Colonoscopy Patient Food List - Three Days Before and One Day Before

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Hazel

Colonoscopy patient food list providing clear guidance on what to eat and what to avoid during the preparation period. The list is organized by food categories such as milk and dairy, bread and grains, meat, legumes, fruits, vegetables, fats and oils, soups, desserts, and beverages. It specifies permitted choices like refined-grain breads, plain crackers, certain cooked vegetables, and clear drinks, while advising avoidance of whole grains, seeds, nuts, skins, legumes, and high-fiber items. It also includes timing instructions for the day before the procedure, including a light lunch until 12 noon and clear fluids afterward.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Food and Drink (Three Days Before)

Food Categories and Allowed vs Avoided Items

One Day Before Preparation Rules

Breakfast and Light Lunch Until 12 Noon

Clear Fluids After 12 Noon

Three days before your colonoscopy Food and drink Please follow the list below only: | TYPE OF FOOD OR DRINK | YES—OK TO EAT THESE FOODS | NO—AVOID THESE FOODS | | --- | --- | --- | | Milk and dairy | OK to eat:
Milk – Drops in tea / coffee Cheese, including cottage cheese Yogurt – plain/natural | NO yogurt mixed with:
Nuts, seeds, granola
Fruit with skin or seeds (such as berries) | | Bread and grains | OK to eat:
Breads and grains made with refined white flour (including rolls, muffins, bagels, pasta) White rice
Plain crackers, such as Saltines Low-fiber cereal (including puffed rice, cream of wheat, corn flakes) | NO whole grains or high-fiber:
Brown or wild rice
Whole grain bread, rolls, pasta, or crackers
Whole grain or high-fiber cereal (including granola, raisin bran, oatmeal) Bread or cereal with nuts or seeds | | Meat | OK to eat:
Chicken – no skin Turkey – no skin
Fish and seafood – no skin Eggs
Tofu | NO tough meat with gristle or deep fried / grilled: | | Legumes | None allowed | NO:
Dried peas (including split or black-eyed) Dried beans (including kidney, pinto, garbanzo⁄chickpea)
Lentils
Any other legume | | Fruits | OK to eat:
Fruit juice without pulp Applesauce
Ripe cantaloupe and honeydew Ripe, peeled apricots and peaches Canned or cooked fruit without seeds or skin | NO seeds, skin, membranes; or dried fruit:
Raw fruit with seeds, skin, or membranes (includes berries, pineapple, apples, oranges, watermelon)
Raisins or other dried fruit
No canned pineapple | Food and drink reviewed: August 2017 Page 1 of 3 | TYPE OF FOOD OR DRINK | YES—OK TO EAT THESE FOODS | NO—AVOID THESE FOODS | | --- | --- | --- | | Vegetables | OK for some if cooked or canned:
Pumpkin squash – no skin Sweet potato- – no skin | NO raw, skin, seeds, peel; or certain other vegetables:
Sweetcorn
Potatoes with skin
Tomatoes
Cucumbers with seeds and peel Cooked cabbage or Brussels sprouts
Green peas
Summer and winter squash Lima beans
Onions | | Nuts, nut butter, seeds | None allowed | NO nuts or seeds:
Nuts including peanuts, almonds, walnuts
Chunky nut butter
Seeds such as fennel, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower | | Fats and oils | OK to eat:
Butter
Margarine
Vegetable and other oils
Mayonnaise
Salad dressings made without seeds or nuts | NO salad dressing made with seeds or nuts | | Soups | OK to eat:
Broth, bouillon, consomme, and strained soups | NO:
Unstrained soups Chili
Lentil soup Dried bean soup Corn soup Pea soup | | Desserts | OK to eat:
Plain pudding
Plain Ice cream – small quantity Sherbet or sorbet
Rich tea biscuits
Plain sponge cake | NO:
Coconut
Anything with seeds or nuts Anything with added red or purple dye
Cookies or cakes made with whole grain flour, seeds, dried fruit, or nuts | Food and drink reviewed: August 2017 Page 2 of 3 | TYPE OF FOOD OR DRINK | YES—OK TO EAT THESE FOODS | NO—AVOID THESE FOODS | | --- | --- | --- | | Drinks or
beverages | OK to eat:
Coffee
Tea
Clear fruit drinks (no pulp) Ensure, Boost, or Enlive without added fiber | NO:
Fruit or vegetable juice with pulp Beverages with red or purple dye | | Other
Suitable Indian dishes | OK to eat:
Sugar
Salt
Honey
Syrup
Lemon juice
Palin flour roti/nann Plain potato shak – no skin Plain shrikhand no nuts | NO:
Coconut
Popcorn
Jam
Marmalade
Relishes
Pickles
Olives
Stone-ground mustard | One day before your colonoscopy Have a good breakfast and light lunch of foods taken from the permitted list above until 12noon. From 12noon do not eat any solid food until after your examination but drink plenty of clear fluids Food and drink reviewed: August 2017 Page 3 of 3

FAQs

What foods are allowed for milk and dairy three days before a colonoscopy?

Allowed options include plain milk, plain yogurt (without nuts, seeds, granola, or skin-containing fruit mix-ins), and cheese such as cottage cheese. Avoid yogurt mixed with nuts, seeds, granola, or fruit with skin or seeds.

Which grains should be avoided during the three-day colonoscopy diet?

Avoid whole grains or high-fiber options such as brown or wild rice, whole grain bread, rolls, pasta, or crackers, and high-fiber cereal including granola and oatmeal. Low-fiber refined grains are permitted, including white rice and breads made with refined white flour.

What should be done on the day before a colonoscopy after 12 noon?

Have a good breakfast and a light lunch using foods from the permitted list until 12 noon. From 12 noon, do not eat any solid food until after the examination, and drink plenty of clear fluids.

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Hazel