Plant-Based Colonoscopy Prep Made Easy: A Dietitian’s Guide

Note: This post is for educational purposes only. I am potentially not your dietitian and DEFINITELY not a GI doctor. Please follow your GI provider’s instructions for prep.

I consider colonoscopy prep to have 3 phases:

• the low residue/low fiber diet for ~3-7 days,
• the liquid diet for 1-2 days,
• and the optional (but helpful!) post procedure recovery diet for a variable amount of days, but typically 1-3 days.

Colonoscopy prep overview:

In all 3 phases, the recommended amount of fiber will typically be lower than what you are used to as a plant-based person. For example, I average ~50 grams of fiber/day, but on day 1 of the low residue day I try to at least halve this amount and by the day before the liquid day I try to be at under 10 grams of fiber and ideally under 5 grams.

So why a low fiber/low residue diet for 3-7 days? While fiber is AMAZING for digestive health, it likes to hang out for a long time in your colon and these fibrous foods can potentially mask areas of your colon your GI doctor is trying to view during the colonoscopy to check for polyps, cancer, or inflammation. But are you being asked to eat foods you don’t always or ever eat-maybe! But this is temporary and you can do it!

And if you’re getting an colonoscopy don’t you want your GI doctor to be able to see everything clearly? Plus, if there’s too much reside in your colon your GI doctor may have to cancel your procedure and no one wants to go through prep again in a short time frame if they don’t have to! Also, the less food that has to move through your colon on prep day the easier your prep will be-trust me on this! 🙈

Plant-based low residue/ low fiber food ideas:

• Carbohydrates: puffed rice cereal, corn flakes, oyster crackers, saltine crackers white bread, white bread bagels, animal crackers, pretzels, cream of wheat, white pasta, white rice, vegan graham crackers, and vegan cookies/ pastries (w/o nuts/seeds/dried fruit)

• Proteins: tofu, seitan, vegan protein shakes, soy or pea milk, creamy nut/seed butters, and vegan yogurt without fruit pieces

• Healthy fats: creamy nut or seed butters, olive oil, avocado oil, and vegan cheese

• Colors: canned pears, canned peaches, banana, applesauce, and white potatoes

• Condiments: soy sauce, tamari sauce, maple syrup, vegan sugar, vegan brown sugar, and plant-based butter

• Beverages/other: soy milk or other vegan milk, vegan yogurt (without fruit pieces), Italian ice, popsicles, ginger ale, sparkling water, and clear soup broths

Sample plant-based low residue/low fiber prep meal plan:

• Breakfast: cream of wheat with vegan brown sugar or maple syrup, topped with a banana, and a glass of soy milk

• Snack 1: vegan yogurt + low fiber vegan cereal, such as corn flakes

• Lunch: white bread bagel with creamy sunbutter or other creamy nut/seed butter + canned pears or peaches

• Snack 2: a serving of oyster crackers or other vegan crackers with vegan cheese

• Dinner: white rice + tofu or seitan sauted in soy or tamari sauce

• Snack 3: low fiber vegan cereal, such puffed rice cereal + soy milk

Plant-based colonoscopy prep liquid diet day:

On this day, the recommendation is to only have liquids up until, during, and after you do your liquid or pill colonoscopy prep until ~4 hours before your procedure where nothing is usually allowed by mouth. Most colonoscopy preps are a split dose where half is taken the evening before and half is taken ~6-8 hours before your scheduled procedure time. Staying hydrated and having a lot of electrolyte beverages is really important during this stage since colonoscopy prep is incredibly dehydrating.

If your procedure is after 12 pm, you may be allowed to have a small solid food meal before 9 or 10 am this day (the day before) with basically no fiber.

Some ideas if your GI doctor allows this:

• a serving of firm tofu,
• a serving of oyster crackers,
• a piece of white bread toast with vegan butter or plain,
• or a mini white bread bagel.

The key here is to keep it light/small because it has to come back out later this day if you know what I mean.

Plant-based colonoscopy prep liquid diet day ideas:

• Yellow or Glacier Cherry Gatorade (it’s white)
• Propel
• Yellow Italian ice (I like Luigi’s)
• Yellow popsicles
• Sparkling water
• Lots of plain water
• Ginger ale
• Spite
• 7-up
• Ginger tea
• Chamomile tea
• Peppermint tea
• Clear/see through vegan broths (although this is hard to find in stores truthfully). Some people have success getting a clear broth from a local pho restaurant or similar.

Post-colonoscopy recovery:

I wish before my first colonoscopy, as someone that gets them essentially every year, was that someone told me I may not be that hungry later in the day after the procedure or even the day(s) after. I also wish it had been more explict that it might take a few days to have a bowel movement again post-procedure. You may also have temporary changes to your bowel movements post-procedure in general, but always talk to your GI doctor about any concerns.

I thought something was wrong with me when my appetite was low post procedure… If you decide to read the experience of others on the internet you will read stories of people getting a multiple course meal right after leaving the hospital! I want to be clear- if you have an appetite after the procedure- that’s great! But if you don’t that’s pretty common too. Prep and anesthesia can take a toll on the body!

No matter what, you do need to eat ASAP as you’ve essentially fasted from solid foods for anywhere from 24-48 hours.

I like to tell clients and myself that the best advice is to do a reverse low fiber/low residue diet. Introduce your usual higher fiber intake gradually. Maybe the rest of the day of your colonoscopy stick to blander/easier to digest foods and have extra liquids, incuding electrolyte beverages. The difference now is that aren’t any color restrictions, so feel free to grab that red or blue Gatorade!

I personally focused on cream of wheat with sunbutter, oyster crackers, bananas, white bread bagels, soy milk, Italian Ice, popsicles, and Gatorade after my most recent my afternoon colonoscopy. By 3 days after my procedure, I was reintroducing oatmeal with berries, cruciferous veggies, beans, and more!

Trust your body here and go slow! And feel proud of yourself that you went through the colonoscopy process to help keep yourself safe (by looking for polyps or cancer) and/or to figure our treatment options for symptoms you’ve been experiencing. It’s not easy, but you did it!

If you want to be able to access these tips easier on the go or to print them you can download a free pdf version of the tips here!

If you’re struggling to meet your nutritional needs before, during, or after colonoscopy prep as a plant-based person, athlete, or both fill out the contact form, or email amanda@amandawagnernutrition.com to learn more.

I’m in network with many Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Healthcare insurance plans + I have self-pay options if you have a different insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover dietitian visits. Most of my insurance clients have paid $0 out of pocket to work with me, which has been amazing! Please share your location when inquiring.

You do not have to wing it when it comes to your nutrition before, during, or after colonoscopy prep. I’m happy to help! 🙂