The present invention provides dietary compositions for mammalian consumption. In particular, the present invention provides compositions comprising pectin, a component comprising electrolytes, thickening agents, a sweetening agent, and water, and methods for making such compositions. In some embodiments, the dietary compositions are used for preventing and/or treating malabsorption dysfunction and associated disorders (e.g., short bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease). In some embodiments, the dietary compositions are used for preventing and/or treating colonic disorders (e.g., ulcerative colitis). The dietary compositions further find use in subjects with diarrhea, regardless of cause, subject suffering from gastric dumping syndrome, and obese patients or patients seeking to lose weight, as the composition delays gastric emptying (e.g., creating feeling of early satiety). In some embodiments, the dietary composition is a prebiotic food supplement.