resolve your concern, you can contact the PALS Team. We offer informal help, advice or support about any aspect of hospital services & experiences.

Our PALS team will liaise with the various departments in our hospitals on your behalf, if you feel unable to do so, to resolve your problems and where appropriate refer to outside help.

If you are still unhappy you can contact the Complaints Department, who can investigate your concerns. You can make a complaint orally, electronically or in writing and we can advise and guide you through the complaints procedure.

How to contact PALS:

Telephone Patient Services: 0300 123 1732 or via email at: [email protected]

Opening times:

The PALS telephone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.00pm. Please be aware that you may need to leave a voicemail message, but we aim to return your call within one working day.

If you are unable to understand this leaflet, please communicate with a member of staff.

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