Cancer Colon Cancer Living With Diet Suggestions After a Colostomy or Colectomy By Suzanne Dixon, MPH, RD Suzanne Dixon, MPH, RD LinkedIn Twitter Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RDN, is an award-winning registered dietitian and epidemiologist, as well as an expert in cancer prevention and management. Learn about our editorial process Updated on October 04, 2021 Medically reviewed by Jennifer Schwartz, MD Medically reviewed by Jennifer Schwartz, MD Jennifer Schwartz, MD, is board-certified in general surgery with a subspecialty certification in bariatric surgery. She serves as an assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine, and practices in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents The Procedures Diet After Surgery Foods to Limit Foods That Help Chewing Thoroughly If you have had a colostomy or colectomy, you may be wondering how you should change your diet. While you may need to make some changes, the good news is that you probably will not need to completely overhaul the way you eat. Shortly after your surgery, your healthcare provider and/or a nutritionist will probably help you learn the best way to eat. This article explains how your diet may change right after surgery on your colon. It also discusses foods to enjoy and foods to avoid going forward. Verywell / Ellen Lindner Colectomies and Colostomies A colectomy removes all or part of your colon or large intestine. Your colon is a long, tube-like organ at the end of your digestive tract. Surgery may be necessary to treat or prevent conditions that affect your colon. A colostomy connects the remaining part of your colon or your small intestine to an opening in your abdomen. Waste leaves the body through that opening. It is usually collected in a bag. There are several types of colectomy surgeries: Total colectomy removes the whole colon.Partial colectomy removes part of the colon. It's sometimes called a called subtotal colectomy.Hemicolectomy removes the right or left part of the colon.Proctocolectomy removes both the colon and the rectum. Diet After Surgery In some cases, depending on the type of surgery and other factors, you will receive only intravenous (IV) fluids (given through a tube inserted in a vein) for two to three days to give the colon time to heal. You can then try to drink clear liquids, such as soup broth and juice. The next step is to eat easy-to-digest foods, such as toast and oatmeal. At that point, you should be able to go back to your normal diet. If you had a colostomy, you may want to avoid foods that cause odors or gas, which can inflate the colostomy bag and make it harder to manage. How to Prevent Embarrassment From Colostomy Gas Foods to Limit Foods you may want to limit include: Raw vegetablesSkins and peels of fruit (fruit flesh is OK)Dairy products such as milk and cheeseVery high-fiber food such as wheat bran cereals and breadBeans, peas, and lentilsCorn and popcornBrown and wild riceNuts and seedsCakes, pies, cookies, and other sweetsHigh-fat and fried food such as fried chicken, sausage, and other fatty meats Foods That Help Other foods can be helpful after a colostomy because they thicken the stool. They may also cause less odor. These include: Yogurt (with live and active cultures)Cranberry juiceBananasApplesauceWell-cooked, sticky white riceButtermilkTapiocaWhite toast Chewing Thoroughly Be sure to chew everything you eat very well. Chewing helps with digestion. It will help you manage your colostomy more easily. Try to chew everything until it's liquid in your mouth. Summary If you have had colon surgery, your diet will include foods that are very easy to digest as you recover. Once your colon has healed, you will be able to eat more of the foods you normally eat. If you had a colostomy, you may want to limit foods that cause gas. These foods can make it harder to handle a colostomy bag. Foods that thicken the stool and cause less odor can make life with a colostomy bag easier. 1 Source Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Diet guidelines for people with a colostomy. By Suzanne Dixon, MPH, RD Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RDN, is an award-winning registered dietitian and epidemiologist, as well as an expert in cancer prevention and management. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit