This is the best meal plan before your colonoscopy. This food list, including recipes, will make it easier for you to prepare for your colonoscopy.
So you've decided to have a colonoscopy. Welcome to the club!
I'll be honest: enjoyable and fun is something else. Eating sushi with friends, ordering a pizza or simply taking a hearty bite of something unhealthy. A colonoscopy is rather the opposite.
But you don't have a colonoscopy for nothing. Either it's part of colon cancer screening or, like me, you're constantly struggling with gastrointestinal problems.
If it's the latter, then perhaps a colonoscopy can finally tell you what's going on down there.
But this much in advance: Really bad is a Colonoscopy not. There are much worse things than math homework, a date with someone who has bad breath or a stomach ache after every damn bite. 😥
I would like to help you get through the next few days in a reasonably relaxed way. You will be able to do this if you take a close look at my tips for your diet before your colonoscopy.
Good to know: The most time-consuming part of the whole procedure is the Change of diet before the colonoscopy.
To make this easy for you, I'll tell you what I ate and what I avoided in my meal plan before the colonoscopy.
PS: For my thorough colonoscopy preparation I was even praised 😄
Table of contents
- Why a diet plan before colonoscopy helps
- What you must not eat before the colonoscopy
- What can I eat before the colonoscopy?
- The great meal plan before colonoscopy + recipe ideas
- What can I eat right before the colonoscopy?
- Common questions you're probably asking yourself about food, too
- At what point can I eat something after the examination?
Why a diet plan before colonoscopy helps
Your doctor will give you lots of information. About nutrition, the process, what to look out for and what not to do. Simply too much. You can't remember it all.
Yes, you will receive an information sheet for the colonoscopy. On it you will find some information about nutrition before the colonoscopy.
But it is still worth taking a Menu plan before the Colonoscopy to create. So you have everything you can and can't eat in black and white at a glance.
This helps you to shop and not lose track of things.
The Change of diet begins five days before the Colonoscopy. The day before the colonoscopy is particularly strict.
Once you have all the food at home and a precise plan of what you can eat and when, nothing can stop you 🙂
My experience report: That was my colonoscopy!
After the colonoscopy, your intestines start at 0 and your entire digestive tract is empty. Although this makes you extremely hungry, it also gives your stomach and intestines a chance to relax.
If nothing abnormal is found in the bowel, you most likely just have Problems with the right and wrong gut bacteria. You now have the unique opportunity to build up your intestinal flora.
The optimal basis for a balanced intestinal flora is a healthy, varied and plant-based diet. You can also increase the good bacteria with prebiotics, dietary fibers such as inulin and oligofructose, and virtually feed them.
These fibers are difficult or impossible to digest and are therefore also food for the bacteria. This stimulates their growth and at the same time inhibits the growth of bad bacteria.
In addition, such preparations contain strains of bacteria. In this case, there are 20 different ones, which ensure that the intestinal flora is rebalanced.
PS: I also recently had my intestinal flora tested - you can read the results here: "How does an intestinal flora analysis test really work?“
What you must not eat before the colonoscopy
Now I'll tell you what you can and can't eat. And then my diet plan before the colonoscopy comes into play. In it, I'll tell you the recipes.
Basically, the rule is: low-fiber and light food that can be digested without problems.
No Gos
- Fruits and vegetables with seeds (kiwi, grapes, tomatoes, etc.)
- Fruit and vegetables with peel e.g. apple, pea, legumes
- Leaf lettuce, spinach, onion, bell bell pepper, onion and anything that may interfere with colonoscopy vision.
- High-fiber foods (muesli, whole-grain bread)
- Herbs of all kinds
- Seeds, nuts and seeds of all kinds
- Flatulent foods such as legumes, garlic, onion, cabbage.
- Dairy products are taboo 2 days before colonoscopy
Important: Avoid grainy foods
Waivers three to four days before the appointment on Food, the Grain from muesli and bread to tomatoes, kiwis and grapes. It often takes a long time for the body to excrete them all. They therefore remain in the intestine for a while and hinder the examination.
It can even happen that the endoscope is blocked by the grains and the informative value of the examination is limited. The result: you have to have another colonoscopy. 😯☝️
No dietary fiber on the days before colonoscopy
Your diet before the colonoscopy may shortly before no dietary fiber more. The rule of thumb is "only eat easily digestible food two days before". You can find fiber in whole grains, vegetables (especially uncooked and in large quantities) and fruit peels.
Vegetables such as spinach, asparagus or legumes are very unfavorable because they contain so much fiber. Leave out such foods, as well as grains.
What can you eat before your colonoscopy? More than you think. Don't worry - we'll take a closer look now.
What can I eat before the colonoscopy?
- Bread and rolls: White bread, rolls and rusks.
- Spreads: Jam without seeds and skins like apricot or peach. Jellies, honey, chocolate spread (yes!)
- Inserts: white rice, noodles, potatoes
- Meat and fish: Chicken, turkey and fish without skin
- Vegetables: Always cooked and peeled. Carrots, zucchini, kohlrabi, broccoli.
- Fruit: Bananas, peeled: Apples, pears, nectarine, apricot, peach. Grapes without seeds.
- Other: Yogurt, pudding, cottage cheese, ice cream, sweets without nuts or grains, salt sticks, chips.
- Spices: Ground into powder, you can eat all spices.
Drinking before colonoscopy
Drinking clear and light liquids is always allowed. However, the day before you should drink herbal teas and water at most. Make sure you drink enough liquids, especially when you take the laxative.
Until two days before the examination are allowed:
- Mineral water, herbal tea and water
- Until the afternoon of the day before: coffee, milk, cocoa, vegetable drinks such as oat drink, black tea, green tea.
- Juices without high acid content and without fiber - always diluted - e.g. multi-fruit juice, ACE, blackcurrant, cherry juice, apple juice, vegetable juices
- Clear broth without herbs
If there is one thing I would like to recommend to you, it is the book Intestine with charm: All about an underestimated organ by Giulia Enders. As you read, you will learn so many connections between food, digestion, wellness and health. It was eye opening for me in so many ways. It's also very fun entertaining to read and a good evening read.
The great meal plan before colonoscopy + recipe ideas
5 days until examination
Breakfast: White flour pancakes with banana and jam
Noon: Clear vegetable stock with noodles (without herbs!), round grain rice with carrots, zucchinis, tomato puree and paprika powder
Evening: Bread roll with honey, yogurt with jam and banana made into a smoothie
4 days until examination
Breakfast: Rolls with cheese and quark spread (with salt and paprika powder)
Noon: Pasta with tomato purée refined with salt, pepper and curry powder
Evening: Clear vegetable broth with pasta, peeled zucchinis (small zucchinis without seeds), fish fried with curry powder in olive oil
3 days until the examination
Breakfast: Toast with butter, rusk with jam, a peeled apple
Noon: Noodle soup, skinless fish fillet with boiled potatoes and boiled carrots
Evening: Bread roll with honey and a peeled pear
2 days until the examination
Breakfast: Yoghurt with banana, peeled apple and seedless grapes
Noon: Clear vegetable broth with noodles, toast with cheese
Evening: Vegetable broth, pasta with tomato sauce and fish fillet
1 day until examination
Things get serious the day before the examination. Now it's time fast! The menu before the colonoscopy is not exactly the highlight. But luckily it will soon be over from now on 🙂
Breakfast: Toast and rusk with jam and honey
Noon: Clear vegetable stock without garnish
Evening: Clear vegetable broth with no added ingredients + part 1 laxative. When you start drinking the laxative depends on which one is prescribed for you.
Against hunger help broth, herbal tea or sweets.
What can I eat right before the colonoscopy?
You must fast before the colonoscopy. Your day is now characterized by water, tea and laxatives. Until two hours before the Investigation you may drink - After that, the same applies here: fasting.
If you can't stand it any longer because you're so hungry, take a sip of light lemonade or highly diluted apple juice. Close your eyes and go! After the colonoscopy you can treat yourself to something tasty - just keep that in mind, it helped me enormously. I already knew exactly what I was going to treat myself to.
These are the most important preventive examinations for women!
Common questions you're probably asking yourself about food, too
Is cheese allowed before colonoscopy?
Yes, you can eat cheese before the examination. Up to two days before the colonoscopy, cheese is allowed on white bread. You can choose between soft cheese, hard cheese and cream cheese. If you like, you can also eat a little butter with it. But please note: Do not toast the white bread!
Are eggs allowed before colonoscopy?
You can eat fried eggs and hard-boiled eggs up to two days before the colonoscopy. However, avoid coarse pepper or herbs such as chives. You can also eat pasta, peeled potatoes, yogurt, quark and fish. Dairy products are allowed before the examination.
What is clear broth before the intestinal specimen?
Clear broths are all soups, without any ingredients. They should also not contain herbs, cream or vegetables. You can prepare a clear broth from fresh vegetables, which you can then set aside and eat after the procedure. A Recipe for clear vegetable soup you can find here. Clear power broths can be prepared vegan or with meat - only you must not eat the meat before the examination, of course.
Why no chocolate before colonoscopy?
Some doctors recommend avoiding dark foods and drinks from the afternoon before the examination. Classics for this are coffee, black tea and dark juices. But also chocolate. They are all suspected of restricting vision during the examination.
If in doubt, ask your doctor again or simply abstain from the food for 4 days. You will see that it tastes twice as good after the examination.
At what point can I eat something after the examination?
After the colonoscopy, you can eat without restrictions as soon as you feel well enough. Unless the doctor tells you otherwise. It is best to ask directly before the examination. That way you can get through the whole procedure better with thoughts of good food.
What I treated myself to after the bowel examination:
- A cream of pumpkin soup
- A vegetable lasagna with green salad
- and an avocado chocolate mousse
Yes, I know, I could have taken a more relaxed and less hearty approach. But I was so hungry 😅
Tip: Prepare your food!
After the examination you will be tired and not feel completely fit. The anesthesia only wears off slowly - if you want to know more, read about it here "This is how my colonoscopy went!“
I therefore cooked my food before the actual preparation and froze it. I took it out of the freezer in the morning and let it defrost - so it was ready for me to eat straight after the bowel examination.
Stimulate your digestion with these tips!
My conclusion
The menu before the colonoscopy is not boring at all. You can eat as much as you want until you're full. What I've captured here is a plan I created with my doctor and in research. I hope you were able to find some clues and recipe ideas!
Good luck and good health!
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