Examples of foods that contain fiber and can be part
of a diverticular disease diet include (amounts of fiber
shown for a medium fruit or 1 cup of vegetable, fruit
or grain):
Apple, raw, with skin (3.3g)
Peach, raw (1.5g)
Pear, raw (5.1g)
Pineapple (1.9g)
Tangerine, raw (1.9g)
Blueberries (4.0g)
Cranberries (4.0g)
Raspberries (8.3g)
Asparagus, 4 spears, fresh, cooked (1.2g)
Broccoli, fresh, cooked (5.2g)
Brussels sprouts, fresh, cooked (4g)
Cabbage, fresh, cooked (3g)
Carrot, fresh, cooked (4.6g)
Cauliflower, fresh, cooked (3.4g)
Celery, raw (2.1g)
Romaine lettuce (1.2g)
Spinach, fresh, cooked (4.4g)
Summer squash, cooked (2.5g)
Tomato, raw (1g)
Winter squash, cooked (5.7g)
Baked beans, canned, plain (12.6g)
Kidney beans, fresh, cooked (11.4g)
Lima beans, fresh, cooked (13.2g)
Potato, fresh, cooked (2.3g)
Bread, whole-wheat, 1 slice (1.9g)
Brown rice, cooked (3.5g)
Cereal, bran flake (7.1g)
Oatmeal, plain, cooked (4g)
White rice, cooked (0.6g)
There are several types of dietary fiber, which
makes it easy to include it in the diet:
Cellulose. Found in bran, legumes, peas, root vege-
tables, the cabbage family, the outer covering of
seeds, and most fruits.
Hemicellulose. A major constituent of cereal fiber,
found in bran and whole grains.
Polyfructoses. Examples are inulins and oligofruc-
tans, found in onions, garlic, artichokes, soybean.
Gums. These are substancessecretedbyaplantat
injury sites. They are composed of various sugars and
sugar derivatives. Found oatmeal, barley, and legumes.
Mucilages. Gelatinous substances found in most plants.
Pectins. Water-soluble and gel-forming substances
found in apples, strawberries, and citrus fruits.
Lignin. This is the primary noncarbohydrate compo-
nent of fiber. It is highest in mature root vegetables like
carrots or fruits with edibleseeds like strawberries.
Resistant starches. These are starches that are classi-
fied as fibers because they are not digested by the
body. They are found in whole legumes, potatoes
and bananas and plantains.
To help increase dietary fiber in the diet, breakfast
should include a bowl of porridge made with millet,
oats or brown rice, toast made with whole-grain bread
instead of white bread, whole-grain ready-to-eat cere-
als with milk, and a bowl of fruit instead of fruit juice.
During the day, snacks can include fresh fruit, or dried
fruits like raisins, prunes, dates, apricots, or a few
wholegrain crackers. In meals, brown rice should
replace white rice. Pasta dishes should include more
vegetables and fruit? to increase the fiber content of
the meal. Serve fruit after meals instead of a dessert.
Vegetables should also be eaten at each meal. Sand-
wiches should be made with whole-grain bread and
include vegetables.
Besides adding fiber foods to a diverticular disease
diet, the health practitioner may also prescribe a fiber
supplement such as Citrucel or Metamucil once a day.
These products supply 2–3.5g of fiber per tablespoon,
mixed with 8 ounces ofwater. Some physicians also
recommend to avoid nuts, popcorn, and sunflower,
pumpkin, caraway, and sesame seeds as they believe
that particles of these foods could enter, block, orIllustration of diverticula in the sigmoid colon. Diverticulosis
is almost always located in the descending or sigmoid colon.
(Delmar Publishers, Inc. Reproduced by permission.)
Diverticular disease diet