Hi Noogle19, Welcome to the forum. The information we are given on food would exclude a lot of things we can eat without any problems. If you ain’t sure about something try a little and see how it goes. How food is prepared is also key like finely chopped veg etc. The only food I restrict is nuts which I still eat but in small amounts. Am sure lots more advice will follow.

Hi Noodle,

 I am the one who sent you here from another site😃. Nice to see you made it here! If you look above your post, you will see DIET, which will give you lots of ideas about healthy eating for an Ostomate. A little below that is Food and Recipes, which is where members can share recipes. This site is set up differently from the other one; it took me awhile to get the hang of it, but now that I understand it, I like the setup. You will find a lot of information here about anything to do with ostomies, including reviews and videos about various products. Eric, who runs the site, is a wealth of information, and he’s serious about providing help and information to ostomates. This is a wonderful site, Noodle. The members will bend over backwards to help answer any questions you might have. Welcome home.

Laurie

Posted by: @noodle19

I've had my ileostomy for a few years now.

That's a good thing since you shouldn't have the same restrictions as you might if you just had the surgery. 

I have a few questions:

1. Do you currently have any problems that might limit the foods you eat? I.e. unable to chew well, a hernia, intolerances/allergies, etc.?
2. Have you ever had an ostomy blockage? 
3. What kind of meals do you enjoy making? Simple or complex? From scratch or from a package?

I have quite a few articles on diet here: https://www.veganostomy.ca/diet-nutrition/

But rather than seeing diet or food choices as something you have to follow through a list of inclusions or exclusions, I tend to see it more about how our food is prepared or consumed. Popcorn, for example, is often on the "do not eat" list, but I think it can be perfectly safe if you are mindful of your chewing, select the proper kernels, and don't eat too much at a time. 

We're more than happy to help give you some ideas :)

@tigerlily thank you for your guidance!!

Posted by: @veganostomy

Welcome to the forums

1. Do you currently have any problems that might limit the foods you eat? I.e. unable to chew well, a hernia, intolerances/allergies, etc.? NO, NO ISSUES
2. Have you ever had an ostomy blockage? ONLY RIGHT AFTER SURGERY, BUT IT WASN'T FROM FOOD
3. What kind of meals do you enjoy making? Simple or complex? From scratch or from a package? HMM, THIS IS A COMPLEX ANSWER HAHA WITHOUT GETTING TOO PERSONAL OR LENGTHY, I USUALLY ENJOY COOKING FROM SCRATCH (SIMPLE OR COMPLEX). HOWEVER, DUE TO DEPRESSION AT THE MOMENT, I'M NOT REALLY UP TO COOKING COMPLEX MEALS FROM SCRATCH. I HOPE THAT REPLY IS HELPFUL. 

I have quite a few articles on diet here: https://www.veganostomy.ca/diet-nutrition/ <THANK YOU FOR THIS :)

But rather than seeing diet or food choices as something you have to follow through a list of inclusions or exclusions, I tend to see it more about how our food is prepared or consumed. Popcorn, for example, is often on the "do not eat" list, but I think it can be perfectly safe if you are mindful of your chewing, select the proper kernels, and don't eat too much at a time. 

We're more than happy to help give you some ideas :)

Posted by: @veganostomy

ONLY RIGHT AFTER SURGERY, BUT IT WASN'T FROM FOOD

Has the cause been identified and resolved or is there still an ongoing chance that whatever caused your blockage might come back? This might be the only challenge you'll have, because blockages caused by food are often "user error", but blockages caused by other causes may require more finesse.

Posted by: @veganostomy

I USUALLY ENJOY COOKING FROM SCRATCH (SIMPLE OR COMPLEX). HOWEVER, DUE TO DEPRESSION AT THE MOMENT, I'M NOT REALLY UP TO COOKING COMPLEX MEALS FROM SCRATCH

I hear you and have been there, so I know where you're coming from. 

Do you have an instant pot or something similar where you can make one-pot dishes? I really enjoy making one-pot meals because it requires next to no effort and can be both healthy and delicious (at the same time!). 

Most bases for your dishes will be "safe": rice, pasta, potatoes, other cooked grains.

Most protein *can* be safe, but it really depends on what we're talking about. I don't eat meat, so I can't comment. Tofu is often never a problem; beans can be no problem if they are either canned or cooked really well.

Vegetables are going to be where you'll have to use caution, at least at first. We use a lot of frozen veg here at home (convenience and cost reasons) and unless they have corn or peans, they tend to cook down pretty easily without any skins or seeds getting in the way. Fresh veg can also be fine, but use caution at first and either cook (well) and de-seed/de-skin your veg first. 

The food choices likely aren't going to be the biggest concern. Well chewed food is going to be safer than "safe" foods that haven't been chewed well. Cooked will be easier to digest compared to raw. Anything with skin will be more difficult to digest compared to foods without. 

One idea for finding recipes is to use an app or website that narrows things down based on what ingredients you already have. I find this better than having to go out and buy stuff to make meals, but you do you. A few suggestions for these sites/apps can be found here: https://www.escoffieronline.com/top-apps-for-finding-recipes-for-ingredients-you-already-have/

My food gallery ( https://www.veganostomy.ca/food-gallery/) might give you some ideas, too. All of the photos there were meals that I ate with an ostomy. While many looks "dangerous", none have caused any problems for me.

I hope this helps :) 

@noodle19 What kinds of foods do you eat now? And what exactly do you want to change about what you eat? Have you ever had difficulty with any particular food causing GI problems? You mentioned the list of foods ostomates aren’t supposed to eat - do you have trouble with those foods? We all get the list of foods to avoid, but many of us find ways to incorporate them into our diets anyway, by eating small amounts and chewing well. 

Laurie

Posted by: @veganostomy

Has the cause been identified and resolved or is there still an ongoing chance that whatever caused your blockage might come back? Honestly, it's been 6 or 7 years now, so i cannot remember what it was caused by. Thinking more about it, it may have been due to the stoma not functioning yet. I just remember the horrible pain, and throwing up poop haha

Do you have an instant pot or something similar where you can make one-pot dishes? I do actually. I have an instant pot and a crock pot. This is a great idea! 

@veganostomy The links are a huge help, thank you so much! I hope it's ok that I'm replying to your quotes haha it helps me to make sure I reply and answer everything you've asked :)

Posted by: @tigerlily

@noodle19 What kinds of foods do you eat now? right now, mostly fast food, or pasta, things like that. And what exactly do you want to change about what you eat? I want to eat more healthy foods, I feel disgusting continuing to eat the foods I eat.  When I was cooking, I'd make things like meatloaf, Sheppards Pie, casseroles, roasts... but I'd even like to eat healthier than that (not that those things are healthy, but they're healthier than fast food) Have you ever had difficulty with any particular food causing GI problems? You mentioned the list of foods ostomates aren’t supposed to eat - do you have trouble with those foods? to answer your last 2 questions ... mostly my troubles from food has been leaking from my wafer. Things that don't digest well (like corn) will go under the wafer and cause a leak. We all get the list of foods to avoid, but many of us find ways to incorporate them into our diets anyway, by eating small amounts and chewing well. 

Laurie

I've never ever tried eating lettuce (since getting the ileostomy) because I'm just so paranoid I'll get a blockage. But I've also read people say that they eat it. I miss a good salad! I think my anxiety and overthinking gets the best of me. For example, I'm afraid to just pick up an apple and start eating it, because i fear the skin will cause a blockage. Same with grapes, skin on potatoes, etc. Maybe I'm TOO cautious 🤷‍♀️

@noodle19 

I think everyone has their own comfort level with what they are willing to eat and the risk/reward of different foods. 

As far as the ones you mentioned, I do eat lettuce, but am sure to chew it up really good. I don’t eat corn. And I avoid skins/peels on fruits and veggies. I peel apples, peaches, pears, and just avoid smaller fruits with peels (grapes, cherries, blueberries). And veggies, I peel potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. I also take the seeds out of tomatoes and cucumbers. Maybe it is extreme, but I’ve never had a blockage in 3 years and I can live like this. I really miss corn, but that is what I have heard the most horror stories about. I missed nuts a lot so I experimented with adding them back into my diet a little at a time and being sure to chew them to death. Fibrous things, I try to eat in moderation as it can really thicken stool. Apples and potatoes are culprits of that. Nuts too. 

I avoid celery because it is so stringy and I am careful with lettuces. I feel like I should avoid rhubarb too, but I only eat it about once a year and since it is cooked, it doesn’t seem as stringy as celery. 

Anyway, that is just me. The important things are moderation, adding things in slowly, and lots of chewing. 

@squeakyandliza thank you,  Liza! May I ask ... when you say that you do eat lettuce .... how do you eat it? As in, do you eat a salad, or just have a little (maybe on a sandwich or burger, for example)? I did miss nuts, and i found if i eat one at a time and chew it until it's peanut butter haha it seems to be fine. However, there has still been times where i can feel tiny hard pieces in the bag (hopefully not TMI), so i very rarely eat those any more. Corn i have given up altogether, as I've had way too many leaks from that 😬 

@noodle19 So your quest is 2 pronged - you want to clean up your diet and you want to incorporate foods that are safe for your ostomy.

 I don’t think that the foods you mentioned are necessarily unhealthy; I guess it just depends on how they’re prepared. Pasta is my go-to comfort food - I do try to use whole wheat pasta, and how healthy it is depends on what I put on it. I am also trying to follow a Mediterranean diet - a Google search will give you tons of recipes, but basically, the focus is on whole grains, healthy fats, fish more often than meat, and fruits and vegetables. I have to modify sometimes - I have difficulty with too much fibre, which leads to very loose output. I have a colostomy, so I shouldn’t have loose output. 

My favourite cookbook at the moment is called Yum and Yummer by Greta Podleski. It is Canadian, but you should be able to find it. I love it for the Chocolate Avocado Pudding, the Butter Chicken Naan Pizza, the Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes, the Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Lime Mayo, the Chicken Penne Florentine, the Whole Wheat Pumpkin Biscuits, and lots more. (OK, now I’m hungry!) If I had to pare down my cookbook collection, this is  the first one I’d keep. It has a meatless section, if that’s what you want, and many of the recipes can be adapted to be meatless. There is nutritional information for every recipe, and a QR code that you can scan on your phone and watch Greta prepare the recipe on video.

As for the other issue of foods that you can tolerate, it’s hard for anyone else to give you specific advice other than to try things in very small amounts (unless you already know they won’t work for you) and chew them to a pulp. My ostomy nurse (who has an ostomy) once told me that she thinks she even chews water. I understand overthinking it - we all live in fear of obstruction. Ultimately, you will do whatever you feel comfortable doing. Noodle, keep asking questions; we will help if we can.

Laurie

@tigerlily thank you Laurie 😊 Now i am hungry as well haha I'm headed to do some shopping with my sister, maybe I'll be able to find that cookbook! 

@noodle19 If you can’t find it at a bookstore, you should be able to get it on Amazon or the Book Depository.🙂

Laurie

Posted by: @noodle19

Maybe I'm TOO cautious

It's good to be cautious, but not at the exclusion of healthy food :) It's good that you're taking steps to change that!

I've always like to keep a food diary, which can help to not only identify "problem foods", but also give you an idea of what your caloric and nutritional intake is like. 

My suggestion when you're starting with new foods is to take it slow (introduce only a few new foods at a time), chew well, and mind the amount that you eat at one time. Once you feel comfortable with one food, you can have more of it, or introduce new ones. 

Salads can be an interesting problem to tackle. Be mindful of the type of greens you're using as some can be more difficult to chew/digest than others. Iceberg is probably the easiest.

Once you are comfortable with eating the greens in your salad, begin to add more to it (cucumber, tomatoes, etc.). You might want to skin and deseed any fruits and veg that go in, but this is usually only until you know how they affect you. 

At any point, if you feel more pressure behind your stoma or notice that your output is too erratic, cut back on the newest food(s) you added and either try again with smaller quantities or change how you prepare/consume those foods. 👍

@veganostomy that's very helpful, thank you so much!! I'm so excited/ nervous to have salad again 😁

@tigerlily good idea. I work for Amazon, I don't know why i didn't think of that haha duh!

@noodle19 

Noodle, I started with lettuce on a sandwich and then moved on to small salads. Like Laurie said, I also stick to iceberg lettuce. It may not be the healthiest lettuce, but it is nice to eat salad. 

Oh, and you will learn with this group, there is no such thing as TMI. 🤣

@squeakyandliza perfect idea to start with a sandwich! I think maybe I'll do that for lunch today 😎 Ok, i figured here it wasn't tmi haha but sometimes people get wierded out 😅 Luckily, I'm surrounded with people in my life that don't get bothered by my "shit" stories 🤣 BTW, i love your signature quote, that's very cute!