Oatmeal and Diverticulitis: Is It Safe to Eat?
Digestive HealthDiverticulitis

Can You Eat Oatmeal With Diverticulitis?

Can You Eat Oatmeal With Diverticulitis?
Everyday Health
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Updated on December 17, 2025
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Oatmeal is an excellent source of soluble fiber and a delicious whole grain that contains many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s also an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, protein, and iron.

Fiber keeps the stool soft and helps prevent constipation, which may lessen the chances of a diverticulitis flare-up. Diverticulitis occurs when the diverticula, or small bulging pouches in the colon, become infected or inflamed. Symptoms usually include abdominal pain and tenderness in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen, as well as fever, constipation, or diarrhea.

Eating fiber-rich foods like oatmeal can play an important role in supporting digestive health and preventing flare-ups. But if you’re in the midst of a flare-up, it’s best to reintroduce these foods slowly after you’ve recovered.

What to Eat During a Flare-Up

With diverticulitis, a doctor usually recommends oral antibiotics for certain situations and a diet of clear liquids to allow for bowel rest. For severe cases, you may need to be hospitalized. Clear broths and pulp-free juices, gelatin, and popsicles are good choices.

 These foods allow less material to pass through the colon, thereby “resting” it.

It’s important to follow this dietary advice to allow enough time for the colon to heal. Once the healing has occurred, your doctor will gradually advance the diet to solids and include some low-fiber foods. Applesauce, cooked vegetables (no seeds or skins), yogurt, and other dairy can provide this level of fiber. If adding meats, they need to be tender and well-cooked.

You and your doctor can discuss which diet choices are right for you.

How to Reintroduce Oatmeal and High-Fiber Foods

Usually a few days after a flare-up, you’ll be able to start gradually reintroducing high-fiber foods like oatmeal into your diet.

Oatmeal is a whole grain that’s beneficial for colon health. One cup of instant oatmeal contains approximately 4 grams of fiber.

Always remember to drink plenty of water when eating high-fiber foods. The soluble fiber will absorb the water and help keep the stool soft as it passes through the colon.

If you experience increased abdominal pain, fever, inability to tolerate oral fluids, or rectal bleeding, it’s important to contact your doctor. Severe diverticulitis might require hospitalization to receive intravenous antibiotics.

The Takeaway

  • Oatmeal is an excellent source of soluble fiber, which can help keep stools soft and prevent constipation.
  • After a bout of diverticulitis, you will gradually transition from a clear liquid diet to a low-fiber diet, and then slowly introduce high-fiber foods, like oatmeal.
  • Seek immediate medical attention if you experience increased abdominal pain, fever, or rectal bleeding, or if you’re unable to tolerate oral fluids.
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Yuying Luo, MD

Medical Reviewer

Yuying Luo, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City. She aims to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered, and holistic care for her patients.

Her clinical and research focus includes patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia; patients with lower gastrointestinal motility (constipation) disorders and defecatory and anorectal disorders (such as dyssynergic defecation); and women’s gastrointestinal health.

She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her MD from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was also chief resident. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was also chief fellow.

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Linda H. Lamb

Author

Linda H. Lamb is a health and medical writer based in Columbia, South Carolina, specializing in diabetes prevention and community health initiatives. She has established herself as a regular contributor to AARP South Carolina publications, covering critical public health issues affecting older adults and marginalized communities throughout the state.

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Resources
  1. Diverticulitis Diet. Mayo Clinic. November 12, 2024.
  2. Mayo Clinic Staff. Are There Any Trigger Foods I Should Stop Eating to Prevent Diverticulosis Attacks? Mayo Clinic. July 9, 2024.
  3. Diverticular Disease and Diet. University of California San Francisco.
  4. Chart of High Fiber Foods. Mayo Clinic. November 23, 2023.
  5. Diverticulitis. Cleveland Clinic. April 10, 2023.