You can usually eat some cheese after a colonoscopy, but it's best to start with low-fat, mild cheeses like cottage cheese or small amounts of yellow cheese on white toast, avoiding greasy, high-fat, or aged cheeses and heavy dairy for the first day or two to let your gut recover from the prep and procedure, as dairy can temporarily be harder to digest. Focus on bland, low-fiber foods initially and reintroduce dairy and fats slowly.
Milk, pepper, and cheese shouldn't be consumed at this point because they can irritate the digestive system. Furthermore, avoid adding a lot of salt and pepper to scrambled eggs as this can hinder the healing process. Both gelatin and custard gelatin are approved foods after a colonoscopy.
A low-residue diet means eating foods that are low in fiber and avoiding excessive amounts of dairy. This approach helps ensure the patient eats only easily-digestible foods that do not produce too much stool, ultimately promoting a more comfortable experience in the days following a colonoscopy.
Typically, your doctor will recommend you eat soft or low-residue foods that are gentle on your digestive system. Heavy foods can cause discomfort, such as bloating or gas. Some light food suggestions include eggs, white toast, applesauce, lean chicken (without skin), mashed potatoes, or softly cooked veggies.
Additionally, hard-to-digest meats, raw vegetables, alcohol, whole grain bread or crackers, dried fruits or fruits with the skin still on, brown rice and corn, nuts, fried foods, and popcorn shouldn't be consumed immediately after a colonoscopy.
The First Week after a Colonoscopy
However, our patients should not hesitate to take more time to rest if needed. If polyps are found and removed during a colonoscopy procedure, the recovery period will be slightly longer. After polyps are removed it can take up to a week for the patient to fully recover.
Foods that are easy to digest and good to eat after a colonoscopy include: Plain crackers (like saltine crackers, either lightly salted or unseasoned) Clear, broth-based soups or any type of plain broth. Scrambled eggs (limit seasoning, milk, and butter)
Do not eat foods that may cause bloating and gas, such as beans, onions, garlic, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, chocolate or spicy foods. You can start eating regular foods the next day.
Fruit juices without pulp, such as grape juice, filtered apple juice, and cranberry juice. Soup broth (bouillon or consommé) Clear sodas, such as ginger ale and Sprite. Gelatin.
Eat Healthy Foods
Eating healthy foods will help keep your energy levels up while also helping with better digestion and healing after a colonoscopy. Focus on eating foods that are easy to digest, such as scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, skinless chicken, white fish, soups and broths, and fruit and vegetable juices.
The best clear liquids to drink after a colonoscopy are: Water for rehydration. Electrolyte drinks to help restore electrolytes lost during bowel prep. Broths that provide nourishment and are easy on the stomach.
Some of the foods that are allowed on a low-fiber diet include milk, cheese, yogurt, meat, fish and eggs. People who are lactose intolerant should avoid milk and dairy products if they cause stomach pain or diarrhea.
You may have a bloated, gaseous feeling in your abdomen after a colonoscopy. Passing gas and belching will help. Walking or lying down on your left side with your knees flexed may relieve the discomfort.
Meats allowed: Tender, lean beef, chicken, fish, lamb, liver, turkey, shellfish, veal and other lean meats. Eggs: Prepared in any form with allowed ingredients. Cheese: Cottage cheese, cheddar, American & creams cheeses are okay.
Feel hungry? Try bone broth or an Ensure Clear nutrition drink. Decaffeinated drinks also have been proven to decrease hunger pangs.
A Clear Liquid Diet for Colonoscopy Prep consists of consuming clear liquids including water, seltzer, apple juice, white grape juice, sprite, ginger ale, bouillon, or clear broth.
You can't eat any solid food, but you can consume an unlimited amount of clear liquids which may include:
Foods to eat after a colonoscopy
You should be able to carry out your normal activities 24 hours after the test. If polyps are removed or biopsies are taken during the procedure you may notice a small amount of bleeding from your bowel when you next go to the toilet. This is normal and should settle within 24 hours.
For your safety, do not drive, operate machinery, or power tools for at least 8 hours after getting sedation. Your doctor may tell you not to drive or operate machinery until the day after your test. Do not sign legal documents or make major decisions for at least 8 hours after getting sedation.
While no foods are strictly off-limits after a colonoscopy, it can help to eat gentle, easily digestible foods for the first day or two post-procedure and temporarily avoid foods that can cause gut irritation, such as high-fiber foods, greasy foods, or spicy foods.
A potential therapeutic strategy to restore a balanced composition of the intestinal microbiome after colonoscopy is the use of probiotics – live microorganisms that confer a health benefit on the host when administered in adequate amounts (28).
It is usually OK for you to eat after your colonoscopy procedure. In some cases, if you have a lot of large polyps removed, your doctor may place you on a restricted diet. But most patients can return to their normal diet right away. Typically, you can return to normal activities the day after your procedure.
Post-Colonoscopy Complications
Call your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms after your test: Severe pain or cramping in your belly. A hard belly. Trouble passing gas or pooping.
So, the more polyps you have, the higher your cancer risk. Someone with just one or two small polyps is generally at lower risk of having or developing colon cancer than someone with three to nine, or more.