Foods to Eat and Avoid After a Colostomy or Colectomy

Certain foods are best to avoid after a colostomy or colectomy. Others are good to include, and the good news is that you probably will not need to completely overhaul the way you eat.

Shortly after your surgery, your healthcare provider and/or a nutritionist will probably help you learn the best way to eat.

This article explains how your diet may change right after surgery on your colon. It also discusses foods to enjoy and foods to avoid long-term after recovering from surgery.

Diet After Colostomy or Colectomy

In some cases, depending on the type of surgery and other factors, you will receive only intravenous (IV) fluids (given through a tube inserted in a vein) for two to three days to give the colon time to heal. You can then try to drink clear liquids, such as soup broth and juice (like apple, grape, and cranberry).

Drink plenty of fluids (at least 8 to 10 cups daily) to prevent dehydration. You should drink more
during hot weather and to replace fluids lost through diarrhea.

The next step is to eat easy-to-digest foods, such as white toast, white rice, applesauce, and chicken breast. After tolerating easy-to-digest foods, you should be able to go back to your usual diet.

If you had a colostomy, you may want to avoid foods that cause odors or gas, which can inflate the colostomy bag and make it harder to manage.

Foods to Avoid

Initially, you may want to limit the following types of foods:

Dairy Foods

Full-fat milk and dairy products, such as whole milk, ice cream, sherbet, cheese, and cream cheese should be avoided. Dairy products containing lactose should also be avoided if you have diarrhea after eating them.

Protein Foods

High-fat and fried protein sources should be avoided, including:

• Fried meat, chicken or fish
• Lamb
• Sausage and bacon
• Fast foods
• Other fatty meats

Other protein sources to avoid include high-fiber, plant-based protein, such as beans, peas, lentils, nuts, and seeds.

Whole Grains

Generally, whole grains are a healthy choice, but because they are high in fiber they can be difficult to digest right after surgery. Whole grains include:

• Brown rice
• Wild rice
• Quinoa
• Wheat bran cereals
• Whole grain breads and pasta

Fruits

Raw fruits with skin or seeds, such as apples, peaches, berries, and grapes should be avoided, along with prune juice and dried fruits.

Vegetables

The fiber content of raw vegetables (except lettuce) and vegetables with skins (such as potatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, and winter and summer squash) can make them difficult to digest while the intestinal tract is healing. Cooked corn and popcorn should also be avoided.

Desserts

Due to the high fat and sugar content of desserts such as cakes, pies, cookies, chocolate, and other sweets, they should be avoided in the initial stages post-surgery.

Beverages

It is best to avoid alcoholic drinks (beer, wine, cocktails) and carbonated beverages (soda, sparkling water, and seltzer) because they may cause gas.

Foods That Help

Other foods can be helpful after a colostomy because they thicken the stool. They may also cause less odor. These include:

Dairy Foods

Dairy foods to choose include:

• Yogurt (with live and active cultures)
• Nonfat and low-fat milk
• Buttermilk
• Kefir
• Powdered milk
• Low-fat ice cream
• Lactose-free dairy products
• Plant-based milk alternatives, such as soy and almond milk

If you have a colostomy, yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk may help reduce odor.

Protein Foods

Protein foods to choose from include:

• Lean animal protein, such as lean beef, skinless chicken and turkey, and fish
• Nonfat or low-fat cottage cheese
• Eggs
• Creamy peanut butter or other kinds of nut butter.

When trying eggs, fish, or nut butter start with a small amount. These foods may cause a bad odor when you open your colostomy pouch.

Grains

Low-fiber grains are usually well tolerated, such as:

• White bread, pasta, and rice
• Breads, bagels, and rolls made from white refined flour
• Low-fiber cereals made from white flour or rice, such as cream of wheat, rice krispies, and cornflakes

Fruits

Well-tolerated fruits include bananas, applesauce, canned fruits (except pineapple), melons (seeds removed), and peeled fruits.

Vegetables

Easily digested low-fiber vegetables include:

• Lettuce
• Cooked vegetables without skins or seeds, such as peeled potatoes, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, peeled zucchini with the seeds removed, beets, carrots, and acorn squash
• Canned vegetables, such as green beans
• Strained vegetable juice
  

Beverages

Water is always the best beverage of choice, along with nonfat or low-fat milk. However, if you're looking for more variety, additional options include:

• Cranberry juice
• Decaffeinated coffee or tea
• Sports drinks 

Eating Guidelines

Follow these guidelines for the first few weeks after your surgery:

• Eat slowly and thoroughly chew your food. Chewing helps with digestion. Try to chew everything until it's liquid in your mouth.
• Eat small meals often. Try to have six small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones.
• Drink 8 to 10 cups (about 2 liters) of liquids daily.
• Eat mostly bland, low-fiber foods.
• When you add foods back into your diet, introduce them one at a time.

Summary

If you have had colon surgery, your diet will include foods that are very easy to digest as you recover. Once your colon has healed, you will be able to eat more of the foods you normally eat.

If you had a colostomy, you may want to limit foods that cause gas. These foods can make it harder to handle a colostomy bag. Foods that thicken the stool and cause less odor can make life with a colostomy bag easier.