1. Your daily fiber target
2. Track today's fiber
Enter grams of fiber for each meal or snack. The bar shows how much of your daily fiber target you have reached. During a flare you are staying under a low-residue ceiling; in remission you are aiming to reach a higher goal. Saved automatically on this device.
0 g of 10 g target 10 g to go
Fiber content of common foods
Approximate fiber per typical serving. The low-fiber foods at the top are the ones to lean on during a flare; the higher-fiber foods lower down are for remission, added back slowly.
| Food | Serving | Fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large | 0 |
| Skinless chicken breast | 100 g | 0 |
| White rice, cooked | 1 cup | 0.6 |
| White bread | 1 slice | 0.8 |
| Canned peaches | 1/2 cup | 1.5 |
| Well-cooked carrots | 1/2 cup | 2.3 |
| Ripe banana | 1 medium | 3.1 |
| Oatmeal, cooked | 1 cup | 4.0 |
| Apple, with skin | 1 medium | 4.4 |
| Broccoli, cooked | 1 cup | 5.1 |
| Raspberries | 1 cup | 8.0 |
| Almonds | 1 oz | 3.5 |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | 15.6 |
Free low-residue diet calculator for IBD
This low-residue diet calculator answers a question the diet advice usually leaves vague: how much fiber per day should you eat during a Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis flare? A low-residue diet (often called a low-fiber diet) is a short-term plan that reduces the amount of undigested material moving through your gut, easing diarrhea, cramping, and bloating while the bowel is inflamed. Choose your phase above and the tool sets a daily fiber target, splits it across your meals, and lets you track fiber through the day.
How much fiber on a low-residue diet?
A low-residue diet typically limits fiber to about 10 to 15 grams per day. It is used during flares, or when the bowel is narrowed, to make stools smaller and less frequent. Typical guidance by phase:
- Active flare or stricture — low-residue, often around 10 grams of fiber per day.
- Symptoms easing — a little more, around 15 grams per day, as you start to recover.
- Remission — build back toward a normal-fiber diet (about 23–28 grams per day), added in slowly.
Low-residue is temporary — fiber helps in remission
This is the part many people miss: a low-residue diet is meant to be short-term. Once you are healed and out of a flare, most people with IBD do better with more fiber, not less. Studies suggest that people with IBD who eat a normal amount of fiber are markedly less likely to flare than those who avoid it. So the goal is to drop fiber during a flare, then climb back up in remission — which is exactly what the phases above are built to help you do.
Low-residue vs low-fiber: what's the difference?
"Residue" is the undigested material that ends up in stool. Most residue comes from fiber, but not all of it — tough or gristly meat, fruit and vegetable skins and seeds, and for some people dairy, also add residue. A true low-residue diet limits all of these, not just fiber. In everyday practice, following a low-fiber diet and going easy on dairy and tough meats gets you most of the way there.
Strictures: why texture matters
In Crohn's disease, repeated inflammation can leave a stricture — a narrowed section of bowel. Bulky, high-residue food can struggle to pass through a narrowing and, in some cases, cause a blockage. If you have a known stricture, a soft, low-residue diet is especially important, and you should follow your gastroenterologist's specific advice. Seek urgent care for severe cramping abdominal pain, a swollen belly, and vomiting, which can signal an obstruction.
How this calculator works
Rather than a single fixed number, the tool sets your fiber target from the phase you select — active flare, easing, adding fiber back, or full remission — using common clinic ranges (about 10 grams during a flare up to roughly 28 grams in remission). It then divides that target across the number of meals you choose, so you can see an easy per-meal amount and avoid one large fiber load. The tracker keeps a running total for the day so you know how much fiber you have left to reach, or, during a flare, how much room you have under your low-residue ceiling.
Low-residue foods to eat during a flare
- Refined grains: white bread, white rice, plain pasta, and low-fiber cereals
- Well-cooked, skinless potatoes and tender cooked vegetables without skins or seeds
- Canned or soft fruit without skins; ripe banana; applesauce
- Eggs and tender lean protein such as skinless chicken or fish
- Smooth soups, broths, and low-fiber nutrition drinks
Foods to limit during a flare
- Whole grains, bran, and brown rice
- Raw vegetables, and fruit or vegetable skins and seeds
- Nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and popcorn
- Tough, gristly, or fatty meats
- Often a lot of dairy (limit to about 2 servings if it worsens symptoms)
Adding fiber back in remission
When your symptoms have settled, increase fiber slowly — roughly 3 to 5 grams more per week, one new food at a time — and drink plenty of fluid as you go. This gives your gut time to adjust and helps you find the level you tolerate. The aim is a varied, higher-fiber diet that supports longer stretches between flares.
A sample low-residue flare day (about 10 g)
- Breakfast — scrambled eggs with white toast (~1 g)
- Snack — canned peaches (~1.5 g)
- Lunch — skinless chicken with white rice and well-cooked carrots (~3 g)
- Snack — ripe banana (~3 g)
- Dinner — baked fish with mashed potato, no skin (~1.5 g)
A sample remission day (about 23 g)
- Breakfast — oatmeal with a little soft fruit (~6 g)
- Snack — apple with the skin (~4.4 g)
- Lunch — chicken with brown rice and cooked broccoli (~7 g)
- Snack — a small handful of almonds (~3.5 g)
- Dinner — fish with potato and soft-cooked vegetables (~2 g)
Use the tracker above to build your own day for whichever phase you are in.
Managing another digestive condition on a special diet? See our related calculators for diverticulitis, gastroparesis, pancreatitis, and after gallbladder removal.
⚠️ This tool provides general educational estimates and is not medical advice. A low-residue diet can ease symptoms but does not treat the inflammation of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, which needs medical care. Follow the plan from your own gastroenterologist or registered dietitian, and seek urgent care for severe abdominal pain, a swollen abdomen, vomiting, fever, or bleeding.
Frequently asked questions
How much fiber should I eat on a low-residue diet for IBD?
A low-residue diet usually limits fiber to about 10 to 15 grams per day. It is a short-term plan used during a Crohn's or ulcerative colitis flare, or when the bowel is narrowed, to reduce stool volume and ease symptoms. Pick your phase above to get a target, then increase fiber slowly as you heal.
What is the difference between a low-residue and a low-fiber diet?
They overlap but are not identical. 'Residue' means undigested material that adds to stool — mostly fiber, but also things like tough meat, skins, seeds, and for some people dairy. A low-residue diet limits fiber and these other residue-formers. In practice, following a low-fiber diet gets you most of the way there.
How much fiber should I eat when my IBD is in remission?
Once you are healed and out of a flare, most people do better with more fiber, not less. Research suggests that people with IBD who eat a normal amount of fiber (around 23 grams a day) are significantly less likely to flare than those avoiding it. A low-residue diet is meant to be temporary, not permanent.
What can I eat during a Crohn's or colitis flare?
Stick to soft, low-residue foods: white bread, white rice, plain pasta, well-cooked skinless potatoes, peeled and cooked vegetables, canned or soft fruit without skins, eggs, and tender lean protein. Avoid the high-fiber, high-residue foods listed below until symptoms settle.
What foods should I avoid on a low-residue diet?
During a flare, limit whole grains, raw vegetables, fruit skins and seeds, nuts, beans, popcorn, tough or fatty meats, and often a lot of dairy. These add residue and can worsen cramping, diarrhea, and bloating while your gut is inflamed.
Why does a stricture mean I need a low-residue diet?
A stricture is a narrowed section of bowel, common in Crohn's disease. Bulky, high-residue food can struggle to pass through a narrowing and, in some cases, cause a blockage. A low-residue, soft-textured diet lowers that risk. If you have a known stricture, follow your gastroenterologist's specific guidance.
Is a low-residue diet a treatment for IBD?
No. Diet can ease symptoms during a flare, but it does not treat the underlying inflammation of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis — that requires medical treatment from your care team. Think of a low-residue diet as short-term symptom support, not a cure.
How do I add fiber back after a flare?
Slowly. Increase fiber by only about 3 to 5 grams per week, one food at a time, and drink plenty of fluid as you go. Adding fiber back too fast can cause gas and cramping. The calculator's phases mirror this step-up so you can build toward a normal-fiber diet over several weeks.
Can I have dairy on a low-residue diet?
It depends on the person. Milk and dairy are low in fiber but count as 'residue' for some people and can worsen diarrhea, especially if you are lactose intolerant (common during a flare). Many low-residue plans limit dairy to about 2 servings a day. See how you tolerate it and follow your dietitian's advice.
How is my daily fiber target calculated?
This tool sets your target from the phase you choose — active flare, easing, adding fiber back, or full remission — based on common clinic ranges (about 10 grams during a flare up to roughly 28 grams in remission). It then divides that target across your meals so no single meal delivers a large fiber load.
Is a low-residue diet the same for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis?
The general approach is the same — limit fiber and residue during a flare, then increase fiber in remission. The details differ by person, by how much bowel is affected, and by whether you have a stricture. Always personalise it with your gastroenterologist or dietitian.
Is this low-residue diet calculator free?
Yes. It is completely free, needs no sign-up, keeps your entries private on your own device, and works on any phone, tablet, or computer.
Sources & references
This tool compiles guidance from published clinical sources. It is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice.