Other foods that colostomy patients tolerate well are bananas, tapioca, sticky white rice, and white toast. Small quantities of lean animal proteins are also beneficial.
Don't eat more than 1 small ripe banana per day for the first 3 to 4 weeks after your surgery. Eating more than this may cause an ileostomy blockage.
Foods that are reported to help thicken the stoma output include apple sauce, bananas, buttermilk, cheese, marshmallows, jelly babies, (boiled) milk, noodles, smooth creamy peanut butter, rice, tapioca pudding, toast, potatoes and yoghurt.
In the wake of a colostomy, consider consuming some of these foods: The live and active cultures in yogurt are good for a recovering digestive system. Cranberries, bananas, and applesauce. White toast and well-cooked white rice.
You must still include fibre in your diet. Choose some foods from the following list daily: Wholemeal bread. High fibre cereal e.g. Weetabix, porridge.
You can eat whatever you want if you have an ostomy
If you have a colostomy or ileostomy, you'll find that various foods affect your digestive tract differently. Just as some foods gave you gas before your surgery, you'll likely experience gas with certain foods now that you have an ostomy.
One major issue to watch out for with a stoma is the laxative effect of some chocolates. The caffeine and fibre within the chocolate can increase the rate of motility (which is the contraction of the muscles in the digestive tract that encourage bowel movements).
Eat starch carbohydrates such as white bread, low fibre cereals like rice crispies or cornflakes, potatoes (no skins) and white rice/pasta for energy and to help thicken your colostomy output.
What CAN you eat? There are lots of low-residue desserts, including angel food cake, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, pumpkin pie, lemon bars, ice cream, pudding, canned fruit, etc.
It's best to eat mostly bland, low-fiber foods for the first few weeks after your surgery. Bland foods are cooked, easy-to-digest foods that aren't spicy, heavy, or fried. Eating bland foods will help you avoid uncomfortable symptoms, such as: Diarrhea (loose or watery bowel movements)
Aim for two portions per day of the following: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, lentils, tofu, quorn or beans (which are also good sources of iron). Aim for two to three portions a day: milk, cheese or yoghurt (which are also a good source of calcium, protein and energy).
Applesauce, Bananas, Boiled white rice, Creamy nut butter (such as peanut butter), Oatmeal/porridge, Gelatin containing foods (jelly babies, marshmallows).
Skin irritation around your stoma is usually caused by leakage from your ostomy pouch and the output from your stoma getting underneath the adhesive and onto your skin. It is uncomfortable and can stop your pouch from working well. The skin around your stoma should look similar to the skin on the rest of your body.
Dietary tips when you have stoma:
Protein rich foods such as meat, fish, beans, lentils, eggs, cheese, milk, or yogurt. Carbohydrates (starchy foods) such as bread, potato, pasta, rice, and breakfast cereals.
It is important to increase your intake of calories, fat and protein to aid your body's healing process. In addition to your normal diet, you should look to include the following foods: Full fat milk and cheese.
After an ileostomy, it may be harder to digest foods that are high in fiber, such as raw vegetables, popcorn, and nuts. Eaten in large amounts, these foods can clump together. Then they get stuck in the small intestine, causing a blockage.
Coffee and tea are fine, but as with anything else be aware of any reactions in your digestive system. Carbonated drinks in general can cause gas. Beer can cause the output from the ostomy to become more liquid. You can drink alcohol.
Once your appetite has returned and your stoma output starts normalising, you can gradually reintroduce more foods. Try to include a range of foods from each of the following food groups to make sure you have a balanced diet: Protein rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, lentils and beans.
Peeled and well-cooked vegetables without seeds e.g. onions, carrots, swede, butternut squash, avocados, broccoli or cauliflower florets (without the stalk), beetroot, parsnip, courgette, aubergine, bell peppers and cucumber. Cooked, de-skinned and non-seeded tomatoes e.g. sieved tinned tomatoes or passata.
Keeping hydrated with an ileostomy, colostomy and urostomy
You should try to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day along with any other drinks such as tea or coffee.
Complete recovery from a colostomy may take up to 2 months. During this time, you will have limits on what you can eat while the colon heals. If the colostomy is temporary, you may need a reversal, or closure, surgery after the colon has healed. You usually have this surgery about 3 months later.
Coffee and tea are fine, but just like other foods, be aware of any reactions in your digestive system. Carbonated drinks may cause gas. Beer can cause the output from the ostomy to become more liquid. You can drink alcohol.