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.
cereals like rice krispies and cornflakes, ready brek, potatoes (no skins), green bananas, sweet potato, yam, dishes made with maize, millet or cornmeal and white pasta or rice for energy. These foods may also thicken your stoma output. Make these types of foods the main part of all your meals.
The low fibre versions are better tolerated so try white bread, breakfast cereals like rice krispies or cornflakes, white rice/pasta, and avoid skins on potatoes. These provide protein, vitamins and minerals which is essential for health and repair of body tissues.
Non-fibrous cereals that do not contain nuts, seeds or fried fruit e.g. Rice Krispies®, Cocopops®, corn and frosted flake type cereals. Crackers without nuts, seeds or dried fruit chunks e.g. Digestives, cheese-flavoured crackers or 'Original Ryvita®'.
In addition to your normal diet, you should look to include the following foods: Full fat milk and cheese. Double cream (add to soup, mashed potato and puddings) Snack on biscuits and cakes.
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.
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).
Avoiding high-fiber foods: High-fiber foods can have difficulty passing through the intestine and exiting the stoma. Don't eat raw vegetables, coconut, corn, nuts, dried fruit, popcorn or other foods with lots of fiber.
You can eat whatever you want if you have an ostomy
If you've been given the OK from your doctor to resume your regular diet, eat what you like.
Foods to include in your diet
Low-fiber foods, such as: White bread, pasta, and rice. Bagels, rolls, and crackers made from white or refined flour. Cereals made from white or refined flour (such as Cream of Wheat®, Rice Chex™, and Rice Krispies®)
Foods to limit
High-fat milk and dairy products, such as: Whole milk. Regular ice cream or sherbet.
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. The aim is to eat foods that don't place an additional burden on your digestive system.
Beans are soft and generally fine in moderation, but the shells on baked beans particularly can cause problems, like blockages or wind. We say: try them out & see how you go!
There are safety measures you may need to think about. For instance, many doctors recommend avoiding contact sports because of possible injury to the stoma from a severe blow. But special protection may be able to help prevent these problems. Talk to your health care team about any limitations you may have.
Eat foods that thicken the stool such as: rice, pasta, cheese, bananas, applesauce, smooth peanut butter, pretzels, yogurt, and marshmallows. Drink 2 or 3 glasses of fluid that will replace electrolytes like sports drinks, fruit or vegetable juice and broth but limit these items.
Stool irritation, product sensitivity and yeast are certainly the more common reasons for redness around the stoma.
If possible, take a short walk or just walk slowly around your house, as long as it's not too painful. Try several different body positions, such as a knee-chest position, or lie on the side of your stoma with knees bent, as it might help move the blockage forward.
Constipation may occur in people who have a colostomy but wherever possible it is crucial this is treated with an increase in fluid intake or dietary fibre as opposed to using laxatives.
It is important to ensure you are drinking enough fluid and add salt to your diet to avoid dehydration as more water and salt will be lost in loose or high colostomy outputs. Sports drinks and glasses of milk can be very useful as they replace essential salts and glucose.
Tips for eating with a stoma
Include milk and dairy foods two to three times per day as they are rich in calcium – choose lower fat varieties as healthy options. If you cannot eat dairy, try dairy free alternatives such a soya/almond/coconut/oat milk which are fortified with calcium.
Roast potatoes – enjoy as is. Yorkshire Pudding – enjoy as is. Roasted root vegetables e.g., parsnips and carrots, neeps and tatties: peel them, cook them until soft and enjoy with your favourite flavourings such as honey and spices.
Keeping hydrated is an important aspect of living with a stoma. For many people it is just making sure you are drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day. You should try to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day along with any other drinks such as tea or coffee.