Colostomy and Ileostomy Diet Guidelines

Nutrition is important for your health and Foods that cause blockage:
healing. Limit fiber for the first 2 weeks • Celery
after surgery. Avoid fresh fruits and • Coleslaw
vegetables. You can have canned fruit and • Corn
well-cooked vegetables. Slowly add back all • Dried fruits
foods after talking with your doctor at your • Meat casings
first clinic visit. People with ostomies can • Mushrooms
still enjoy a normal diet. • Nuts
• Peas
Food tips
• Pineapple
Eat meals regularly. Eat three or more
times a day. Small frequent meals may be • Popcorn
better tolerated and produce less gas. • Salad greens
• Seeds
Chew your food fully. Chewing well will
help avoid a blockage. Reduce Gas and Odor
Gas is normal but if you feel you are having
Eat in moderation and slowly. Too much excess gas, try to change your diet to get rid
of any food can cause problems. Eat normal of the problem. Try these tips:
amounts and eat slowly to allow for proper • Eat often.
chewing and digestion. If a new food seems • Do not skip meals.
to give you problems, don’t eat it for a few • Do not swallow air while eating.
weeks. Try it again later. • Relax and eat slowly.
• Avoid chewing gum or drinking
Drink plenty of fluids daily. You may lose through a straw.
more body fluids through the ostomy, so you • Drink 8-10 glasses of water,
must stay hydrated. Patients who have lost a cranberry juice, or other non-
large part of their large intestine will notice caffeinated drinks.
more fluid loss. This is because most of the
body’s fluid is reabsorbed in the large Foods that cause gas or odor:
intestine. • Asparagus
• Apples
Keep mind that no two people will react • Bananas
the same to foods. You will learn through • Beer
trying which foods, if any, you should avoid. • Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
Blockage
• Cabbage
Certain foods, if eaten in large amounts may
cause blockage. Use caution when eating • Carbonated drinks
these foods. Eat them in small amounts and • Cauliflower
be sure to chew them well. • Corn
• Cucumber
 • Dairy products Foods that help thicken stools:
• Dried beans/peas • Applesauce
• Eggs • Bananas
• Fatty foods • Cheese
• Grapes • Cream of rice
• Green pepper • Marshmallows
• Melons • Mashed potatoes
• Onions • Peanut butter (creamy)
• Prunes • Rice
• Radishes • Soda crackers
• Turnips • Tapioca
• Weak tea
Foods that help relieve gas and odor:
• Yogurt with active cultures If You Have an Ileostomy
• Buttermilk Those with an ileostomy lose large amounts
• Cranberry juice of salt, potassium and water in the ostomy
• Parsley fluid. Losing too much can lead to
dehydration.
Stools
The thickness of your stools depends to a Drink water or sugar free, non-carbonated
certain extent on where your stoma is placed drinks all day. Sports drinks can be used
in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. When the because of their electrolyte content. The
stoma is higher up in the GI tract, the stools color of your urine should be clear to pale
tend to be looser. In some cases, a loose yellow, if it is darker increase your fluid
stool may be the result of eating certain intake.
foods.
Include a number of good sources of sodium
Foods that cause loose stools: and potassium in your daily diet.
• Alcoholic drinks
• Apple juice Good sources of potassium:
• Baked beans • Ripe bananas
• Chocolate • Orange juice
• Coffee • Tomato juice
• Dairy • Mashed potatoes
• Grape juice
Who to Call
• Green leafy vegetables
Nutrition Clinics: UWHC and AFCH
• Licorice
(608) 890-5500
• Prune juice Nutrition clinics UWMF:
• Spiced foods (608) 287-2770
• Tomatoes www.uwhealth.org/nutrition

Your health care team may have given you this information as part of your care. If so, please use it and call if you have any
questions. If this information was not given to you as part of your care, please check with your doctor. This is not medical advice.
This is not to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Because each person’s health needs are different, you
should talk with your doctor or others on your health care team when using this information. If you have an emergency, please
call 911. Copyright © 6/2020 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the
Clinical Nutrition Services Department and the Department of Nursing. HF#293