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After ileostomy surgery, you will have to follow a strict diet plan to avoid any complications in your bowel and stoma. This diet plan will help your bowel to recover quickly, which can reduce the likelihood of future problems as well. You can start eating your favorite foods after your bowel recovers. It generally takes six weeks for the bowel to recover after ileostomy surgery.

Foods that you may eat after surgery

Right after surgery, you can have clear liquids only. These fluids may include coffee, tea, juices, or broth. You will need to stick to this diet plan for a couple of days after surgery. After that, you may add low-fiber foods to your diet. In the first few days, you will need to make sure that you are not taking more than 8 grams of fiber each day. You can add more fiber as you recover.

Here is what you may eat after surgery.

Grains:

You will need to choose grains that do not have more than 2 grams of fiber in each serving. The types of grains that you can include in your diet include:

• Cream of wheat grains
• Cereal made from rice
• White bread or white rice
• Crackers or rolls made from refined flour

Fruits and vegetables:

Make sure to avoid any fruits or vegetables that contain extra fiber content. Here is what you can include in your diet.

• Well-cooked fruits, which are generally available in cans
• Juices with pulp
• Bananas and soft melon
• Well-cooked vegetables
• Potatoes with their skin peeled off

Dairy:

Dairy products that you can choose to have after ileostomy surgery include the following.

• Soy milk, cow milk, rice milk, and lactose-free milk
• Yogurt without any dry fruits and cottage cheese

Protein:

• You can get a supply of proteins from fish, eggs, well-cooked poultry, and low-fat beef.
• Smooth peanut butter and tofu are also good sources of protein.

Foods that you need to avoid

Generally, you will need to avoid foods that are high in fiber. You may also avoid anything that may cause gas, odor, diarrhea, constipation, or blockage.

Foods that are high in fiber include the following.

• Raw fruits and vegetables
• Dried fruits
• Dried beans
• Whole-grain foods

Foods that can cause blockage include the following.

• Skins of the fruits and vegetables
• Grapes, apples, dried fruits, pineapple, and coconut
• Cucumber, corn, green peppers, celery, bean sprouts, and peas
• Cabbage, spinach, coleslaw, and salad greens
• Nuts

Foods that may cause gas or odor include the following.

• Melons, grapes, prunes, bananas, and apples
• Broccoli, cabbage, corn, cauliflower, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts
• Onions and garlic
• Cheese, peanuts, peas, dried beans, fish, and eggs
• Carbonated drinks

Nutrition guidelines

With an ileostomy, your bowel will evacuate plenty of body fluids along with waste materials. These wastes will also contain salts and electrolytes in abundance. To compensate for the fluid loss, you are going to have to drink plenty of water every day. Then, you will need to eat foods that contain salts and electrolytes.

While eating your foods, it is best to chew each bite well. It will allow your GI tract to absorb most of the nutrients. You will also have to avoid eating big meals. If possible, eat several smaller meals a day to prevent any burden on your digestive tract.

You may want to discuss your food plan with your doctor.