Clear Liquids Diet

Need for the diet:
The clear liquid diet is a temporary diet that is used in several different settings:

• Preparation for surgery and medical tests such as sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and other x-rays or tests that require little food in the stomach and intestines.
• When someone has been unable to eat any food for several days or after surgery.

The clear liquids diet helps to keep you hydrated (body fluids, salts and minerals) and helps to get the body used to food after long periods of time without food. The clear liquids diet is easy to digest and does not leave much residue in the stomach and intestines.

Important Considerations:

• If you experience abdominal discomfort, such as cramps or pain, contact your doctor or nurse as soon as possible.
• The clear liquids diet does not provide enough energy, protein and many other nutrients for daily use. This diet is temporary and should not be used for more than 5 days. If you are on this diet for more than 5 days, your doctor and/or dietitian will tell you which supplement to use.
• The amount of liquid that you drink or eat on this diet may be important. If your doctor sets a limit about the amount, follow those directions carefully.

How to choose the clear liquid diet:

Liquids that you can see through at room temperature (about 78-72 degrees Fahrenheit) are considered clear liquids. This includes clear juices, broths, hard candy, ices and gelatin. The table below will help you with your choices.

Clear Liquids Diet Options

Breads/Cereals:

Choose these foods/beverages:

Breads and rolls made from arrowroot, carob, corn, pea, potato, rice, sorghum, soybean, or tapioca starch or flour; pure corn tortillas, cornmeal, hominy, grits, popcorn; potatoes, potato chips; enriched rice, rice noodles, wild rice, rice cakes, rice wafers, puffed rice, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, Kellogg’s Sugar Pops, Post’s Fruity and Chocolate Pebbles cream of rice.

AVOID these foods/beverages:

Breads and rolls made from wheat, rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, durum, or graham; commercial mixes for biscuits, cornbread, muffins, pancakes, waffles; wheat germ; bran; bulgar; millet, triticale; crackers; pretzels; millet; melba toast; matzo; bread crumbs; pastry; pizza dough; regular noodles, spaghetti, macaroni, and other pasta; dumplings; cereals containing malt or malt flavoring derived from barley; cereals containing wheat, rye, oats, barley, bran, buckwheat or bulgar.

Fruits/Vegtables

Choose these foods/beverages:

Clear fruit juices without pulp such as apple juice, grape juice, cranberry juice.

AVOID these foods/beverages:

Nectars, canned, fresh, or frozen fruits.

Soups

Choose these foods/beverages:

Broth, bouillon, fat free consommé.

AVOID these foods/beverages:

Cream soups, soups with vegetables, noodles, rice, meat or other chunks of food in them.

Beverages

Choose these foods/beverages:

Coffee, tea (hot or cold), Kool-Aid, soda, water, lactose free supplements if recommended by your doctor.

AVOID these foods/beverages:

All others.

Sweets and Desserts

Choose these foods/beverages:

Fruit ices (without chunks of fruit), plain gelatin, clear hard candy, popsicle made from clear juices.

AVOID these foods/beverages:

All others.

Vegetables

Choose these foods/beverages:

None.

AVOID these foods/beverages:

All.

Milk and Diary Products

Choose these foods/beverages:

None.

AVOID these foods/beverages:

All.

Bread, Cereals, and Grain Products

Choose these foods/beverages:

None.

AVOID these foods/beverages:

All.

Meat, Chicken, Fish, and Meat Substitutes (nuts, tofu, etc.)

Choose these foods/beverages:

None.

AVOID these foods/beverages:

All.

Oils, Butter, Margarine

Choose these foods/beverages:

None.

AVOID these foods/beverages:

All.

Sample Menu: Clear Liquids Diet*

Breakfast: Hot tea with lemon juice and 1 tsp sugar (no pulp); Apple juice (8 oz); Gelatin (1 cup)

Lunch: Hot tea with lemon (no pulp) and sugar; Grape juice (8 oz); Fruit Ice (1 cup); Consommé (8 oz.)

Snack: Fruit juice (apple, cranberry or grape, 8 oz); Gelatin (1 cup)

Dinner: Hot tea with lemon (no pulp) and sugar; Apple juice (8 oz); Consommé (8 oz); Fruit Ice (1 cup)

*This diet contains approximately 1000 calories, 1 g fat and 14 grams of protein.

Credits for this dietary information go to Maureen Murtaugh, PhD.