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Best Foods and Supplements for Occasional Constipation

By Rachel Link, RD, MS

November 29, 2025

If you occasionally produce fewer-than-normal bowel movements or occasionally have difficulty passing stool, you may be experiencing occasional constipation. It’s not a pleasant feeling and can lead to bloating, stomach discomfort and more. Some people turn to laxatives, but they can lead to stomach cramps and discomfort.

Thankfully, there are certain foods and supplements that support healthy digestive function and elimination. Generally speaking, adding high-fiber foods and soothing liquids to your diet can make a tremendous difference.

Plus, supplements containing probiotics and digestion-aiding ingredients give your body the extra tools to reduce occasional constipation and promote regularity.

What is occasional constipation?

Occasional constipation is when you sometimes have difficulty emptying your bowels. This is typically associated with hardened feces, which causes food waste, or stool, to move more slowly through your digestive tract.

If you’re occasionally producing fewer than three bowel movements per week or if you have small bowel movements that are sometimes difficult to pass, you may have occasional constipation.

Occasional constipation can be caused by several factors, including your diet, physical activity and stress levels.

Best foods

The best foods to eat when occasionally constipated are nutrient-dense and full of fiber that you need to add bulk to stool, which keeps waste moving through the digestive tract.

In addition to adding these foods to your diet, there are foods to avoid when occasionally constipated, including empty calorie foods that provide little nutrition or fiber, fried and refined foods, conventional dairy products and alcohol. To promote regularity, add the following foods to your diet:

1. Probiotic foods

Probiotic foods can support healthy bowel transit time and digestive function. Certain strains of probiotics can also support healthy elimination and the body’s natural cleansing process, plus may even reduce occasional constipation, gas and bloating. 

These foods are especially helpful when occasional constipation stems from imbalanced gut flora.

2. Berries

Berries — such as raspberries, blackberries and strawberries — are rich in fiber and water, helping to bulk up stool while keeping it soft. Their antioxidant content also supports overall gut health, making them a nutritious choice for regularity.

3. Kiwi

Kiwi is a gentle but powerful digestive aid thanks to its fiber content and a natural enzyme called actinidin, which supports smoother digestion. Research shows kiwi can help increase stool frequency and ease discomfort, making it a great daily option for constipation relief.

4. Prunes

Prunes are one of the most effective foods for constipation because they contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, along with a natural sugar alcohol called sorbitol that draws water into the intestines. This combination helps soften stool, stimulate bowel movements and improve overall regularity.

Eating a few a day can serve to help with occasional constipation, but be careful not to go overboard since dried fruit contains high amounts of sugar.

5. Leafy greens

Leafy greens like spinach, kale and Swiss chard provide insoluble fiber, magnesium and water, all of which promote softer stools and more efficient movement through the digestive tract. These vegetables are especially beneficial for people who tend to have dry or hard stools.

6. Broccoli and cauliflower

These cruciferous vegetables offer a mix of fiber and water, helping to increase stool volume and encourage bowel movements. Their sulfur-containing compounds also support gut health, though they may need to be cooked for easier digestion in sensitive individuals.

7. Chia seeds and flax seeds

Chia seeds are extremely high in soluble fiber and can absorb many times their weight in water, forming a gel that lubricates the intestines. This unique property makes them excellent for relieving occasional constipation when added to liquids or soft foods.

Flaxseed offers both soluble and insoluble fiber, helping add bulk to stool while also making it easier to pass. It also contains natural oils that can have a mild, lubricating effect on the digestive tract.

8. Legumes

Lentils, chickpeas and black beans are rich in both fiber and resistant starch, which feed beneficial gut bacteria and stimulate motility. Because they add significant bulk to stool, legumes can be especially effective when constipation is related to low fiber intake.

9. Ancient grains

Whole grains are typically much higher in fiber than refined grains. Eating ancient whole grains can help with stool frequency and enhance regularity. Some great options include amaranth, barley, buckwheat, farro, quinoa, sorghum, teff and oats.

For example, oats contain beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that absorbs water and creates a gel-like texture in the intestines. This helps soften stool, reduce strain and promote smoother bowel movements, making oats a reliable everyday option. Try making up an overnight oats variation.

10. Water-rich fruits and vegetables

Water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumbers and oranges help increase the water content of stool, which is crucial for preventing and relieving occasional constipation. Their high hydration levels support overall digestive comfort.

11. Healthy fats

Foods like avocados, nuts and olive oil help lubricate the intestines and can naturally soften stool. Incorporating healthy fats into meals also supports long-term digestive health and smoother bowel movements.

Best liquids

1. Water

Dehydration can cause occasional constipation or make it worse, so be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. This is especially important when you’re increasing your fiber intake, as water is needed to turn high-fiber foods into stool that will pass easily through the digestive tract. Eating fibrous foods without enough water can actually make constipation worse.

2. Warm liquids

Drinking warm liquids over cold ones may help to stimulate digestion and get things moving, especially when consumed in the morning. Try herbal teas, warm water with lemon, bone broth and coffee in moderation.

For example, warm water with fresh lemon helps hydrate the body and may gently stimulate the digestive tract. The acidity of lemon can also support stomach acid production, which aids digestion and overall motility.

3. Prune juice

It contains sorbitol, a natural sugar alcohol that draws water into the intestines and gently stimulates bowel movements. It works quickly for many people and is a great option for occasional constipation.

Best supplements for occasional constipation

When exploring the best supplements for occasional constipation and bloating, look for those that feature gut-friendly ingredients that will promote overall digestive health.

1. Fiber supplement

A fiber supplement can support regularity and reduce occasional constipation, gas and bloating. It can even assist with healthy weight management (in addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle, including regular exercise).

Ancient Nutrition’s Organic Fiber powder (available in pineapple mango and raspberry lemonade flavors) features a fiber blend of konjac root, acacia fiber and probiotics. It was designed to deliver something that women and men can’t currently find on the market: a gentle-acting, certified organic fiber powder that uses soluble fiber sources alongside soil-based organism (SBO) probiotics for digestive health.

Organic Fiber provides soluble fiber from konjac root and acacia fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves easily in water and becomes more gelatinous as it moves through your digestive tract. It also binds with fatty acids, helping to slow down sugar absorption in the body and to promote healthy blood lipids.

2. Probiotic

Probiotics for constipation are the next place to go in the supplement category. Ancient Nutrition's SBO Probiotics Ultimate support healthy bowel transit time and can help improve digestion. They contain 50 billion shelf-stable CFUs per serving and feature soil-based organisms, prebiotics and postbiotics, a trifecta that can be used to reduce occasional constipation, gas and bloating.

Ancient Nutrition's Gut Restore Probiotic is made with time-tested Ayurvedic ingredients that support healthy digestive function, including organic licorice, marshmallow, zinc and magnesium.

3. Colostrum

Colostrum is a form of milk produced by mammals like humans and cows during late pregnancy and the first few days after giving birth. Commonly called “liquid gold,” it is thicker, yellowish and more nutrient-filled than regular milk.

While it is most commonly associated with infant nutrition, bovine colostrum (from cows) is fast becoming a popular supplement for adults due to its health-boosting properties.

Ancient Nutrition’s Colostrum pairs colostrum and lactoferrin with clinically studied SBO probiotics to help promote healthy digestion, nutrient absorption, healthy elimination and overall digestive comfort. It also helps reduce occasional constipation, gas, bloating and abdominal discomfort.

4. Collagen

Ancient Nutrition’s Multi Collagen Gut Restore is an unusual supplement that includes both skin, hair, joint and gut supporting collagen along a probiotic (5 billion CFU of Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis). 

Essentially, this supplement combines traditionally gut-supporting ingredients to support gut microflora, gut lining and gut integrity. It can help reduce occasional constipation, gas and bloating, plus relieve symptoms of flatulence, abdominal distention and discomfort. 

Each capsule features digestion-friendly herbs, including slippery elm, apple cider vinegar, and fermented peppermint and ginger. This formula was created to aid digestion and reduce collagen degradation.

Always consult your healthcare professional prior to beginning any new dietary or lifestyle regimen, including dietary supplementation. Overall, a good rule of thumb is: When you increase your dietary fiber intake, be sure to also increase your water intake to support healthy digestive function.