Diverticulitis Diet

The proper Diverticulitis diet can be an ordeal. Often after a mild diverticulitis attack your doctor may recommend a limited diet such as a clear liquid diet or a low fiber diet. While this may be an inconvenience it may be necessary to allow healing of the infection, and to reduce the risk of more severe Diverticulitis attack. The Diverticulitis diet should be strictly followed. One of two options will usually be recommended either a low fiber diet or a clear liquid diet.

• A clear liquid diet for your Diverticulitis diet, generally liquids that can be seen through at room temperature are considered clear liquids. Some examples of clear liquids:
  • Soups: such as broths or bouillon. Does not include cream soups or soups with chunks of food in them.
  • Juices: Clear fruit juices that do not have pulp.
  • Gelatin
  • Popsicles without any fruit pieces or pulp.
  • Beverages: coffee or tea without cream, soda, kool-aid, water.
• The other possibility for a Diverticulitis diet is a low fiber diet. The low fiber diet includes many more options than the clear liquid diet such as:
  • Enriched white breads, bagels…
  • White rice or pastas
  • Most fruits without skins or seeds
  • Most tender meats
  • Eggs
  • Yogurt, milk, or cheese without nuts
  • Vegetables: alfalfa sprouts, beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, mushrooms, peppers, squash, zucchini

These lists are not all inclusive of what may be included on a Diverticulitis diet but are merely some examples for reference. Once the Diverticulitis attack has subsided your Doctor will recommend you start to add fiber to your diet once again. You may want to start slow perhaps 10 or 15 grams of fiber the first day. Once you are back to your normal diet it is important that you eat a high fiber diet possibly including a fiber supplement. Also the proper intake of fluid is important. If you follow these you may be able to avoid having to deal with a Diverticulitis diet in the future.