Have a light breakfast, such as boiled egg on toast (white bread), no later than 9am. After breakfast, do not eat any solid food until after your test. Drink clear fluids only today.
Low residue breakfast foods include eggs, white bread, cottage cheese, yogurt, grits, coffee, and tea. You may have clear liquids. Do not drink milk or eat or drink anything colored red or purple.
White bread, pasta and noodles, white rice, and skinless potatoes. Veggies, canned or well-cooked, without seeds or skin. Fresh or canned fruit without skins. Tender, well-cooked meat, poultry, or fish.
In the American Society of Gastroenterology guidelines, a fluid diet was recommended 3–4 days prior for bowel preparation, whereas in the Gastroenterology Society in Cleveland guidelines, patients are allowed one last meal of solid foods up until 24 hours prior to the colonoscopy.
Can you eat eggs the day before a colonoscopy? You will usually be asked to avoid eating all solid foods the day before your colonoscopy, including eggs. However in the week preceding your colonoscopy, you can eat eggs.
1 Day Before Your Colonoscopy (Prep Day)
Before 10:00 am, you may have a small, light breakfast. Examples of a light breakfast are: eggs, soup or broth with noodles (no meat or vegetables), white crackers, white rice, white potatoes, white bread, Boost® or Ensure®. At 10:00 am, begin a clear liquid diet.
Three days prior to your procedure, please eat low fiber foods: Do not eat any nuts or seeds (including those in pickles, tomatoes, fruit, etc.). Do not eat high-grain/ high-fiber bread, rolls, pasta, crackers or cereal with nuts or seeds. This includes granola, raisin bran and oatmeal.
You can eat solid foods the day before you undergo the procedure! That's right. You don't have to starve yourself by consuming only clear fluids like broth and Popsicles (and not even cherry-flavored, because they're the color of, well, you know) to prepare for a colonoscopy.
Typically, bowel prep medication is a solution that you will need to drink starting one day before your procedure. You will be asked to take the colon prep in two doses: the first dose, 3-6 pm the night before your procedure; the second dose, 6-8 hours before your procedure.
Oatmeal, grits and plain corn flakes are types of cereals that are okay, along with cooked fruits, bananas and applesauce.
In fact, multiple randomized, controlled studies have shown that allowing patients to eat the day before a colonoscopy improves prep tolerance, increases patient satisfaction, and improves willingness to repeat the test in the future.
Foods like yogurt, ice cream, and cereal may have added fiber that you don't expect which can make them harder to purge. Unfortunately, when foods aren't properly digested, they can get in the way of the camera during your colonoscopy. This could cause inaccuracies in the test.
A light breakfast consists of liquids, 1 egg or cereal or a piece of toast. Do not eat greasy foods such as bacon or sausage. No smoking for at least 12 hours before surgery. Ideally, cut down or stop smoking as soon as possible prior to the day of surgery.
Studies have indicated that colonoscopies done during the morning hours have actually contributed to more accurate findings due to a number of varying factors. Although it might not be a thrill to wake up earlier than usual, it could just help your overall health.
What if I've taken all my preparation and am still passing solid stool on the day of my exam? In this case, your procedure will need to be rescheduled. You may be prescribed a different preparation for your next procedure. Please call the triage nurse to reschedule your procedure with a different preparation.
Will I be up all night with colonoscopy prep? Probably not, if you start on time. While everyone's body is different, most people are able to complete their round of purging before going to sleep for the night.
One day before — and the day of — your colonoscopy, you will be on a clear-liquid diet. The chart shows examples of drinks you can include, and what to avoid. Starting the day before your screening, don't eat any solid food until after your colonoscopy.. Print this chart (PDF) for easy reference.
Fast for 24 hours
As discussed above, you should stop eating solid foods a full day before the procedure. Stick to only clear liquids.
You can still have smooth soups with no bits (e.g. tomato, vegetable Bouillon), jelly, ice cream, Ambrosia custard, Complan drinks, Bovril and Oxo drinks, and water, clear juices, fizzy drinks, coffee and tea.
FOLLOW A LOW FIBER DIET.
Avoid products containing Olestra (a fat substitute found in some fat-free and low-fat foods) for one week. A few examples of foods you may eat are dairy products, meats, poultry, fish, pasta, white rice, white bread, eggs, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots or squash.
Foods allowed:
Refined pasta. Tortillas (corn or flour) Refined cooked and cold cereals such as hominy grits, farina, Cream of Wheat or Rice, Cheerios, Corn/Rice Chex, corn flakes, Rice Krispies, Special K.
During this time, you are allowed to eat: Dairy: Including milk, butter, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and sour cream. Low-fiber, non-whole grains: Breads made with white flour, white rice, saltines, and corn flakes. Lean meats: Including turkey, chicken, fish, and lamb.
Have a light breakfast, such as boiled egg on toast (white bread), no later than 9am. After breakfast, do not eat any solid food until after your test. Drink clear fluids only today.