The goal of the day before a colonoscopy is to clear everything out of your colon, the better for your doctor to be able to peer inside for abnormalities. That means not only drinking a prep to clean out the colon, not ingesting anything extra that needs to be cleared out, and not eating things with colored dyes (red, purple, or blue) that might stain the colon and cause concern if spotted during the screening.
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A simple trip the grocery store with a colonoscopy-friendly shopping list could make the difference between misery and tolerableness the day before.
Here are some items to consider for your pre-colonoscopy grocery list:
Clear Beverages Apple juice, Gatorade, coconut water, ginger ale, white grape juice, and lemon-lime sodas are all great go-tos to sip throughout the day, as long as all the juices are pulp-free, Lee says. “Coffee and tea are also okay provided you don’t add milk or cream,” she says.
Savory Broth “This includes vegetable, chicken, or beef,” Lee says. “We especially suggest this for its protein content.” For a flavorful broth, strain wonton soup and sip only the broth.
Clear Candy This includes clear hard candies and even clear gummy bears, says Dr. Greenwald. “Again, avoid anything red or purple because it can look like blood in the colon [during the test],” he says.
Gelatin “While gelatin isn’t technically a liquid, Jell-O is great psychologically because it feels like you’re chewing on something,” Lee says. “It also stays in your intestines longer and makes you feel a little full, but make sure to avoid red or purple Jell-O,” she cautions.
Popsicles “Anything that melts will work,” Greenwald says. “So popsicles and lemon ices are great choices — again avoid any with artificial red or purple coloring.” One pro tip: Make ice cubes out of clear apple juice. “Slowly melt the ice cube in your mouth,” says Cherry Dumaual, 72, who had her first colonoscopy at age 45. “It really helps.”
