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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
As part of a healthful diet, iceberg lettuce can increase fiber and water intake. This will improve gut health by ensuring regular bowel movements and preventing constipation. Research has associated a diet that emphasizes vegetables with better bone health.
A good colostomy diet during the first few weeks after surgery may include yogurt (with live and active cultures). However, not all dairy produce will be allowed. Other foods that colostomy patients tolerate well are bananas, tapioca, sticky white rice, and white toast.
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.
Here are a few guidelines: 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.
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.
Root vegetables such as carrots, swedes, squash and parsnips are usually well tolerated and are delicious roasted, mashed or made into soups. Vegetable soups which have been blended and sieved are a low fibre option for people with stomas.
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.
Foods that Affect the Consistency of Stool
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.
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!
You may benefit from reducing the lactose in your diet. Foods with lactose include milk and ice cream. Helps to decrease bloating and diarrhea. Avoid high fibre foods (such as whole grains), stringy foods and foods with skins and membranes and other foods that may increase output.
Fluids such as water, coffee, tea and juice are generally fine. If the volume of your ileostomy is higher than usual and/or the colour of your urine is darker than usual, you may need to change the type of fluid you are drinking in order to stay well hydrated.