Patient/caregiver was educated on measures to plan for high residue diet recommendation as follows:
- Residue is poorly digested & undigested portion of the diet that turns into stool and is eliminated from the body. Fiber, being poorly digested by human body, forms a significant part of residue.
- Fiber is a complex carbohydrate and is an essential component of diet. It is majorly found in plants and plant products. Include more of whole fresh fruits, non-starchy vegetables, legumes, and whole grains on your diet plan to improve fiber intake.
- Grains are refined to improve the texture and shelf life, but during the process of refining grains lose fiber along with other nutrients, such as, iron and B-vitamins. Whole grains have their fiber and nutrient contents preserved. Choosing healthy breakfast items made of whole grains, such as, whole wheat, whole grain barley, whole oats, whole brown rice, whole rye, and quinoa, against unhealthy breakfast items such as, cereals made of refined grains, pancakes, waffles, and granola bars can help improve on fiber intake. While choosing cereal items from the shelf, pick cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.
- Plain yogurt can be a good snack but is very low on fiber content. While having plain yogurt for snack or dessert, you can add some fresh fruit, such as, pear, apple, plum, or a peach, to improve the fiber content of your snack. While adding fruit, you can choose to add the whole fruit with skin on, as the skin is rich in fiber content.
