Eating with a new
ileostomy
Ladywell Building
Dietetic Department
0161 206 4254
© G15052202W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, All Rights Reserved 2015.
Document for issue as handout. Unique Identifier: CS33(15). Review date: July 2017
When your ileostomy is formed,
food travels through your small
bowel before passing into your
stoma bag. Your small intestine
will absorb nutrition from your
food before it enters your bag.
Digested food will not travel
through your large bowel,
where water and some
electrolytes (such as sodium) are
usually reabsorbed.
This means your output will
usually be a sloppy, porridgelike consistency. You may need
to take special care to avoid
becoming dehydrated.
Eating behaviours
If you find you are losing
weight, or have a poor
appetite, contact your dietitian
for advice.
Adopting good eating
behaviours may help to relieve
problems with wind and stoma
output:
You will need to follow a strict
low-fibre diet for the first 6-8
weeks after your ileostomy is
formed.
Eat regular meals
High fibre foods (such as
wholegrains, skins, pips and
seeds) should be avoided as
they are difficult to digest,
may increase your output and
can cause a blockage as they
travel through your ileostomy.
This becomes more likely if
they have not been chewed or
cooked properly.
Long breaks between meals
may increase stoma action after
meals. Avoid overeating at any
one meal.
Eat slowly
Digestion starts in your mouth!
Sit down, take your time and
chew well.
Stay hydrated
Follow any fluid restriction your
doctor has advised. Otherwise,
aim for 1500ml-2000ml (about
10-12 cups) fluid per day, or
more if you are particularly
active.
Stoma
Ilesotomy
bag
1
Drink sensibly
Try not to drink whilst eating.
Instead, have a drink half an
hour before or after your meal.
Avoid drinking through a straw,
as this may increase symptoms
of wind.
© G15052202W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
All Rights Reserved 2015. Document for issue as handout.
Unique Identifier: CS33(15). Review date: July 2017
2
Food Group
Low Fibre - eat freely
High Fibre - restrict these
Starchy foods Peeled potatoes eg. roast, boiled, mashed, chips
Jacket potato without skin
White pasta and rice
White breads or crackers
Cakes and pastry made with white flour
Low-fibre breakfast cereal eg. Cornflakes, Rice
Krispies, Frosties, Sugar puffs, Coco Pops
Jacket potato skin
Boiled potato with skin
Brown pasta and rice
Brown/wholemeal/seeded breads or
crackers
Cakes and pastry made with brown flour
Wholegrain cereals, muesli, porridge, oats
Fruit
Dried fruit
Fruit skins eg. on apples, grapes,
blueberries, plums
Fruits with seeds eg. all berries, passionfruit
Fruits with pith eg. oranges, satsumas,
grapefruit
Coconut
Peeled fresh fruit eg. pears, peaches, apples,
bananas, melon, mango
Stewed peeled fruit eg. apples, plums
Tinned fruit eg. peaches, pears, apricots,
mandarins, pineapple
Vegetables
Peeled and deseeded cucumbers and
tomatoes
Well-cooked florets of cauliflower and broccoli
Passata or tomato puree
Peeled and cooked vegetables eg. swede, carrot,
parsnip, sweet potato, pumpkin, squash
Lettuce
Pulses eg. peas, sweetcorn, lentils,
green beans, chickpeas, baked beans
Vegetables with skins eg. on carrots,
tomatoes, cucumber, pepper
Fibrous vegetables eg. onions, garlic,
celery, mushrooms
Seeds eg. tomato seeds, cucumber seeds
Dairy
Products
MilkCream
Cheese
Ice cream
Yogurt
Yogurt or ice cream with whole fruit or
nuts added
Meat,
fish and
alternatives
Meat
Poultry
Fish
Eggs
Beans and lentils
Nuts
3
After 6-8 weeks, you may wish
to reintroduce small amounts
of the foods in the “High Fibre”
column. Be aware that these
foods carry a risk of stoma
blockage - and therefore should
only ever be eaten well-cooked,
well-chewed and in small
amounts only.
In the long-term, you can aim
for a healthy, balanced diet
with food from all groups of
the Eatwell Plate. If you would
like further information on
healthy eating, please contact
your dietitian or GP.
The eatwell plate
Use the eatwell plate to help you get the balance right. It shows how
much of what you eat should come from each food group.
Bread, rice,
potatoes, pasta
Fruit and
vegetables
and other starchy foods
Milk and
dairy foods
Meat, fish,
eggs, beans
and other non-dairy
sources of protein
© Crown copyright 2011
Foods to choose and foods to avoid
Foods and drinks
high in fat and/or sugar
Department of Health in association with the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland
© G15052202W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
All Rights Reserved 2015. Document for issue as handout.
Unique Identifier: CS33(15). Review date: July 2017
4
Common Problems
Hot weather
You may find that certain foods cause problems
such as wind, loose and watery output or
excessive odour.
You lose salt in your ileostomy
output. You need to replace
this to avoid dehydration.
This is different for different people, so it is best
to adapt your own diet according to tolerance.
Remember that stress, lifestyle changes and
medications may affect your stoma too.
On hot days, when exercising,
or on holiday abroad, you may
need to increase your fluid
intake to avoid dehydration.
You may find the following guidance useful:
Try to include extra high-salt
foods in hot weather, to replace
salt lost in sweat:
Problem
Potential Trigger Foods
Foods That Can Help
Excessive odour Cucumber, eggs, fish, onions
Buttermilk, parsley, natural yogurt,
peppermint
Watery output
Chocolate, excessive alcohol, fatty foods,
fish, sugary foods, fruit or fruit juice,
onions, spicy foods, caffeine
Banana, boiled rice, cheese, smooth
peanut butter, potatoes, jelly babies*,
marshmallows*, pasta, tapioca
Green leafy vegetables, onions, garlic,
pulses, fizzy drinks, beer, chewing gum
Peppermint
Wind
*These foods are high in sugar, and should not be eaten in large amounts as they may increase your output
If you would like to further
discuss any of the areas
mentioned in this booklet,
please contact your stoma nurse
or dietitian.
l Bacon, ham, sausages or
tinned meat products
Department of Nutrition and
Dietetics
Ladywell Building,
Salford Royal NHS Foundation
Trust,
Stott Lane,
Salford, M6 8HD
0161 206 4254
l Hard cheeses
lMarmite
Notes
l Bovril or OXO
l Tinned or cup soups
lCrisps
High Output
If your output is consistently
greater than 1500ml daily, or
you experience symptoms such
as cramps, fatigue and excessive
thirst, you should contact your
doctor or stoma nurse for
further advice.
5
© G15052202W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
All Rights Reserved 2015. Document for issue as handout.
Unique Identifier: CS33(15). Review date: July 2017
6
© G15052202W. Design Services
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
All Rights Reserved 2015
This document MUST NOT be photocopied
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Unique Identifier: CS33(15)
Review Date: July 2017
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