What should you eat with diverticulitis?
Outside an attack, NIDDK says most people with diverticular disease do not need to avoid specific foods, nuts, popcorn and seeds included. It advises more high-fiber foods and less red meat: a cup of cooked split peas has 16.3 g and a cup of cooked lentils has 15.6 g of fiber, out of a 28 g Daily Value.
This is advice for diverticulosis and for the time between attacks. During an attack, follow your doctor: NIDDK describes a short clear liquid diet in some cases. Severe pain, fever or bleeding needs medical care.
Fiber in a serving
| Food | Serving | Fiber | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split peas, cooked | 1 cup (6.9 oz, 196 g) | 16.3 g | 58% |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup (7 oz, 198 g) | 15.6 g | 56% |
| Black beans, cooked | 1 cup (6.1 oz, 172 g) | 15 g | 53% |
| Chickpeas, cooked | 1 cup (5.8 oz, 164 g) | 12.5 g | 45% |
| Raspberries | 1 cup (5.3 oz, 150 g) | 9.8 g | 35% |
| Chia seeds | 1 oz (28 g) | 9.7 g | 35% |
| Green peas, cooked | 1 cup (5.6 oz, 160 g) | 8.8 g | 31% |
| Bulgur, cooked | 1 cup (6.4 oz, 182 g) | 8.2 g | 29% |
| Blackberries | 1 cup (5.3 oz, 150 g) | 8 g | 28% |
| Artichoke, cooked | 1 medium artichoke (4.2 oz, 120 g) | 6.8 g | 24% |
| Barley, cooked | 1 cup (5.5 oz, 157 g) | 6 g | 21% |
| Pear | 1 medium pear (6.3 oz, 178 g) | 5.5 g | 20% |
| Broccoli, cooked | 1 cup, chopped (5.5 oz, 156 g) | 5.1 g | 18% |
| Avocado | 1/2 avocado (2.4 oz, 68 g) | 4.6 g | 17% |
| Apple | 1 medium apple (6.4 oz, 182 g) | 4.4 g | 16% |
| Rolled oats, dry | 1/2 cup dry (1.4 oz, 40.5 g) | 4.1 g | 15% |
| Brussels sprouts, cooked | 1 cup (5.5 oz, 156 g) | 4.1 g | 14% |
| Popcorn, air-popped | 3 cups (24 g) | 3.5 g | 12% |
| Almonds | 1 oz (28 g) | 3 g | 11% |
| Whole-wheat bread | 1 slice (1.1 oz, 32.1 g) | 1.9 g | 7% |
| White rice, cooked | 1 cup (5.6 oz, 158 g) | 0.63 g | 2% |
USDA FoodData Central. Daily Value for fiber: 28 g. Sorted by fiber per serving, with white rice for contrast.
What NIDDK (NIH) says
Amounts and limits
- Level E NIDDK (NIH):
Research suggests that a diet low in fiber and high in red meat may increase your risk of getting diverticulitis—inflammation of one or a few pouches in the wall of your colon.
NIDDK, Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Diverticular Disease, accessed 2026-10-12
What to choose
- Level E NIDDK (NIH):
In the past, doctors used to recommend avoiding nuts, popcorn, and seeds. However, more recent research suggests that these foods are not harmful to people with diverticulosis or diverticular disease.
NIDDK, Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Diverticular Disease, accessed 2026-10-12 - Level E NIDDK (NIH):
Eating high-fiber foods and eating less red meat may lower the risk.
NIDDK, Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Diverticular Disease, accessed 2026-10-12
Good to know
- Level E NIDDK (NIH):
Most people with diverticulosis or diverticular disease do not need to avoid specific foods.
NIDDK, Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Diverticular Disease, accessed 2026-10-12
During an attack
- Level E For a diverticulitis attack, NIDDK lists a clear liquid diet for a short time to rest the colon among possible treatments, with solid foods added back slowly as symptoms improve. NIDDK (NIH), Treatment for Diverticular Disease, last reviewed August 2021
Text in quotation marks is word for word from the official source. Level E means the position of an expert body or a drug label. How we grade evidence.
What studies found
Evidence behind the advice
- Level C An umbrella review of 33 meta-analyses covering 17 million people rated the evidence convincing for three outcomes: cardiovascular death, pancreatic cancer and diverticular disease. Veronese et al., Clinical Nutrition, 2025
- Level C In 50,019 US nurses followed 24 years, apples and pears were among the fruits tied to less diverticulitis, with a hazard ratio of 0.95 for each extra daily serving of whole fruit. Am J Gastroenterol, 2019
The other side and the limits
- Level C In 47,228 US men followed for 18 years, eating popcorn at least twice a week was linked to a lower, not higher, risk of diverticulitis compared with less than once a month. JAMA, 2008
- Level C Pooling nine observational studies with over two million person-years, eating nuts was not linked to more diverticulitis (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.12), and each extra weekly serving went with about 5% lower risk. Nutrients, 2025
Levels: A is a meta-analysis of trials, B a randomized trial, C an observational study, D lab work or case reports, E an expert position. How we grade evidence.
In practice
Between attacks, the goal is more fiber. NIDDK says most people with diverticular disease do not need to avoid specific foods, and that nuts, popcorn and seeds are not harmful. A cup of cooked lentils gives about 15.6 g of fiber, more than half the 28 g Daily Value, and a cup of raspberries gives about 9.8 g.
Swapping some red meat for beans or lentils fits both parts of the NIDDK advice at once. In large cohort studies below, people who ate popcorn or nuts did not have more diverticulitis.
An attack is different. NIDDK describes a short clear liquid diet in some cases, then adding solid foods back as symptoms improve. That plan comes from your doctor, not from this list.
Evidence behind this note
- Level C In 47,228 US men followed for 18 years, eating popcorn at least twice a week was linked to a lower, not higher, risk of diverticulitis compared with less than once a month. JAMA, 2008
- Level C Pooling nine observational studies with over two million person-years, eating nuts was not linked to more diverticulitis (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.12), and each extra weekly serving went with about 5% lower risk. Nutrients, 2025
- Level E For a diverticulitis attack, NIDDK lists a clear liquid diet for a short time to rest the colon among possible treatments, with solid foods added back slowly as symptoms improve. NIDDK (NIH), Treatment for Diverticular Disease, last reviewed August 2021
Written from the positions and data on this page, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Sources
- NIDDK, Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Diverticular Disease, https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/diverticulosis-diverticulitis/eating-diet-nutrition (accessed 2026-10-12)
- NIDDK (NIH), Treatment for Diverticular Disease, last reviewed August 2021, https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/diverticulosis-diverticulitis/treatment (checked 2026-10-14)
- USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021-2023 (survey foods), Foundation Foods, SR Legacy (2018)): nutrient values and household measures (food_portion, release 2026-04-30). fdc.nal.usda.gov
- Evidence cards: each study above links to its source. Card review dates are listed in our methodology.
Agency pages checked 2026-10-12. Bioma Learn provides information, not medical advice.