Stoma dietary tips for the early days 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.
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.
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.
Stool irritation, product sensitivity and yeast are certainly the more common reasons for redness around the stoma.
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.
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.
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®)
When introducing chocolate try small amounts to begin with to see how you tolerate it and go from there. In the early days of managing your stoma, you will be getting used to the new sounds, smells and the amount of output from your stoma.
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.
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.
Water is the best for hydrating, however, some fruit juices such as prune, apple and grape are effective at loosening stool. Make sure that you eat plenty of fibre. High fibre foods, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables will help to ensure that your stool is optimal to safely pass through the stoma.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Foods to limit
High-fat milk and dairy products, such as: Whole milk. Regular ice cream or sherbet.
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.
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.
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.
What is ballooning? Ballooning occurs when your stoma bag blows up with wind. This is usually due to the filter becoming wet or blocked from stoma output.