I’m Naomi – retired aged care worker here, now in my late 60s. I’ve helped countless residents through medical preps over the years, and have gone through a colonoscopy myself. Like most of you probably know by now, those clear-liquid diet days before the procedure can be rough — especially if you’re craving something savoury.

I decided to put my years of broth-making experience to good use and came up with what I honestly think is the best-tasting broth for clear liquid diet that’s still gentle, colonoscopy-prep safe, and easy to sip throughout the day.

Here’s my recipe — it’s simple, but it’s all about balance and clarity (both literally and flavour-wise!).

Naomi’s Comforting Clear Broth (Colonoscopy Prep Friendly)

Quantity: about 6 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 small chicken drumsticks (or wings) — skin and fat trimmed
• 6 cups water
• 1 small carrot (cut into big chunks, for flavour only — remove before serving)
• 1 stick celery (same deal — remove before serving)
• ¼ small onion (optional, just for aroma, not enough to cloud the broth)
• ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce (optional, for colour and depth – check label, no solids)
• 1 sprig parsley or a small bay leaf (optional, for fragrance)

Instructions:

1. Rinse the chicken pieces under cold water to remove any bone fragments.
2. Add everything to a medium pot and bring it to a gentle boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce to a very low simmer. You’ll see a bit of foam rise to the top — skim this off carefully so your broth stays clear.
4. Simmer uncovered for about 1½ hours. Don’t rush it; slow cooking brings out the flavour without clouding the liquid.
5. Strain the broth through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container.
6. Taste and add a touch more salt if needed.
7. Cool and refrigerate. Once chilled, you can lift off any fat that solidifies on top to keep it ultra-clear.

Tips from my years in care:

• If you’re not a fan of chicken, you can swap it for beef bones or vegetable stock cubes (clear ones only!).
• When prepping for colonoscopy, avoid anything cloudy — that means no potato, no tomato, and no blended veggie bits.
• If you get tired of plain broth, sip it warm from a mug like tea. It’s comforting and helps stave off that “hungry cranky” feeling.

It’s savoury, a bit salty, smells lovely, and doesn’t taste like hospital food!
Hope it helps someone else out there — I’d love to hear what tweaks others have made to keep things tasty but clear.

Warm wishes,
-Naomi

5-Minute Better than Bouillon Clear Liquid Diet Soup

• Heat 2 cups of water in a small pot, with a sprig of fresh parsley
• Stir in 1 tsp chicken Better than Bouillon (or veggie if you prefer)
• Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes, then strain out the parsley.

If you want to fancy things up a bit, try these additions:

• Ginger kick: Add a thin slice of fresh ginger while the water heats, then remove it before sipping — cozy and warming
• Citrus twist: A splash of lemon or lime juice for brightness
• Umami boost: A dash of strained soy sauce or fish sauce if you want that ramen-y umami kick

Pour into your fave mug with a dash of cold water if you don’t want it piping hot, and enjoy on the couch with a movie or a good book. As well as clear liquid diet, this is a great one for those cold winter nights when you just want something warm and salty to sip on. 

It’s not fancy, but when you’re on day two of broth and juice, this tastes like liquid gold.

Anyone tried it?

~Raj

My other half has been booked in for a colonoscopy next month. He needs to go on a clear liquid diet, and I’m trying to make sure I get it absolutely right. I’ve read a bunch of lists online, but I’m still second-guessing myself because some of the examples out there seem a bit contradictory.

On my list so far I've got:

• Chicken broth (strained, no bits)
• Apple juice and white grape juice
• Lemon/lime sports drinks
• Plain gelatin (lemon flavour)
• Herbal tea (no milk)

I was thinking about making some homemade “clear” soups with vegetable broth and maybe straining them really well — but would that still count as clear if it’s slightly cloudy from the veggies? I don’t want to mess this up.

Also — is weak black tea okay, or should I stick to herbal? I’ve seen both yes and no online, and it’s making me nervous.

If anyone has any suggestions for clear liquid diet easy “meal” ideas (even if it’s just a different way to serve the same few things) that worked for you or someone you’ve cared for, I’d love suggestions. I want to keep him from feeling like he’s just sipping the same thing over and over all day.

Thanks in advance — I know this sounds like a small thing, but I really want to make this go as smoothly as possible for him.

Cheers, Angie

Just thought I’d share something that made my prep a bit easier — hard candy. You can’t have anything red or milky, but clear candies are fair game and honestly helped take the edge off the no-food thing.

I've previously gone with lemon barley sugar and plain peppermint. Peppermint was good for settling the stomach when things got a bit... messy.

Anyway, figured I’d toss that out there. Any other opinions on the best hard candy before colonoscopy? Anyone else find one that helped? Or one to avoid?