Low residue meal plan, short term, easy going.
A low residue diet keeps fiber low so your gut has less to work through. It is used for a short stretch before a colonoscopy, after bowel surgery or during a flare. Here is a week at about 1,600 calories. Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic advice.
The rules
Three rules while you are on it
White, refined and peeled
White bread, white rice, refined pasta, and cooked vegetables without skins.
Keep it soft
Cook vegetables until tender, and skip raw salads, skins and seeds.
Keep it short
In most cases this is temporary, not a way to eat long term.
Sample week
Seven low residue days
About 1,505 to 1,610 calories a day and only 7 to 12 g fiber, by design. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
Cleveland Clinic says a low-fiber diet is temporary in most situations. Your care team sets the length and limits, so ask before you stay on it longer or add foods back.
Day 1Monday
BreakfastCream of wheat with milk and an egg1 cup cooked farina with 1 cup milk, 1 poached egg, 1 tsp honey
LunchTurkey sandwich on white bread4 oz sliced roast turkey, 2 slices white bread, 1 tbsp mayonnaise
SnackCottage cheese with applesauce½ cup cottage cheese, ½ cup applesauce
DinnerBaked chicken with rice and carrots4 oz chicken breast, 1½ cups cooked white rice, 1 cup peeled carrots cooked with 1 tbsp butter
About 1,560 kcal113 g protein8 g fiber
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastScrambled eggs with white toast and banana2 eggs scrambled in 1 tsp butter, 2 slices white toast, 1 banana
- LunchTuna salad on white bread½ can tuna, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 slices white bread
- SnackCanned peaches with cottage cheese½ cup canned peaches in juice, ½ cup cottage cheese, 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- DinnerBaked salmon with mashed potatoes5 oz cooked salmon, 1 cup mashed potato made with milk and butter
About 1,510 kcal85 g protein12 g fiber
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastCream of rice with milk and banana1 cup cooked cream of rice with 1 cup milk, ½ banana, 1 tsp honey
- LunchChicken noodle soup with a white roll1½ cups chicken noodle soup, 3 oz extra cooked chicken, 1 large white roll
- SnackCottage cheese with canned pears½ cup cottage cheese, ½ cup canned pears
- DinnerTurkey burger on a white bun with white rice5 oz cooked turkey patty, 1 white bun, 1 cup cooked white rice, 1 tsp ketchup
About 1,530 kcal106 g protein7 g fiber
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastPoached eggs on white toast with apple juice2 poached eggs, 1 tsp butter, 2 slices white toast, ½ cup apple juice
- LunchEgg salad on white bread2 hard-boiled eggs with 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 slices white bread
- SnackVanilla yogurt with banana and honey¾ cup vanilla yogurt, ½ banana, 1 tsp honey
- DinnerBaked cod with white rice and soft carrots5 oz cod, 1½ cups cooked white rice, 1 cup carrots cooked soft, 2 tsp butter
About 1,540 kcal80 g protein9 g fiber
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastFarina with peaches and brown sugar1 cup cooked farina with 1 cup milk, ½ cup canned peaches, 1 tbsp brown sugar
- LunchGrilled cheese on white bread2 slices white bread, 2 oz cheddar, 1 tsp butter
- SnackCanned mandarin oranges with cottage cheese½ cup canned mandarins, ½ cup cottage cheese
- DinnerChicken and rice casserole with zucchini4 oz chicken, 1 cup cooked white rice, ½ cup cream sauce, 1 cup peeled zucchini, 1 tsp butter
About 1,520 kcal88 g protein8 g fiber
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastWaffles with butter and honey2 frozen waffles, 1 tsp butter, 1 tbsp honey, 1 cup milk
- LunchTurkey and cheese melt2 oz roast turkey, 1 oz swiss, 2 slices white bread, 1 tsp butter
- SnackCottage cheese with applesauce and crackers½ cup cottage cheese, ½ cup applesauce, ½ banana, 6 saltine crackers
- DinnerRoast pork with mashed potatoes4 oz roast pork loin, 1 cup mashed potato made with milk and butter
About 1,520 kcal91 g protein9 g fiber
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastScrambled eggs with cream cheese on white toast2 eggs scrambled with 1 tbsp cream cheese, 2 slices white toast
- LunchChicken soup with noodles and a white roll2 cups chicken noodle soup with 3 oz chicken, 1 white roll
- SnackSmooth peanut butter on white toast1 slice white toast, 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- DinnerBaked white fish with rice and peeled zucchini6 oz cod, 2 cups cooked white rice, 1 cup peeled zucchini, 2 tsp butter
About 1,610 kcal107 g protein11 g fiber
Shopping list
What to buy
Most days
Eggs and dairyEggs, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, mild cheddareggcottage cheesegreek yogurt
Now and then
- Raw salads and skinsRaw vegetables, dried fruit, fruit with seeds or peels, now and then only
Canned and frozen fruit count here, and they save the peeling.
Make it yours
This week is a sample. Alma builds yours.
- Meals fit to your goal and the foods you like
- Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds
- Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100
Questions
What people ask
What can you eat on a low residue diet?
Cleveland Clinic's low-fiber list includes white pasta and rice, refined breads, cream of wheat, cooked vegetables like carrots and squash, canned fruit, meat, fish, eggs, dairy, smooth peanut butter, butter and oils.
How long do you stay on a low residue diet?
Cleveland Clinic says a low-fiber diet is temporary in most situations. It may be used for IBD, diverticulitis, bowel surgery or before a colonoscopy. Your care team sets the length, and a dietitian can help you come off it.
Can you eat fruit on a low residue diet?
Yes, in the softer forms. Cleveland Clinic names canned fruit and soft fruit without skin or seeds, like bananas and melon. It lists dried fruit and fruit with seeds or peels to avoid, so they sit in the now and then group.
Is a low residue diet the same as a low fiber diet?
They overlap. Both keep fiber low, and the foods here follow Cleveland Clinic's low-fiber list. If your care team wants tighter limits or a set gram target, follow theirs.
How much fiber is in this meal plan?
About 7 to 12 grams a day, by design. That is far below the fiber a normal week should carry, and it is meant to be temporary. Do not read this week as a normal target.
How many calories is this meal plan?
About 1,505 to 1,610 calories a day, with 80 to 113 grams of protein and 7 to 12 grams of fiber. Your needs depend on your size, age and activity, so scale portions up or down. The calorie calculator gives you a starting number.
How does Alma help on a low residue diet?
Log each meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds, and every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100 that draws on Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index. Alma builds a plan around your goal and the foods you like, and the protein and fiber numbers show you where the day landed.
Sources
Written by Alma from the sources below and reviewed October 28, 2026. Calories and protein are estimates. This is general information, not medical advice. If you manage a health condition or take medication, check changes with your clinician. Editorial standards
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.