Recently went through an Endoscopy procedure, and now you are wondering what to eat after the Endoscopy procedure ends?
Consume small meals consisting of soft, readily digested foods such as soups, eggs, liquids, jell-0, apple juice, pudding, and applesauce after Endoscopy. You must abstain from alcohol for at least 24 hours following your procedure.
An endoscopy is a relatively safe treatment with minimal potential consequences. However, knowing what to eat after an endoscopy is critical to avoid complications.
In this article, I go over a detailed post-endoscopy diet plan that will assist you in making the right food choices after getting home from the procedure.
Foods to Eat After Endoscopy
To get ready for the procedure, you must know what to eat after an endoscopy to have the appropriate foods at your disposal. Soft and readily digestible meals should be consumed following an endoscopic procedure. Thus, you can eat these foods after your endoscopy procedure:
- Soup
- Eggs
- Pudding
- Applesauce
- Juice
- Jell-O
- Yogurt
- Mashed Potatoes
- Scrambled Eggs
- Soft Sandwich
- Smoothie
- Bone Broth
After an endoscopy, you should refrain from eating or drinking anything until your throat is no longer painful. Patients should wait approximately an hour or two before having something to eat or drink. One should begin with small sips of water to check if there is any difficulty in swallowing.
When you begin eating again, you should consume small, frequent meals that are light throughout the next 24-48 hours. Once you feel like you’ve regained your regular state, you can return to your regular diet.
You must refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages for 24 hours following your endoscopic procedure. When alcohol is used with sedation, the sedative effect is likely to be enhanced(1).
When to Eat Food After Endoscopy?
When you get home, your hunger will most likely be even greater than it was in the hospital.
You must maintain your calm at this point. You do not want anything that may cause difficulties, so take a very light meal consisting of soft foods.
If it is still early in the morning when you come home, have a light breakfast. Depending on when you arrive home, it might also be a very light lunch.
Heavy meals will put a strain on your stomach and digestive system. So, choose your meals wisely. Avoid fried and fatty foods.
Taking heavy meals causes problems after endoscopy. Keep your meals light for few days after the procedure, and your recovery will become easy.
Fresh apple juice, popsicles, and Jell-O are recommended choices to enjoy after at least 2 hours of the procedure. They not only soothe the throat but make the transition to eating more solid foods easier.
Can You Eat Scrambled Eggs After Endoscopy?
After an endoscopy, scrambled eggs are a delicious and nutritious meal to have. Scrambled eggs make a nice option for not only breakfast but also for lunch or dinner.
How Scrambled Eggs Helps in Healing After Endoscopy?
Scrambled eggs are a great source of protein and include 13 vital elements, making them a complete meal. These nutrients aid the body’s healing from sickness or surgery by reducing inflammation(2).
Can You Eat Applesauce After Endoscopy?
While it is preferable to avoid crunchy fruits such as apples and chewy fruits such as pineapple after the endoscopic procedure, applesauce makes a healthy alternative to have after the procedure.
How does Applesauce help in Healing After Endoscopy?
You won’t be able to consume most fruits after surgery or an endoscopy procedure. Unsweetened applesauce is a suitable alternative. It offers the nutrients you require from fruits and vegetables in a form that is simple to chew and digest.
Can You drink Smoothie After Endoscopy?
A cool smoothie drink helps to relieve a sore throat after endoscopy. To alleviate sore throats or any other symptom associated with endoscopy, I recommend having a smoothie in a slight runny form. Keep it cold and fruity, and you’ll be fine.
How does Smoothie help in Healing After Endoscopy?
The vitamins, minerals, carbs, and protein included in a fruit-and-vegetable-packed smoothie with Greek Yogurt are excellent energy sources at any time of day after getting an endoscopy.
Nutritional supplements such as vitamin C and protein found in fruit and vegetable smoothies are extremely beneficial for wound healing(3).
Can You Eat Mashed Potatoes After Endoscopy?
Mashed potatoes are recommended after endoscopy. They are delicious and soothing as well.
Make sure to make a velvety mash. Chunky mashed potatoes can irritate a sore throat.
How Mashed Potatoes Helps in Healing After Endoscopy?
Mashed potatoes are high in calories and nutrients, both of which are necessary for healing(4). This is because people require somewhat more energy following any surgical procedure.
Mashed potatoes provide many nutrients and energy in only a few bites(5), which is ideal if you struggle to eat enough meals after endoscopy.
Can You Eat Yogurt After Endoscopy?
Yogurt is a high-protein and nutritious food that you can enjoy after endoscopy(6). Its smooth and creamy texture may aid in relaxing your throat.
How does Yogurt help in Healing After Endoscopy?
Yogurt contains healthy bacteria, i.e., probiotics, which your body requires to digest food, promote a healthy gut, and fight off all the viruses and illnesses that might occur during a hospital stay or endoscopic procedure.
Can You Eat Jell-O After Endoscopy?
Jell-O is believed to be a clear liquid food. It is recommended to consume when you start eating after endoscopy. It is a wise choice to reduce throat inflammation after the procedure.
How does Jell-O help in Healing After Endoscopy?
Jell-O is made up of gelatin that has anti-inflammatory properties. Gelatin is derived from collagen of animal bones that speeds up wound healing after surgical procedures (7).
Can You Eat Pudding After Endoscopy?
If you have a sweet craving, pudding is a fantastic post-endoscopy dessert to enjoy after your procedure. It is a type of soft food that is most healthy when consumed in combination with milk and fruit.
How does Pudding help in Healing After Endoscopy?
Pudding with milk is a wholesome food that contains all the essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin, and potassium. All these essential vitamins and minerals help in healing faster after endoscopy.
Can You Have Soup After Endoscopy?
Blended soups, such as tomato or pumpkin soup, are ideal to eat after endoscopy. They are safe to swallow and do not contain any pieces that might irritate the surgical site.
How does Soup help in Healing After Endoscopy?
Soups include a lot of vitamins and minerals. When you cannot consume a lot of whole fruits and veggies after endoscopy, this helps you meet the daily dietary guidelines.
Blended soups can also help you stay hydrated, which is critical following endoscopic procedures.
Can You Eat Popsicles After Endoscopy?
Popsicles are frozen sweet that melt into a fluid and assist in soothing the throat after endoscopy. For the healthiest popsicle soother, make your own or look for whole-fruit, no-sugar-added choices.
How do Popsicles help in Healing After Endoscopy?
It can be challenging to maintain a healthy fluid intake when swallowing becomes a challenge after endoscopy. Popsicles help to make the post-endoscopic period a more pleasant experience.
Can You Have Bone Broth After Endoscopy?
Bone broth is a great source of nutrition following endoscopy and is encouraged to have after any surgical procedure. They are not only delicious but also provide a variety of vitamins and minerals to the body.
How does Bone Broth help in Healing After Endoscopy?
Bone broth contains collagen, which aids in tissue regeneration and healing after endoscopy. These broths provide both vitamins and minerals that promote healing after the procedure(8).
7 Days Diet Plan After Endoscopy
When prepping for an endoscopy, your food will be restricted, and you will be instructed not to eat anything on the day of your examination.
This implies you will be pretty hungry following the endoscopic procedure. You might be tempted to grab anything available to eat.
However, this is not recommended. Regardless of how hungry you are, your system will not be able to manage a heavy meal right after the surgical treatment.
You must understand precisely what you are eating after endoscopy. Your food must contain all the vital nutrients to recover from the surgical procedure.
Get home before you eat so you know exactly what you’re eating. Avoid exposing your digestive system to anything that might irritate it after a procedure such as an endoscopy.
Helping the patient receive enough nourishment after endoscopy is a crucial aspect of the therapy. This is to prevent complications caused by food or fluids going into the lungs. A specific diet is, without a doubt, required for this.
A soft and easy-to-digest diet is allowed for the first few days following the endoscopic procedure. A soft diet helps in making the transition to a solid diet easier.
I have developed a 7-days diet plan for your convenience to follow after your endoscopy.
If your procedure is scheduled for 9 a.m., you should begin this diet at 11 a.m.
You must start drinking small sips of water after 2 hours of the procedure. Then move on to juice and other liquid diets. When you start feeling better, move on to foods such as toast, sandwiches, and scrambled eggs. You can start eating normally again once felt better.
For the first week following the surgery, a low-fat diet is suggested to decrease the risk of stomach distress and other digestive issues.
Hydration is the key. Water is essential to maintain body functions. You must drink 6 to 8 cups of liquid after getting your endoscopic procedure done.
Soft Foods to Eat After Endoscopy
In most cases, patients who are properly prepared for their procedure have a more comfortable and faster recovery. I would suggest that the patient prepare ahead of time by purchasing soft food items before endoscopy.
Listed below are some examples of soft foods to eat after endoscopy:
- Hearty Soups (cream of asparagus, lentil, spinach, or pumpkin)
- Juice (cranberry, apple, grape) avoid citrus juice for a few days
- Soft Fruit (mashed banana)
- Jell-O
- Applesauce
- Popsicles
- Yogurt (soft or frozen)
- Cottage Cheese
- Pudding and Custard
- Ice Cream
- Fruit Smoothies or Protein Shakes
- Oatmeal
- Eggs (scrambled, soft boiled, or poached)
- Mashed Potatoes
- Boiled rice
Remember that it is critical to maintaining nutritional status for the body to heal at its optimum capacity. As a result, select soft foods that are high in nutritional value rather than unhealthy ones.
Can You Eat Solid Food After Endoscopy?
You can not eat solid food right after the endoscopy. One must wait for at least 4-5 days before starting a proper solid diet after endoscopy.
Can I Eat Toast After Endoscopy?
After 2 hours of endoscopic procedures, you can have toast and soft bread. When you’re looking for something light to eat following an endoscopy, toast and sandwiches are suitable options.
Can I Eat Oatmeal After Endoscopy?
The day after your endoscopy, you can consume oatmeal as a healthy meal or snack. Keep your tummy as light as possible on the day of the procedure to avoid any complications. Have a simple bowl of oats for breakfast the next day to get your day started.
Can I Eat Rice After Endoscopy?
It is OK to have mashed parboiled rice the day following your endoscopic procedure. When you feel like your body is back to normal, you may gradually resume your regular diet in small portions.
Can I Eat Banana After Endoscopy?
You can enjoy mashed bananas following an endoscopy. Start with a little quantity and observe if it causes any gas difficulties. If it does not, you may enjoy eating your favorite food.
Can I Drink Milk After Endoscopy?
Unless your doctor instructs you differently, you can consume milk following an endoscopic procedure.
The endoscopic process may cause you to experience some bloating afterward because some air is trapped in your stomach during the examination. In this situation, your doctor may prevent you from having milk.
What to Take Away?
An endoscopy is a vital diagnostic tool in the treatment of many diseases. Follow the guidelines provided by your care team to ensure that you can have your procedure performed as scheduled.
Additionally, to ensure that you are comfortable during your recovery, be sure to follow the above-mentioned dietary recommendations after your endoscopic procedure.
Do not ignore any significant pain or discomfort you experience following an endoscopy treatment. Call your physician straight away for the proper medical treatment.
Ensure to rest and take it easy for the first few days following the surgery to avoid any complications. Do not overlook the importance of soft foods explained above.
If you have any further questions, please post them in the comments section. I will be more than delighted to assist you in any way I possibly can.
A nutrition degree holder and a foodie by heart, Madiha Saad loves to inspire people through her writings and uses her knowledge and experience to write articles on trending nutrition topics. She loves to develop new recipes in her pastime. Read More…
Hi there, I had an upper endoscopy and biopsies done yesterday afternoon. I have been following your meal guidelines, but breaking them down a bit so that I am eating more frequently throughout the day. I was just wondering if I HAD to follow this guide for a full week or if I could slowly start incorporating more solid foods like a bagel with cream cheese and some soft chicken and chewing thoroughly starting tomorrow? I work full time as a performer and need the energy from the nutrients – however I also do not want to distress my stomach – I just feel like a week may be quite a long time to stay on a soft foods diet.
Also I am young – 20 years old, and have not had any parts of my stomach removed, my doctor did not make any recommendations to me, so I am really just left scrambling and stressed about what I can and cannot consume over the next day or two.
Thanks
Hi, it is recommended that you follow the diet plan given in this post because it will help your healing process to speed up and will avoid any kind of complications. I hope it helps.
Can you eat a banana nut muffin (deleting the nuts) after an endoscopy?
Nuts should be avoided for at least a week following an endoscopy. You can have a banana muffin, but you can’t have any nuts in it.
When can I have milk in coffee after an endoscopy. A pancreatic stent was inserted and will be removed in one month
After the first week, you should feel well enough to consume low-fat milk and gradually increase your food intake to a regular level.
It has been a week since my endoscopy can I eat fresh grapefruit?
It shouldn’t be a problem to returning to your normal diet after one week of endoscopy. If, however, eating grapefruit makes your throat feel itchy, you should hold off for a few more days. If that isn’t the case, then having it isn’t a problem at all.
Can I have some pasts or rice with a little butter on a soft diet, Had aupper
GI on 8/26/22 am.
And eggs?
Yes, eggs are a an excellent source to provide nutrition after upper GI Endoscopy.
Its already been 10 days to your procedure. Therefore, white rice, pasta, and butter are acceptable for a soft diet.