With a colostomy, you can enjoy many snacks like cheese and crackers, yogurt, bananas, applesauce, pretzels, and smooth nut butters, focusing on easily digestible, low-fiber options like refined grains (white rice crackers) and lean proteins to help manage output, but a balanced diet is key, so listen to your body and reintroduce other foods slowly. Starchy foods (potatoes, white rice) and binding foods (cheese, bananas) can help thicken output, while some (nuts, whole grains, corn) can cause gas or irritation.
Aim for a little and often approach to eating (three small meals with snacks in between) Snack suggestions: biscuits, yogurts, cheese and crackers. Try nutritious drinks such as milk or supplements recommended by your dietitian.
Now that you have had a Colostomy, there is no need to follow a special diet and you should eat as wide a variety of foods as possible. However, it is important to remember that every individual is different so this information contains a few guidelines to help you follow a well-balanced diet.
Ensuring protein rich foods are included at each meal to aid healing these include meat, fish, cheese, milk, yoghurts and vegetarian alternatives such as Quorn, Tofu and tempeh. Including high calorie snacks such as biscuits, cakes, crisps, cheese and biscuits, yoghurts, mousses, milk puddings.
You are going to be more susceptible to any bacteria on seafood that a normal immune system may not be bothered with. Something to keep in mind, seafood has a specially bad smell by the time it is in the ileostomy bag.
Try introducing chocolate in small amounts and in conjunction with other starchy foods, for example, by chocolate chip cookie or cakes, or chocolate within other foods such as cereals, which may counteract the laxative effects a little by thickening your output.
Chinese food has been identified to potentially cause an increase in stool frequency, along with spicy foods, strawberries, corn, apple, wine, fried and spicy foods, bananas, some breads, potatoes, fruit and fruit juices and vegetables.
Starchy foods
White bread, pasta (not wholemeal), white or basmati rice, cous-cous, chapattis, potato, yam, plantain, Rice Krispies®, Weetabix®, oats, cornflakes, maize based meals, millet, cornmeal, plain biscuits, and crackers. Easier for your intestine to absorb and thicken output.
BRAT diet. The term “BRAT” stands for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. This diet is often recommended to those experiencing diarrhea because these foods are gentle on the stomach and the low fiber content can help by firming stool.
There's no reason why you can't eat your favourite pizza when you have a stoma. Just be aware that greasy food in general can cause tummy upsets.
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®)
Be careful around pets and children who may unintentionally dislodge or damage your colostomy bag. Avoid food and drinks that cause flatulence, such as carbonated beverages, beans, cauliflower, and cabbage. Once the stoma has healed, you can play sports and exercise.
What are the Most Common Stoma Complications?
Foods Not to Eat with an Ileostomy or Colostomy
Raw vegetables, including salad e.g. lettuce, celery, raw bell-peppers and spring onions. Hard to digest vegetables, including beans like butter beans or green/runner beans, sweetcorn, peas, mushrooms, cabbage, brussel sprouts, spinach, kale and spring greens.
Having diarrhoea will often mean that the stoma bag needs to be changed much more regularly than usual. This can mean that you go through supplies much quicker and also lead to irritation of the peristomal skin.
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.
Toast can also help to absorb excess stomach acids and settle the stomach. However, it is important to avoid butter or margarine on toast, as these can increase symptoms of diarrhea. Toast is best eaten plain or with a light spreading of jam or honey.
Main meals and snacks
To harden stool, eat bland, low-fiber foods like the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) and other binding foods like oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and lean protein (chicken, fish), while avoiding gas-producing foods and dairy temporarily to help firm things up quickly. Soluble fiber foods like oats, carrots, and chia seeds can also help bind stools for some, but it's a temporary fix, not a long-term solution for constipation.
Bags are not drainable Usual use: 1-3 bags per day. Flushable bags only to be used on advice of bowel/stoma nurse. Colostomy bags (two piece systems) 30-90 bags + 15 flanges Bag – remove and discard after use. Flange – change every 2-3 days.
For the first couple of weeks after a colostomy or ileostomy, you must avoid high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, dried beans, and most raw vegetables and fruits. The fiber in these foods may cause a bowel blockage.
Nuts, sweet-corn, celery, mixed peel, coconut, popcorn and stringy processed cheese, or any food swallowed whole can block the stoma. If you do have these foods, make sure you chew them very well. With a well–fitting pouch there should be no odour except when changing the pouch.
Tips for eating with a stoma
Here are two recipes with pasta, a failsafe for me when I need to thicken my stoma output. I love to have mushrooms in my Bolognese but with that and celery, I was a bit wary of it at first - until I decided to try blitzing the veg et voila!
Safe and sensible snacks for ostomates
Low-Fiber Sweets: Opt for soft, plain candies like marshmallows, gummies, or chocolate (in moderation). Desserts: Plain cake, jelly, and puddings are good options for easy digestion.