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Survivorship: During and After Treatment
Many people with cancer don't have to follow any special diet. But some might be told by their doctor to follow a diet that is either low or high in fiber.
A person with cancer might need to lower or increase fiber in their diet if they:
Have digestive problems
Are getting certain types of surgery or cancer treatment
Have or are expected to get certain side effects from treatment
If your doctor tells you to follow a low- or high-fiber diet, try to choose foods that you would normally eat. Do not try any foods that caused you discomfort or allergic reactions in the past.
Whether or not you need to be on a diet that restricts or adds fiber, remember these tips:
It’s important to drink enough fluids.
Getting regular physical activity helps the digestive system to work better.
Eating frequent, small meals can help digest food better than larger meals because the digestive system doesn't have to work as hard to digest food.
Always ask your cancer care team if you should follow any special diet before, during, or after treatment. And talk with your cancer care team or a dietitian if you have questions about certain foods or amounts.
Dietary fiber (often just called fiber) is the part of plant foods that we can't digest. Fiber is richly found in certain plant foods, including legumes or beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds.
Dietary fiber can be either soluble or insoluble.
Soluble fiber attracts water into the intestines and becomes a gel. It can help lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Foods higher in soluble fiber include:
Apples
Bananas
Citrus fruits
Beans
Berries
Oats
Peas
Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in the stomach. It can help move food through your digestive system and bulk up stool to help prevent constipation. But it can also have rough, hard bits that irritate the intestines as it passes through. Foods higher in insoluble fiber include:
Nuts and seeds
Some vegetables
Whole grain foods
A low-fiber diet means you eat foods that do not have a lot of fiber. If you have certain medical problems, are having surgery, or are getting certain treatments for cancer, you may be asked to reduce the amount of fiber in your diet to rest your bowels (or intestines). A low-fiber diet reduces the amount of undigested food moving through your bowels, so that your body makes a smaller amount of stool. Low-fiber foods can be helpful if you have diarrhea, cramping, or trouble digesting food. Foods with little soluble fiber can often be eaten in small amounts (depending on why you're on a low-fiber diet) because the sof fiber gel doesn't irritate the intestines the same way.
Here are low-fiber foods you can eat with tips to help you cook them if you’re restricting your dietary fiber. To see what foods you should avoid while on a low-fiber diet, you can find a list of high-fiber foods on this page. Keep in mind if you are on a “low-residue diet,” your food choices are even more restricted than those listed below. (A “low-residue diet” limits fiber plus certain other foods that might be difficult to digest.)
Tender cuts of meat
Ground meat
Tofu
Fish and shellfish
Smooth peanut butter
Eggs
Bake, broil, or poach meats, and use mild seasonings. Try preparing meats as stews, roasts, meatloaves, casseroles, sandwiches, and soups using ingredients on the approved lists. Scramble, poach, or boil eggs; or make omelets, soufflés, custard, puddings, and casseroles, using ingredients noted below. You might want to ask your doctor, nurse, or dietitian about other foods may be OK for you to eat and find out when you can go back to your normal diet.
Milk, chocolate milk, buttermilk, and milk drinks
Yogurt without seeds or granola
Sour cream
Cheese
Cottage cheese
Custard or pudding
Ice cream or frozen desserts (without nuts)
Cream sauces, soups, and casseroles
You can use these items in desserts, snacks, or breads. Use in small to medium amounts and only if they don’t cause problems for you.
White breads, waffles, French toast, plain white rolls, or white bread toast
Pretzels
Plain pasta or noodles
White rice
Crackers, zwieback, melba, and matzoh (no cracked wheat or whole grains)
Cereals without whole grains, added fiber, seeds, raisins, or other dried fruit
Use white flour for baking and making sauces. Grains, such as white rice, Cream of Wheat, or grits, should be well-cooked. Include the above grains in casseroles, dumplings, soufflés, cheese strata, kugels, and pudding.
Tender, well-cooked fresh or canned vegetables without seeds, stems, or skins
Cooked sweet or white potatoes without skins
Strained vegetable juices without pulp or spices
You can also eat these with cream sauces, or in soups, soufflés, kugels, and casseroles.
Soft canned or cooked fruit without seeds or skins (small amounts)
Small amounts of well-ripened banana
Strained or clear juices
Small amounts of soft cantaloupe or honeydew melon
Cookies and other desserts without whole grains, dried fruit, berries, nuts, or coconut
Sherbet and popsicles
Serving suggestions include gelatins, milk shakes, frozen desserts, puddings, tapioca, cakes, and sauces.
Mayonnaise and mild salad dressings
Margarine, butter, cream, and oils in small amounts
Plain gravies
Plain bouillon and broth
Ketchup and mild mustard
Spices, cooked herbs, and salt
Sugar, honey, and syrup
Clear jellies
Hard candy and marshmallows
Plain chocolate
Keep in mind that low-fiber foods can cause fewer bowel movements and smaller stools. You may need to drink extra fluids to help prevent constipation while you are on a low-fiber diet. Drink plenty of water unless your doctor tells you otherwise, and use juices and milk as noted above.
A high-fiber diet means you eat foods that are high or rich in dietary fiber. Dietary fiber has long been linked to a lower risk of certain types of cancer, including colorectal cancer. Because of this, many people who have not been diagnosed with cancer follow a high-fiber diet to try to prevent getting cancer. And some people living with cancer might choose high-fiber foods to help prevent other cancers from starting. Fiber can also promote heart health and can help a person maintain or lose body weight by helping to control cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
If a person with cancer has no special dietary restrictions to follow during and after treatment, they might choose to follow a high-fiber diet to stay as healthy as possible. But some cancer treatments can cause problems with the stomach and intestines. Adding high-fiber foods might increase those problems. If this happens, talking to a dietitian and cutting back on fiber can help.
Here are high-fiber foods you can eat with tips to help you cook them if you’re following a high-fiber diet or want to increase fiber in your diet. To see what foods you should avoid while on a high-fiber diet, you can also find a list of low-fiber foods on this page.
All beans, nuts, peas, lentils, and legumes
Processed meats, hot dogs, sausage, and cold cuts
Tougher meats with gristle
Brown or wild rice
Whole grains, cracked grains, or whole wheat products
Kasha (buckwheat)
Cornbread or cornmeal
Graham crackers
Bran
Wheat germ
Nuts
Granola
Coconut
Dried fruit
Seeds
All raw or steamed vegetables
All types of beans
Potatoes with skin
Peas
Corn
Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and greens
Sauerkraut
Onions
All raw or dried fruits
Berries
Prune juice, prunes, and raisins
Marmalade
Pickles, olives, relish, and horseradish
Popcorn
Potato chips
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as editors and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
National Agricultural Library. USDA National Nutrient Database - Total Dietary Fiber. Accessed at https://www.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/files/page-files/Total_Dietary_Fiber.pdf on February 26, 2024
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP). Food sources of dietary fiber. Accessed at https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials/food-sources-select-nutrients/food-0 on February 26, 2024.
USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. Accessed at https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials on February 26, 2024.
USDA Trends in Dietary Fiber in the U.S. Food Supply Fact Sheet. Accessed at https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/fiber-factsheet on February 26, 2024.
Last Revised: February 26, 2024
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