How to Eat a Healthy Low-Fiber Diet

The average person needs 21 to 38 grams of fiber a day, but for some people, that's simply too much. A doctor might advise a low-fiber diet if you're having digestive problems, about to have bowel surgery or if you have a narrowing of the bowel because of a medical condition. Talk to your doctor and a registered dietitian before going on a low-fiber diet. Low-fiber diets should only be used as a short-term plan because it's difficult to get the nutrients you need when eating this way.

Fiber-Free Foods

It's possible to eat an entirely fiber-free diet, incorporating foods such as beef, poultry, eggs, cheese and milk, all of which have zero grams of fiber. However, it's not necessarily a healthy idea. Fiber plays an important role in your health, including normalizing bowel movements, maintaining bowel health, lowering cholesterol levels and helping to maintain a healthy weight. Therefore, stay on a low-fiber diet only as long as your health care provider says it's necessary. While eating this way, you might experience fewer bowel movements. Drink extra fluids to help prevent constipation.

Breakfast Ideas

Start off your day with a traditional breakfast of eggs and toast -- just make sure the toast is made from white bread, rather than wheat or whole-grain bread. Other options include pancakes or waffles made from white flour, refined hot cereals such as Cream of Wheat or cold cereals that have less than 1 gram of fiber per serving. Double-check the nutrition label before purchasing. You can also eat some low-fiber canned fruits; MayoClinic.org recommends a half-cup of canned peaches, which contains 1.6 grams of fiber. Fruit and vegetable juice is OK if there's little to no pulp.

Possible Lunches

If you're used to eating a soup and salad for lunch, think again -- raw vegetables often contain a lot of fiber. Instead, choose well-cooked fresh or canned vegetables free of seeds, stems or skins, such as beets, green beans, carrots, pureed spinach and asparagus. You might also eat a cooked sweet or white potato without skin, or cooked meat, poultry, fish, eggs or tofu. A possible lunch menu is chicken noodle soup, a grilled cheese sandwich made with white bread and canned applesauce.

Dinner Suggestions

When preparing a low-fiber diet, MayoClinic.org recommends using a cooking method that tenderizes your food to make it easier to digest. Try simmering, poaching, stewing, steaming or braising your food rather than roasting, broiling or grilling it. Dinner options include tender cuts of meat or ground meat, fish or shellfish or tofu. Pair 3 ounces of protein with a half-cup of white rice and a half-cup of cooked vegetables. If you are a fan of bread, you can add a dinner roll if it is made with white flour.

Foods to Avoid

When on a low-fiber diet, skip grains that are whole-wheat or whole-grain, even though they're often touted as the healthier option. You should also skip brown rice and other whole grains, such as oatmeal. When it comes to produce, avoid all raw fruits and vegetables, along with dried fruits and dried peas, beans and lentils. Seeds, nuts, coconut and popcorn are also on the no-go list.