Fluid diet - clear

Aim

To provide clear fluids to replace or maintain the body’s water balance and leave minimum residue in the intestinal tract.

Characteristics

Only fluids or foods that liquefy at body temperature and are low in fat and residue.

Indications

Where appropriate, clinicians may consider ordering this diet for patients:

• following gastrointestinal surgery, as a first step in oral rehydration
• to reduce the amount of residue in the colon, as preparation for bowel surgery or barium enema
• severe nausea, vomiting or acute diarrhoea.

This diet is suitable to be used in combination with clear thickened fluids. While thickened fluids contain fibre in the nutrient information panel, the type of fibre is not clinically significant.

Nutritional adequacy

This diet is inadequate in all nutrients and should not be used as the sole source of nutritional support for more than 3 days, unless appropriate oral nutrition supplements are used.

Precautions

• Variety and choice are severely limited in this diet.
• If this diet is to be used in preparation for a gastrointestinal procedure, confirm local protocol.
• Commercial clear oral nutritional supplements may include whey protein as an ingredient.

Paediatrics

Suitable for use in paediatrics when combined with an age-appropriate diet.

Specific menu planning guidelines

	Allowed	Not allowed
Hot main dishes	Nil	All
Sauces, gravies	Nil	All
Starchy vegetables / pasta / rice	Nil	All
Vegetables	Nil	All
Soups	Low-fat clear soup and broths <2g fat per serve	Cream soup or soup with visible food pieces
Sandwiches	Nil	All
Salads, dressings	Nil	All
Breads, cereals	Nil	All
Spreads	Nil	All
Hot breakfast choices	Nil	All
Fruit	Nil	All
Yoghurt	Nil	All
Desserts	Plain jelly, sorbet or plain ice blocks	All others
Milk and cheese	Nil	All
Beverages	Water Pulp-free apple juice Cordial, soft drink Black tea, black coffee, herbal tea	Juice containing pulp Orange, pineapple, tomato and prune juice All others
Biscuits	Nil	All
Miscellaneous	Plain boiled sweets, gums and jubes Commercial rehydration fluids and ice blocks Commercial clear fat-free, fibre-free, liquid oral nutritional supplements Commercial clear fat-free thickened fluids Sugar, salt, sweeteners	Cream, pepper All other commercial oral nutrition supplements All other commercial thickened fluids
Celebratory foods, special occasions	Nil	All

References

• Daley SF, Sharma S. Therapeutic diets for the management of gastrointestinal conditions and preoperative and postoperative care (updated 9 Aug 2025). In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026.

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