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.
Foods to include in your diet
Low-fiber foods, such as: Well-cooked vegetables without skins or seeds (such as peeled potatoes, peeled zucchini with the seeds removed, and peeled tomatoes with the seeds removed) Lettuce. Strained vegetable juice.
Applesauce, Bananas, Boiled white rice, Creamy nut butter (such as peanut butter), Oatmeal/porridge, Gelatin containing foods (jelly babies, marshmallows).
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.
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.
* For the first 3 to 4 weeks after your surgery, don't eat more than 1 small ripe banana per day. Eating too much banana may cause an ileostomy blockage.
You can still get your five-a-day! The skins of some fruits and vegetables are really tough, so it might be best to peel them to avoid any problems, especially potato skins and apple skins.
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).
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.
It is normal for some food to pass through to the stoma unaltered. However, foods high in fibre may cause a blockage because they are difficult to digest when eaten in large quantities or not chewed well. Foods that may cause constipation or blockage: Vegetables with skins or stalks such as celery, peas or sweetcorn.
Eat 6 to 8 small meals or snacks daily, or every 2 to 3 hours. Include salty foods and snacks such as pretzels, saltine crackers, or potato chips to absorb water. of foods to limit). Avoid sugary beverages such as juice, lemonade, iced tea, or pop.
Fibrous foods are difficult to digest and may cause a blockage if they are eaten in large quantities or are not properly chewed, so for the first 6 to 8 weeks after your operation you should avoid fibrous foods such as nuts, seeds, pips, pith, fruit and vegetable skins, raw vegetables, salad, peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms ...
A guide to foods not to eat when you have a colostomy bag
Stay away from these foods when you've recently had colostomy surgery: Dairy products, with the exception of small amount of yogurt. Fried food or any fatty meats, including potato chips.
Fruits and vegetables your gut can manage, e.g. 1 banana or 2 kiwi fruit (pips and core removed) A small handful of olives (chewed well) Bread or crackers (whole grain if you can manage) Cheese.
You may find that after your operation the output may be increased and it may be a fluid consistency. This will thicken to become a thick paste (toothpaste/ porridge consistency) in the following weeks as the rest of the bowel starts to take up more fluid than it used to.
Foods such as bananas, pasta, cheese, applesauce, peanut butter, and tapioca have been known to produce thick stool. You can experiment with the food items to prevent stool from being too thick; thick stool could affect the functioning of the ostomy.
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.
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.
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. Massage the abdominal area and the area around your stoma. Most food blockages occur just below the stoma and this may help dislodge the blockage.
Foods to avoid
For the first 3 to 4 weeks after your surgery, don't eat raw fruits with the skin. Examples are: Apples Strawberries Blueberries Grapes These fruits may cause an ileostomy blockage.
After the first few days after surgery, you can take liquids such as clear soup or juice, followed by easily digestible foods like oatmeal. Gradually thereafter, other foods that will likely be suitable are well-cooked rice, pureed fresh fruit, as well as cooked and pureed vegetables.
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.