A nurse is talking with a client who reports constipation. When nurse discusses dietary changes that can help prevent constipation, which of following foods should nurse recommend?

Correct Answer: B. Fresh fruit and whole-wheat toast.

A high fiber diet promotes normal bowel elimination. The choice of fruit and toast is the highest-fiber option. Most Americans consume only half the levels of recommended fiber per day, which is almost 15 grams per day. All existing definitions recognize fiber as “carbohydrate or lignin which bypasses digestion in the small intestine and is partially or completely fermented in the large intestine or colon.”

• Option A: Macaroni and cheese is a low residue option that could actually worse and constipate. Insoluble fiber maintains bowel movements. They absorb water and soften the stool. Soft stool is easier to pass, thus preventing constipation. They also add bulk to the stools hence prevent the formation of loose stools.
• Option C: Rice pudding and ripe bananas are low residue options that could actually worsen constipation. High fiber diet prevents the formation or worsening of hemorrhoids, and of diverticular disease, which presents as outpouchings in the walls of the colon.
• Option D: Roast chicken and white rice or low residue options that could actually worsen constipation. They are water-soluble and derived from the inner flesh of plants such as pectin, gums, and mucilage. They form a viscous gel and are usually fermented by bacteria in the colon into gases and by-products such as short-chain fatty acids. They alter the blood glucose and cholesterol concentrations.