After your stoma surgery you may discover that your appetite has reduced, but it is still important to eat little and often, to help your recovery after your surgery.

If you have recently had surgery and an ileostomy formed, particular foods will alter the consistency of your stool output, therefore what you eat plays an important part in controlling the output. After you’ve had stoma surgery, you should aim for a porridge-like stool consistency, which can be easier to manage, reducing leaks from occurring and issues with hydration. 

Early day diet tips

After your stoma surgery, you are likely to have lost weight. With this in mind, it is important to have a well balance diet and maintain a healthy calorie intake, this will aid the healing process. In addition to your normal daily diet, there are some foods which we highly-recommend should be included, to help with the ongoing recovery of your recent surgery:

• Full fat cheese & milk
• Foods which are high protein (e.g Tender Meat, Eggs & Fish)
• Double cream - To add; Puddings, mashed potato & soup
• Snacking Biscuits & cakes
• Drink fluids regularly to avoid dehydration (avoiding plain water, try adding cordial or isotonic drinks)

What can I eat if I have a stoma?

In general, people who are living with a stoma can eat and drink what they want, unless the surgeon, Stoma Care Nurse or GP has indicated that a particular diet plan must be in place. Some food prior to surgery will have been digested easier than after your surgery. With this in mind it may be very helpful to pay extra attention right after your surgery, so be aware of any digestive issues you are experiencing such as changes to your output, bloating and abdominal cramps. 

What can’t I eat if I have stoma?

After your surgery, you should be able to eat normal foods and revert back to the food which you enjoyed before your stoma surgery. You may discover that some foods can change the way your stoma works, such as making the output much thicker or even much looser. We would advise to start with softer, thoroughly cooked foods and gradually transition to firmer, less cooked options as you feel confident. Generally this is after 6-8 weeks once the swelling in your bowel reduces. Then you should be able to eat anything you like and we can guide you on how to do this. 

What are the best fruit & vegetables to eat?

You will still need to get your five-a-day, but with that being said it’s important to prepare your fruit and vegetables correctly. The skins of some fruits and vegetables can be really tough, so we would recommend that you peel and skin your fruit and vegetables (especially potatoes and apples), to ensure there are no blockage problems. After your stoma surgery, you may now need to prepare your fruit and vegetables in different ways. Here are some ways you can prepare fruit and vegetables, which allows you to include them in your daily diet:

• Soups
• Fruit Smoothies
• Sweat your vegetables (Quickly cook your vegetables, in order to soften them)
• Mashed root vegetables

Ongoing Dietary Advice

• Eat food and drink fluids regularly
• Include fruit & vegetables in your daily stoma diet
• Include foods which are high in protein, in everyday meals, including; Fish, meat, eggs, milk, cheese or yoghurt
• Include carbohydrates within each meal of the day such as; Pasta, bread, rice, potatoes and breakfast cereals.
• Include dairy products, including milk products in meals two to three times per day, as dairy products are rich in calcium. Alternatively, you choose a lower-fat variety if you are looking for a healthier diet. 

Please note: People with either colostomy or an ileostomy will usually experience the same common digestive issues, which they may have had prior to their stoma surgery.

Common digestive issues:

• Wind
• Odour
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Loose output (ileostomists only).