Constipating Diet / High-Fiber Meal Plans
The Colorectal Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center rarely encounters patients who have a hypermotile colon, which means that their colon moves too quickly. Their problem is not constipation but rather a tendency to have diarrhea.
The strategy in such patients is to slow down the colon. This is done with a special constipating diet, and sometimes with medications. We provide meal plans and sample diets to use. We also provide information about how to have a high-fiber diet.
Three meals per day at specific times and no snacking is important to regulate the colon's action.
Constipating Diet
The following foods work to constipate:
- apple sauce
- apple without skin
- rice
- white bread
- bagels
- boiled, broiled, baked meat, chicken or fish
- soft drinks
- banana
- pretzels
- tea
- pasta
- potato
- jelly (not jam)
Foods to Avoid in a Constipating Diet (Foods that Loosen Bowels)
- milk or milk products
- fat
- fried foods
- fruits
- vegetables
- spices
- fruit juices
- french fries
- chocolate
For more information or to request an appointment, please contact the Colorectal Center at Cincinnati Children's.
