Surgery - clear liquid diet; Medical test - clear liquid diet You may need to be on a clear liquid diet right before a medical test or procedure, or before certain kinds of surgery. It is important to follow the diet exactly to avoid problems with your procedure or surgery or your test results. You also may need to be on a clear
liquid diet for a little while after you have had surgery on your stomach or intestine. You may also be instructed to follow this diet if you:Why You May Need This Diet
What You Can Eat and Drink
You can eat or drink only the things you can see through. These include:
- Plain water
- 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
- Popsicles that do not have bits of fruit, fruit pulp, or yogurt in them
- Tea or coffee with no cream or milk added
- Sports drinks that don't have color
These foods and liquids are not OK:
- Juice with nectar or pulp, such as prune juice
- Milk and yogurt
Try having a mix of 3 to 5 of these choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is OK to add sugar and lemon to your tea.
Your doctor might ask you to avoid liquids that have red coloring for some tests, such as a colonoscopy.
Do not follow this diet without the supervision of your doctor. Healthy people should not be on this diet longer than 3 to 4 days.
This diet is safe for people with diabetes, but only for a short time when they are followed closely by their doctor.
References
Pham AK, McClave SA. Nutritional management. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 6.
Robeau JL, Hwa KJ, Eisenberg D. Nutritional support in colorectal surgery. In: Fazio VW, Church JM, Delaney CP, Kiran RP, eds. Current Therapy in Colon and Rectal Surgery. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 83.
Version Info
Last reviewed on: 8/20/2020
Reviewed by: Meagan Bridges, RD, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Purpose of the clear liquid diet
The clear liquid diet supplies fluids and energy from foods that require very little digestion. This diet is often used in preparation for surgery and lower endoscopy procedures. The clear liquids reduce bowel residue and provide fluids to ease thirst. These liquids also provide certain salts and minerals and prevent dehydration.
It is important that the clear liquid diet be followed exactly. Remember that the value of the examination will depend on getting a thoroughly clean bowel.
Nutrition
A clear liquid diet is not adequate in calories and nutrients. It should not be followed for more than five days unless supplemented by high-protein gelatin or other low residue supplements.
Allowed and Recommended Foods
Beverages:
- Water, coffee, or tea [no milk or non-dairy creamer]
- Strained fruit juices with no pulp [apple juice, white grape juice, lemonade]
- Soft drinks/Sports drinks [ginger ale, cola, Sprite, 7-Up, Gatorade]
Soups:
- Chicken or Beef bouillon/broth, low sodium, fat free
Desserts:
- Jell-O [lemon, lime, orange, NO fruit, NO toppings]
- Popsicles [NO sherbets, NO fruit bars]
- Hard candies
Do not drink or eat anything with red or purple coloring. Red/purple food coloring can leave a residue in the bowel that resembles blood. Keep this in mind when purchasing Jell-O, Popsicles, hard candy, drinks, etc.
No solid foods allowed, including milk/milk products.
When you’re having a medical procedure or imaging exam, your doctor might ask that you not eat or drink anything except clear liquids before the exam. But what foods can you eat on a clear liquid diet, and what should you skip?
Clear Liquid Diet – The Facts
Your doctor or radiologist might need you to have a clear liquid diet hours or a day before your medical imaging exam or procedure. Most people think that “clear liquids” refers to water. And yes, clear liquids include plain water, but you actually have more options than that. Clear liquids can also include things like tea and coffee [without cream], popsicles [without pulp or yogurt], and cranberry juice.
“Clear” refers to the fact that the liquids do not have added substances like milk or solid foods. The reasons for the “clear liquids” restriction vary depending on what kind of test you are having. Sometimes, the restriction is there so there is nothing in your system that would interfere with any contrast agents, whereas other times it’s to prevent you from becoming nauseous.
No matter the reason, the quality of your exam or procedure depends in part on you following the instructions provided. If you don’t follow the instructions correctly, your exam might need to be rescheduled or redone.
Clear Liquid Diet – A Visual Guide
Use this visual guide to help you decide what you can and cannot drink to be best prepared for your exam or procedure:
Infographic TextEat These Foods:- Water, sports drinks
- Apple juice and other juices without pulp
- Black coffee or tea without cream
- Popsicles without fruit or yogurt
- Any solid foods
- Broth, applesauce, or other soft foods
- Orange juice or other juices with pulp
- Milk and other dairy products
Clear Liquid Diet – What to Eat and What to Skip was last modified: December 19th, 2019 by