How to Eat Before a Colonoscopy

There are a few steps that must be taken before undergoing a colonoscopy and perhaps none is more important than correctly following directions on eating. You must properly cleanse the colon in preparation for the intrusive camera that will be making a trek through your body. The specific directions given by your doctor must be followed exactly.

Eat some light meals 2 days before the colonoscopy will be performed. These meals can even be a bit more substantial than soup. While soup and broth are most highly recommended, most doctors allow you to also eat smaller portioned skinless poultry like chicken and turkey, as well as unrefined white bread, eggs and possibly pasta or noodles. Any food high in fiber should be avoided.

Eat from the same list of foods that you were allowed to eat 2 days before the colonoscopy for breakfast on the day before the procedure. The more liquid-based you can make your breakfast, the better, although you will usually be permitted to eat any of the solid foods from the list.

Consume only liquids after breakfast the day before the colonoscopy. This liquid can include not only water, apple juice, white grape juice, and ginger ale but also clear broth and bouillon. You can also have Jell-O as long as it is not purple- or red-colored. In fact, you should avoid any liquid that is dark-colored.

Consume a special colonoscopy mix the morning of the procedure. This will cleanse your bowels. You will be given specific instructions on how to mix this and when to drink it, as well as guidelines for what to expect from having consumed it. Most mix is quite unpleasant tasting, so inquire if you can add some lemonade mix to make it a bit more flavorful.

Tip

Regardless of how bad the colonoscopy mix may taste, it is important that you drink it all so that you are passing the clearest waste possible before the procedure.