PATIENT & CAREGIVER EDUCATION

Diet Guidelines for People

With a Colostomy
This information describes dietary (eating and drinking) guidelines to follow
while your colon is healing. It also explains how to manage common side
effects of having a colostomy.

General Eating and Drinking Guidelines

Follow these guidelines for the first few weeks after your surgery. This will
help keep you comfortable while your colon heals.

Eat small meals often. Try to have 6 small meals throughout the day
instead of 3 large ones.

Eat slowly and chew your food well.

Drink 8 to 10 (8-ounce) glasses (about 2 liters) of liquids every day.
Eat mostly bland, low-fiber foods. For more information, read the
“Recommended foods” section.
When you add foods back into your diet, introduce them 1 at a time. For
more information, read the “Adding foods to your diet” section.

Before you’re discharged (released) from the hospital, a clinical dietitian

nutritionist will talk with you about these guidelines. After you leave the
hospital, your doctor and an outpatient clinical dietitian nutritionist will help
you as you go back to following your usual diet.

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 Recommended foods
It’s best to eat mostly bland, low-fiber foods for the first few weeks after
your surgery. Bland foods are cooked, easy-to-digest foods that aren’t spicy,
heavy, or fried. Eating bland foods will help you avoid uncomfortable
symptoms, such as:

Diarrhea (loose or watery bowel movements)

Bloating
Gas

The following tables include examples of bland, low-fiber foods. If you have
questions about foods not listed in these tables, call 212-639-7312 to
talk with an outpatient clinical dietitian nutritionist. You can reach a
staff member Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Milk and dairy

Foods to include in your diet Foods to limit

Non-fat (skim) or low-fat (1% or 2%) High-fat milk and dairy products, such
milk* as:
Powdered milk* Whole milk
Non-dairy milks (such as soy milk and Regular ice cream or sherbet
almond milk) Milk and dairy products with lactose, if
Lactose-free dairy products (such as you have diarrhea after having them
Lactaid® products)
Yogurt*
Cheese*
Low-fat ice cream or sherbet
Eggs**

* If you have diarrhea after having these products, try non-dairy milks,
lactose-free cheese, or lactose-free yogurt instead.

** When trying eggs, start with a small amount (such as 1 egg). Eggs may
cause a bad odor (smell) when you open your pouch.

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 Meats and proteins
Foods to include in your diet Foods to limit

Lean animal proteins, such as: High-fat foods, such as fried meat,
Meat without visible fat poultry, or fish
Skinless poultry (such as chicken High-fiber foods, such as dried or
and turkey) canned legumes (beans, peas, and
Fish* lentils)
Smooth nut butters (such as creamy
peanut butter)*

* When trying fish and nut butters, start with small amounts. These foods
may cause a bad odor when you open your pouch.

Grains
Foods to include in your diet Foods to limit

Low-fiber foods, such as: High-fiber foods, such as whole grains

(whole wheat bread, brown rice, bran
White bread, pasta, and rice cereal, quinoa, and buckwheat)
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®)

Vegetables
Foods to include in your diet Foods to limit

Low-fiber foods, such as: High-fiber foods, such as raw vegetables

(except lettuce)
Well-cooked vegetables without skins
or seeds (such as peeled potatoes,
peeled zucchini with the seeds
removed, and peeled tomatoes with the
seeds removed)
Lettuce
Strained vegetable juice

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 Some vegetables may cause gas or a bad odor for some people. If a certain
vegetable causes you to have gas or a bad odor, don’t eat it. For more
information, read the “Guidelines for Managing Common Problems” section.

Fruits
Foods to include in your diet Foods to limit

Low-fiber foods, such as: High-fiber foods, such as:

Pulp-free fruit juice (except prune juice Raw fruits with the skin. Examples are:
and grape juice) Apples
Peeled fruits (such as a peeled apple) Strawberries
Canned fruits (except pineapple) Blueberries
Fruits with thick skins. Examples are: Grapes
Soft melons, such as watermelon Prune juice
and honeydew Grape juice
Oranges without seeds or
membrane (the thin clear or white
part around each section)
Ripe bananas

Some fruits may cause discomfort for some people. If a certain fruit causes
discomfort, don’t eat it. For more information, read the “Guidelines for
Managing Common Problems” section.

Fats
Foods to include in your diet Foods to limit

Foods cooked with a small amount of High-fat foods, such as fried foods
fat, such as olive oil and canola oil

When eating fats, start with a small amount. Fats may cause discomfort.

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 Drinks
Drinks to include in your diet Drinks to limit

Water Carbonated drinks (such as soda),

Decaffeinated coffee or tea because they may cause gas
Drinks that aren’t carbonated Alcoholic drinks (such as beer and
Sports drinks (such as Gatorade® and wine)
Powerade®)

Reading Nutrition Facts labels

You can find the amount of fiber in your food by looking at the Nutrition
Facts label (see Figure 1). Nutrition Facts labels can help you compare the
nutritional information between different foods.

Figure 1. Fiber information on a

Nutrition Facts label

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 Adding foods to your diet
After your surgery, you may have some food intolerances that you didn’t
have before surgery. A food intolerance is when eating a certain type of food
causes uncomfortable symptoms, such as diarrhea, bloating, gas, or bad
odor. Sometimes, food intolerances go away as your colon heals.

When you add foods back into your diet, introduce them 1 at a time. If a
certain food causes uncomfortable symptoms, don’t eat it for a few weeks.
Then try it again. No 2 people will react the same way to food. You’ll learn
through experience which foods, if any, you shouldn’t eat.

For more information, read the “Guidelines for Managing Common

Problems” section.

High-fiber foods
Your first follow-up appointment will be about 2 weeks after your surgery.
At this appointment, your doctor will tell you if you can start adding high-
fiber foods back into your diet. Doing this will help make your bowel
movements bulkier (more solid).

When you start adding high-fiber foods back into your diet, do it slowly.
Only add 1 food at a time. Make sure you’re also drinking enough liquids.
Aim to drink 8 to 10 (8-ounce) glasses (about 2 liters) of liquids every day.

Guidelines for Managing Common

Problems
This section has guidelines for changing your diet to help manage common
problems. You don’t need to follow these guidelines unless you’re having the
problems listed.

If certain foods caused discomfort before your surgery, they’ll still cause
discomfort after your surgery.

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 Diarrhea
Diarrhea is having loose or watery bowel movements, having more bowel
movements than what’s normal for you, or both. Diarrhea can be caused by:

Certain foods
Skipping meals
Food poisoning

An infection in your intestine

Antibiotics (medicines to treat infections) and other prescription
medications

A blockage in your intestine

If you’re having diarrhea, follow these guidelines:

Contact your doctor’s office. They may give you a medication to help.
Drink 8 to 10 (8-ounce) glasses (about 2 liters) of liquids throughout the
day.
Drink sports drinks (such as Gatorade or Powerade) and oral
rehydration solutions (such as Pedialyte®), if you can. These drinks
will help keep you from becoming dehydrated.
If you don’t have these drinks, you can make your own using these
ingredients:

4 cups (32 ounces, which is about 1 liter) of water

1 cup (8 ounces) of orange juice
8 teaspoons (40 milliliters) of sugar

1 teaspoon (4 milliliters) of salt

Put all ingredients into a cup with a lid. Shake well so the sugar and
salt dissolve (melt).

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 Don’t eat the following foods and drinks. They may cause diarrhea.
Foods that may cause diarrhea

Alcohol (such as beer and wine) High-sugar foods

Bran Legumes (such as cooked or dried
Broccoli beans)
Brussels sprouts Licorice
Cabbage Milk and dairy products with lactose,
Caffeinated drinks, especially hot if you’re lactose intolerant
drinks Nuts and seeds
Chocolate Peas
Corn Spicy foods
Foods with artificial sweeteners (such Stone fruits (such as apricots,
as mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol) peaches, plums, and prunes)
Fried meats, fish, and poultry “Sugar-free” canned or dried fruits
Fruit juice (such as prune, apple, Tomatoes
grape, and orange juices) Turnip greens
Green leafy vegetables Whole grains (such as wheat bread)
High-fat foods

Eat more of the following foods. They may help thicken your bowel
movements.
Foods that may help thicken bowel movements

Applesauce Oatmeal*
Bananas Pasta
Barley* Potatoes without the skin
Boiled white rice Pretzels
Cheese Saltine crackers
Creamy nut butters (such as peanut Tapioca
butter) White bread
Marshmallows Yogurt

* These foods are whole grains. You can eat them if you’re having
diarrhea because they may help thicken your bowel movements.

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 Constipation
Constipation is having fewer than 3 bowel movements per week, having
hard bowel movements, having a hard time passing bowel movements, or all
3. Constipation can be caused by:

Certain pain medications

Certain anti-nausea medications
Not eating enough fiber

Not exercising enough

Not drinking enough liquids

If you’re constipated, follow these guidelines:

Contact your doctor’s office. They may give you a medication to help.

Drink hot water with lemon or lemon juice, coffee, or prune juice.
Do light exercise (such as walking), if you can.
Ask your doctor if eating high-fiber foods or taking a fiber supplement
will help.

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 Gas and odor
For the first few weeks after your surgery, it’s common to have gas in your
pouch and a bad odor when you open your pouch. You may have more gas if
you had a robotic surgery.

If you’re having problems with gas or odor, talk with your wound, ostomy,
and continence (WOC) nurse. You can also follow these guidelines:

Don’t do these things. They can cause gas.

Chewing gum
Drinking with a straw

Smoking or chewing tobacco

Eating too fast
Skipping meals
Ask your healthcare provider if you can take an over-the-counter
medication (such as Beano® or simethicone) before meals to help prevent
gas.

Eat less of the following foods. They may cause gas, bad odor, or both.
Foods that may cause gas, bad odor, or both

Asparagus Fish
Alcohol, especially beer Garlic
Broccoli Grapes
Brussels sprouts Leeks
Cabbage Milk and dairy products with lactose,
Carbonated drinks (such as soda) if you’re lactose intolerant
Cauliflower Onions
Corn Peanuts
Dried beans and peas Prunes
Eggs

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 Eat more of the following foods. They may help prevent gas, bad odor, or
both.
Foods that may prevent gas, bad odor, or both

Buttermilk Parsley
Cranberry juice Yogurt
Kefir

When to Call Your Healthcare Provider

Call your healthcare provider if you have any of the following:

Diarrhea and a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher

Diarrhea and you’re vomiting (throwing up)
Diarrhea that doesn’t stop after 24 hours

Diarrhea and smelly discharge (fluid), or forceful liquid output from your
stoma

If you have questions about your diet, call 212-639-7312 to talk with an
outpatient clinical dietitian nutritionist. You can reach a staff member
Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more resources, visit www.mskcc.org/pe to search our virtual library.

Diet Guidelines for People With a Colostomy - Last updated on September 14, 2021
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