The very first question and an important one after having a colonoscopy is what you should eat after it? Nothing is stopping you from having cravings but your health. You have a life to satisfy your taste buds but consider your health first.
Do not take any bland food after colonoscopy. Take plenty of drinks to overcome the dehydration, soft fruits, and vegetables for easy digestion. Take a protein diet to add nutrients to the body as well.
You need to spare a moment for yourself and see what the best thing you should eat after colonoscopy and add to your colonoscopy recovery diet.
What Is Colonoscopy?
Colonoscopy is the internal procedure of the colon, part of the large intestine, and rectum to diagnose any abnormal tissues or to screen colorectal cancer. In a colonoscopy, an expert doctor inserts a long thin tube with a camera on the top to observe inner problems (1).
Also Read: What to Eat Before Colonoscopy? A Complete Diet Plan
When and Why You Need Colonoscopy?
In the colonoscopy procedure, the doctor carefully takes the internal picture by opening your intestine with air and examines it. If he finds any abnormal outgrowths, he cuts them. By doing so, you get free from cancer-causing lesions.
Generally, colonoscopy is routine screening for people above 50 years of age. If there is no risk of cancer, the next test should be in ten years, but if some adenomas are removed, then you must undergo the next procedure in five to ten years (2).
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_2″]Foods to Eat After A Colonoscopy
No spices, hard, and junk food!
After the colonoscopy, you have to eat what your gentle body can tolerate. As your digestive system has undergone an exhausting procedure, you have to give it time to recover.
If you are worried about how long you can eat after a colonoscopy, then you must be relaxed as there is no need to starve for so long. You are allowed to eat after a few hours of the procedure but with proper care.
There are some easy to digest and light foods that you can add to your diet and eat as the first meal after colonoscopy.
Here is the list of foods and drinks that you can have after this procedure.
Drinks
- Water
- Fresh juices
- Herbal tea
- Skimmed milk
Fruits
- Peach
- Apple
- Banana
- Melon
Vegetables
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Pumpkin
Protein diet
- Whitefish
- Eggs
- Skinless chicken
- Plain pasta
Other Foods
- Soup
- Applesauce
- Toast or bread
- White rice
Colonoscopy Recovery Diet
Can I Drink Water After Colonoscopy?
Drinking water after colonoscopy helps to regain your hydration level. You should drink water as it will also keep your bowel relaxed and smooth to pass any food you consume. So, don’t undervalue water intake and add it to your daily routine.
How Much Water Should You Take After Colonoscopy?
More water is for your more rehydration. You should continue to drink plenty of water (about 1 to 2 liters) when awake after the procedure and feel your body ready to accept any liquid.
How Does Water Help in Recovering After Colonoscopy?
Oral solutions are given in the prep of colonoscopy that leads to dehydration. Water will help to maintain your body fluid balance and keep the body hydrated (3).
Can I Drink Fresh Juices After Colonoscopy?
Yes, you can drink fresh juices as they contain electrolytes and are rich in vitamins and minerals. You should take pulp-free clear juices after colonoscopy as they will relieve the digestive system from digesting extra fibers, and it will be beneficial for you.
Pulp free apple and non-citrus fruit juices are best to have in your colonoscopy recovery diet.
How Much Fresh Juice Should You Take After Colonoscopy?
You can take 1 glass of fresh juice, either of fruits or vegetables, in breakfast, lunch, or your dinner (4).
How Does Fresh Juices Help in Recovering After Colonoscopy?
In addition to electrolytes, your body also needs sugar, and fresh juices contain natural sugar rather than artificial sweeteners.
A glass of juice squeezed from many fruits and vegetables give more nutrients than whole fruits and vegetables (5).
Also Read: What to do When You are Still Pooping Morning of Colonoscopy?
Can I Eat Apple After Colonoscopy?
Eating apples after colonoscopy is healthy for you as they are rich in fiber that is essential to take. A healthy key to eat apples after colonoscopy is that make sure you take very soft and peeled apples to minimize any discomfort.
So, make your diet full of nutrition and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_2″]How Many Apples Should You Eat After Colonoscopy?
You should eat 1 to 2 medium-sized soft apples after colonoscopy. At the start, you may take 2 apples, but if you feel uncomfortable, start eating 1 apple a day.
How Does Apples Help in Recovering After Colonoscopy?
Apples have a high fiber content that prevents constipation, so it would be beneficial for you to take apples for a speedy recovery after colonoscopy (6).
Apples are also full of energy.
Can I Eat Banana After Colonoscopy?
Yes, you can take bananas after colonoscopy without any doubt. No fruit can beat their softness plus energy package so, take fresh and fully ripe bananas or mash to make them fully soft. In this way, your body will easily get benefits from the sugary soft banana pulp.
How Many Bananas Should You Eat After Colonoscopy?
1 to 2 mashed bananas per day are enough after colonoscopy as one banana will give 110 calories and 15 grams of natural sugar (7). You may add it to your mid-day meal but avoid taking in dinner.
How Does Bananas Help in Recovering After Colonoscopy?
Bananas help in proper digestion and prevent ulcers and constipation.
Bananas also contain dietary fiber that is good to keep your bowel healthy for recovery after colonoscopy (8).
Also Read: How to Avoid Vomiting During Colonoscopy Prep?
Can I Eat Potatoes After Colonoscopy?
Mashed potatoes are the most stomach-friendly food. Eating potatoes are the best to have as your first meal after colonoscopy as your body is demanding easy to digest and healthy food. So, you should add potatoes to your recovery diet and feel better.
How Many Potatoes Should You Eat After Colonoscopy?
You can eat 1 medium-sized mashed potato after colonoscopy as it will give 40 mg of vitamin C in addition to a huge amount of iron and fiber to the body (9).
How Does Potatoes Help in Recovering After Colonoscopy?
Potatoes contain butyrate that is helpful to reduce colon inflammation and minimizes the risk of colorectal cancer after colonoscopy (10).
Potatoes are also rich in minerals and vitamins.
Can I Eat Carrots After Colonoscopy?
Yes, carrots are one of the best foods to eat after colonoscopy, as boiled or steamed carrots give you a healthy diet option. You can add deep boiled carrots in your mid-day salad platter or can eat whenever you want to make energy back up.
How Many Carrots Should You Eat After Colonoscopy?
1 medium or 2 small sized chopped and boiled carrots would be enough for you to have at a time after your colonoscopy.
How Does Carrot Help in Recovering After Colonoscopy?
Carrots are fat-free and give you the best option as you have to avoid fatty foods after a colonoscopy (11).
Carrots are also perfectly amazing for your bowel health due to their rich dietary content (12).
Can I Eat Egg After Colonoscopy?
Yes, eggs are part of a balanced diet, and you should take them after a colonoscopy. You can eat scrambled eggs the day after your procedure without adding any spices to prevent any irritation to the digestive tract.
You will also see eggs boost your energy level.
How Many Eggs Should You Eat After Colonoscopy?
2 scrambled eggs would be enough for you after colonoscopy as they give high nutritional quality food options and empower your digestive tract to beat various diseases.
How Do Eggs Help in Recovering After Colonoscopy?
Eggs are rich in high-quality protein that gives an overall nutritious effect on the body (13).
Eggs also give plenty of minerals and vitamins.
Also, read about Colonoscopy Prep: Liquid Stool Still Brown – What to do?
Can I Eat White Fish After Colonoscopy?
Yes, you can eat white fish colonoscopy. As white fish is quite soft and your digestive system can easily accept it. Fish not only fulfills your nutritional demands but also satisfies your taste buds.
So, you can enjoy it even after colonoscopy, but try to keep it spices free.
How Much Whitefish Should You Eat After Colonoscopy?
You can take 1 medium fish serving after colonoscopy and take it in the steamed form, not as fry fish.
How Does Whitefish Help in Recovering After Colonoscopy?
Fish protects you from various types of cancers, so you must add it to your colonoscopy recovery diet (14).
Fish is also good for you as it gives good proteins.
Can I Take Soup After Colonoscopy?
Yes, you can take soup after the colonoscopy due to its good nutritional content. It gives you an option to take fluid food in your colonoscopy recovery diet. Make your soup bowl a tasty, wholesome food!
How Much Soup Should You Eat After Colonoscopy?
A cup or a small bowl serving of soup would give you a healthy amount of nutrients after colonoscopy. Do not make it peppery.
How Does Soup Help in Recovering After Colonoscopy?
Soup gives you a healthier diet as it is a full package of quality protein, vitamins, and minerals (15).
Soup is fluid food, and you can easily take it.
Can I Eat Bread After Colonoscopy?
You can take white bread following a colonoscopy as it is soft, and your body can handle it quite easily. Bread will also soothe your stomach as it is easy to digest. You can also have toasts with eggs in breakfast to have a full of soft energy food.
How Much Bread Should You Eat After Colonoscopy?
You can take 2-3 toasts of white bread as they give you the energy to reboot your daily potential.
How Does Bread Help in Recovering After Colonoscopy?
Bread gives you the full dietary nutrients that your body needs (16).
Bread also gives nutrients and energy.
Also Read: How Clear Should Stool Be For Colonoscopy?
What Is the Best Thing to Eat After A Colonoscopy?
If I summarize and tell the best thing to eat after colonoscopy, I would suggest boiled or well-steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes.
They will do best for you as boiling breaks down the fiber and mashing make potatoes pre-digested before having in your platter. So, instead of digging hard and tasty foods at the start, add this light but healthy food to your colonoscopy recovery diet.
Can I Drink Coffee After Colonoscopy?
Drinking coffee after colonoscopy is not good as it may cause more dehydration leading to severe constipation. Your body is not able to bear this after colonoscopy, so try to avoid it for a day or two and have coffee after that.
If you want a healthy body with active digestion, you must follow the best diet care for early recovery.
What Not to Eat After A Colonoscopy?
Colonoscopy is a procedure of an hour or less, but your body experiences much. You should recognize which food is good and dangerous like you cannot pizza after colonoscopy for one to two weeks to come up with a daily routine.
There are certain things unhealthy, and you should avoid eating. Do not add these foods to your meal for some days until your body fits and digests all foods easily.
Here are the foods and drinks you should avoid after a colonoscopy.
- Red or processed meat
- Brown rice
- Legumes
- High sugar foods
- Alcohol
- Raw vegetables
- Spices
- Hard skin fruits
- French fries
- Baked products
- Fatty food
- Fast food
- Desserts
Also Read: How to Know if Bowels are Empty for Colonoscopy
You are just like my family, and I am your nutritionist the same way I am of my parents. I will never suggest a meal that goes against your health. As I do not allow my family to make a missed shot with the food, I will choose the same for you. Read More About Me…
Thank you, very helpful.
I am glad that you liked the effort.
can you eat grilled cheese after colonoscopy?
Hi Robinson, you can eat a limited amount of dairy products. However, it is not a best practice. You have all the time on earth to eat your favorite cheese when you are fit and healthy.
I found this article extremely helpful (although I laughed at the bowel of soup…typo? 🙂
How long do you recommend this diet after a colonscopy? 1 day? 1 week? longer? I’d like to start some better, healthier eating habits and see this as a helpful start — but I do like red meat (and wine 🙂 Should they be off the table forever?
You have to follow this diet plan for at least three days after colonoscopy. Your diet also depends on the extent of the procedure, like if you have polyps removed, you have to be more careful and take a soft diet at least for a week. Rest, you can add butter in your plan after one day and wait for one week for red meat and wine. (Thank you for pointing out the typo mistake. It is resolved. I highly appreciate that you pointed out that tiny typo 🙂 )
Make your soup bowel a tasty, wholesome food! You had me till that line
Thank you so much. We are really glad that you liked our effort 🙂
Hello thanks for this article…I have a wedding the day after a colonoscopy (a long wedding six hours, unfortunately its an NHS appointment and they can’t change it, I need to get it done with in a certain time limit and its a really good friends wedding :…bad timing..:-().
Looking at the food menu at the wedding, am not sure what to eat. Will avoid red meat and go for the fish option.
But starters:
Can choose between 1. roasted purple artichokes with broad beans and mushrooms, or 2. a crab tart with picked kohlrabi…bit of a mine field…
I suppose I could pick option 1 and not eat the beans…and suggestion?
Already decided that I will drink alcohol but be sensible and alternate drinks with water/soft drinks…
Hello, thank you for the appreciation; it is better that you follow the guide that we have created as this is the perfect thing we have done to serve people like you. The wedding is important but do you think it is more important than your own health? Of course not. Nothing is important than one’s health, so we prefer you should eat only the mentioned foods. Also, try downloading our free ebook as well, which is more detailed, and you will surely find a couple of other options in it as well if you are lucky enough. Stay safe.
What about Diet Coke please don’t tell me a week
We don’t recommend anything else other than what already we have mentioned in this blog. This is the best ever plan that you could possibly read anywhere.
How long do you need to keep diet after colonoscopy?
We recommend at least for a week.
Is gluten free bread good to eat after colonoscopy? Thank you
Hi Suzanne, we recommend white bread or toast.
Can you eat oven baked potato crisps or chips?
Hi Matt, we only recommend mashed potatoes.
What are your recommendations for replacing all the healthy gut flora that was wiped away from the bowel prep.
Any suggestions would be appreciated
Hi Marissa, our nutritionists recommend eating foods rich in prebiotics like yogurt, legumes, oats, bananas, and asparagus. Let us know if want to know anything else.
Hi I had a colonoscopy this week ,on day 2 afterwards I had a small ham salad,which bloated me up & gave me awful pain ,which I still have ,Will this go with careful eating ,I did have polyps removed ,I am worried & would love your advice
Yes, it will go away with clean eating. Try to drink green tea. It will help with bloating.
Hi dad is 75 years old. His polyps removed .2 weeks ago. . He is vegetarian. What he would to eat that help him on his diet to fast recovery . Can cooked pulses can eat .
Hi. Your dad can have oatmeal, applesauce, white bread, pudding, mashed potatoes, and vegetable soup/broth. He must be on the road to recovery after 2 weeks of surgery but still need to be cautious about his diet. If he wants to eat pulses, then start with split red or black lentils and see if it suits him. If not, then it is better to wait for a week or two before starting lentils.
Very helpful indeed
I’ve a colonoscopy on 4th July. Really worried about it.
Reassuring and enlightening information.
Thank you
Do not worry and follow the pre-procedure diet. Everything will turn out to be good.
Hi Thank you for your article. It is so helpful. My husband had his colonoscopy on 11/15/22. A mass was discovered. I now realize that we have been following this menu before I found this wonderful sight. Should the soup be broth and vegetable only. Because I have been making my own chicken broth by boiling chicken. I have been leaving the chicken in the soup but we have been eating the soft boiled chicken without skin or fat. Is this ok?
If the chicken is soft enough that it is digesting well then there is no harm in taking chicken without skin and fat. Just remember to avoid tough, chewy meat that is hard-to-digest.
My husband is Caribbean and boiled green banas and plantains are much loved. Can he have boiled green bananas and/or boiled plantains after the colonoscopy? And are they nutritious or beneficial in restoring got and colon health?
Yes, your husband can enjoy both delicacies as they are nutrient-rich foods packed with loads of fiber that actually helps in digestion. But avoid recipes that involve frying anything.