Fiber usually gets a gold star in the nutrition world – and for good reason. It helps keep digestion smooth, supports heart health, and keeps you feeling full. So it might seem a little strange to hear that, in some cases, less fiber is actually better.
A low fiber diet is typically used for specific medical reasons. This includes things like managing a flare-up of Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, recovering from surgery, or preparing for a procedure like a colonoscopy1.
It’s not meant to be a long-term plan for most people. Plus it’s very different from trends like the carnivore diet, which cuts out whole food groups and can come with serious risks.
On a low fiber diet, the goal is to eat under 10 grams of fiber a day. That’s a big drop from the usual daily recommendation, but it can give your digestive system a much-needed rest when things are irritated or healing. Let’s take a closer look at when this kind of diet makes sense, and how to do it in a way that still feels manageable.
Let’s break it down. A low fiber diet, sometimes called a low residue diet, is exactly what it sounds like: eating foods that leave less behind in your digestive system2. “Residue” just means the stuff your body doesn’t fully digest – mainly fiber3. The goal here is to reduce the workload on your gut, giving it time to rest and heal.
Doctors might recommend this kind of eating plan if your digestive tract is inflamed, blocked, or recovering from a procedure4. That includes situations like prepping for a colonoscopy, healing from bowel surgery, or managing conditions like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, or bowel obstructions5 6.
It’s also sometimes used during radiation treatment for certain cancers. In these cases, too much fiber can make symptoms worse. It can cause pain, bloating, or diarrhea.
Here’s a quick fiber 101: there are 2 main types of fiber; soluble and insoluble. On a low fiber diet, both are limited, but especially the rougher, insoluble kind.
Soluble Fiber | Insoluble Fiber |
Dissolves in water and forms a gel 💧 | Doesn’t dissolve – adds bulk to stool 🧱 |
Slows digestion 🐢 | Speeds up movement through the gut 🏃♂️ |
Gentler on the digestive system 🤍 | Can be irritating to an inflamed gut 😣 |
Found in oats, bananas, peeled apples 🍌, white rice 🍚 | Found in wheat bran 🌾, whole grains 🍞, raw veggies 🥦, fruit skins 🍎 |
So, why cut back on fiber in the first place? It all comes down to giving your digestive system a bit of a break.
The main goal of a low fiber diet is to slow things down in your gut. That means fewer bowel movements, and ideally, less irritation along the way. When your intestines are inflamed, recovering, or just overly sensitive, all that natural “roughage” from fiber can actually make things worse.