My list of illeostomy friendly foods and drinks
Posted: 2025-03-18 08:27:16
My eat only guide that may help others.
Instead of working from all the things that cause issues with my illeostomy I'd figure out all what I can have which may be ideal for others to follow.
Not everyone is the same but instead of being overwhelmed by issues they may prefer to have something easy to start with first and experiment after that.
Note that my list is likely nutrient deficient but I take a Centrum Silver multivitamin multimineral almost daily anyway. The list is also somewhat prediabetic friendly, thus light on the fast carbs. Portions are about a large potato or two taco sized portions 3-6 times over the course of 24 hours to reduce high output and have more lull periods to do a bag change...I often eat greek yogurt as snacks in between as it can reduce gas and odor.
So with that here is my list which is a work in progress
If it's NOT on this list then it causes issues (at least for me and may for you)
**My problem free illeostomy diet**
Low or no fat milk (plain, no chocolate etc)
Fruit juices like apple, orange in small amounts (one small glass per day, mornings only on a good bag, diarrhea risk)
Soft canned diced peaches, fruit cup (one per day, mornings only on a good bag, diarrhea risk)
Applesauce (no sugar added) thickens stool
Strawberries (in small amounts, tiny bits mixed with other food, not chunks) Tiny seeds not a clog risk, but larger ones are.
Greek Yogurt (no chunky skinned or fibrous fruits; like cherry, blueberry or pineapple) with small strawberries or soft peach bits or others like it. Good odor control.
Lean unseasoned, not deep fried, tender meats like steak (filet 6 oz), juicy chicken, pork chops, lamb and turkey (avoid fatty or alcohol gravy and any hard parts) about 6-8 oz per serving. Pork limit to one chop size due to high fat content causes diarrhea.
Extremely lean hamburger or chopped steak, gravy without fat, alcohol or veggie chunks. 6-8 oz per serving. Fatty, diarrhea risk. Red meat can take longer to exit into the bag than other meats.
Skinless all beef hotdogs (plain) 2 max. (Fatty, diarrhea risk). No veggies or chili with beans (clog risk)
Sausage (not spicy, thin casings and no tough bits) two four inch links max per serving (fatty, diarrhea risk)
Ketchup and mayonnaise. Mustard (light amounts)
Lean Bacon, Ham or not spicy, not chunky bits, skinless deli meats. No honey ham. 6-8 oz per serving. Pork is fatty, limit to one small pork chop portion (diarrhea risk)
Chicken salad (plain, no veggies) 6-8 oz per serving.
Potatoes: salad (plain, no veggies) mashed (garlic okay), plain pan fried or baked (butter fine), nothing deep fried, no skins, soft cooked and no indigestible bits (clog risk). Max half a large potato portion (diarrhea risk) Mashed potatoes without chunks or skins is best.
Pasta sauce with no solid veggies (either strain them out using a fork or use Mariana or meat sauce)
Macaroni with cheese (about a cup max per serving, diarrhea risk)
Regular breads (slices, rolls, flour tortillas and biscuits) and pasta in small one cup amounts at a time (avoid corn anything or heavy grain breads)
Eggs (not scrambled or omelets where yoke is mixed with whites) and plain egg salad in small amounts chewed well. Over easy style best for complete digestion.
Creamy peanut butter (not chunky, no sugar added)
Jelly, no chunks, no sugar added, all natural ingredients with no artificial sweeteners, tiny strawberry sized seeds okay (no larger!), max two tablespoons at a time on a good bag. (diarrhea risk)
Butter and butter like spreads
Bananas - blended in a smoothie, pudding or eaten in small bits and amounts with something else. Not as whole one all at once.
Real cheese (not processed cheese food comes out like plastic) in small amounts
Rice cooked more than al dente, fried rice minus veggies. No sticky or sushi rice (clog risk). One cup max per serving.
Water, or water with some electrolytes added for taste
V8 juice with less sodium (one small glass)
Pea or tomato soup (no solid bits) one small bowl. Crackers okay.
Dill pickles spears (no skins, clog risk)
Centrum Silver (long diarrhea risk, mornings on a good bag only)
Vanilla Tapioca pudding (little chunks chewed well seems fine)
Meat and cheese lasagna with no solid veggies (2" x 4" slice at a sitting, diarrhea risk)
**Note: Avoid mixing diarrhea risk foods at the same time**
Items above assume rinsing bag after each dump to control odor.
Instead of working from all the things that cause issues with my illeostomy I'd figure out all what I can have which may be ideal for others to follow.
Not everyone is the same but instead of being overwhelmed by issues they may prefer to have something easy to start with first and experiment after that.
Note that my list is likely nutrient deficient but I take a Centrum Silver multivitamin multimineral almost daily anyway. The list is also somewhat prediabetic friendly, thus light on the fast carbs. Portions are about a large potato or two taco sized portions 3-6 times over the course of 24 hours to reduce high output and have more lull periods to do a bag change...I often eat greek yogurt as snacks in between as it can reduce gas and odor.
So with that here is my list which is a work in progress
If it's NOT on this list then it causes issues (at least for me and may for you)
**My problem free illeostomy diet**
Low or no fat milk (plain, no chocolate etc)
Fruit juices like apple, orange in small amounts (one small glass per day, mornings only on a good bag, diarrhea risk)
Soft canned diced peaches, fruit cup (one per day, mornings only on a good bag, diarrhea risk)
Applesauce (no sugar added) thickens stool
Strawberries (in small amounts, tiny bits mixed with other food, not chunks) Tiny seeds not a clog risk, but larger ones are.
Greek Yogurt (no chunky skinned or fibrous fruits; like cherry, blueberry or pineapple) with small strawberries or soft peach bits or others like it. Good odor control.
Lean unseasoned, not deep fried, tender meats like steak (filet 6 oz), juicy chicken, pork chops, lamb and turkey (avoid fatty or alcohol gravy and any hard parts) about 6-8 oz per serving. Pork limit to one chop size due to high fat content causes diarrhea.
Extremely lean hamburger or chopped steak, gravy without fat, alcohol or veggie chunks. 6-8 oz per serving. Fatty, diarrhea risk. Red meat can take longer to exit into the bag than other meats.
Skinless all beef hotdogs (plain) 2 max. (Fatty, diarrhea risk). No veggies or chili with beans (clog risk)
Sausage (not spicy, thin casings and no tough bits) two four inch links max per serving (fatty, diarrhea risk)
Ketchup and mayonnaise. Mustard (light amounts)
Lean Bacon, Ham or not spicy, not chunky bits, skinless deli meats. No honey ham. 6-8 oz per serving. Pork is fatty, limit to one small pork chop portion (diarrhea risk)
Chicken salad (plain, no veggies) 6-8 oz per serving.
Potatoes: salad (plain, no veggies) mashed (garlic okay), plain pan fried or baked (butter fine), nothing deep fried, no skins, soft cooked and no indigestible bits (clog risk). Max half a large potato portion (diarrhea risk) Mashed potatoes without chunks or skins is best.
Pasta sauce with no solid veggies (either strain them out using a fork or use Mariana or meat sauce)
Macaroni with cheese (about a cup max per serving, diarrhea risk)
Regular breads (slices, rolls, flour tortillas and biscuits) and pasta in small one cup amounts at a time (avoid corn anything or heavy grain breads)
Eggs (not scrambled or omelets where yoke is mixed with whites) and plain egg salad in small amounts chewed well. Over easy style best for complete digestion.
Creamy peanut butter (not chunky, no sugar added)
Jelly, no chunks, no sugar added, all natural ingredients with no artificial sweeteners, tiny strawberry sized seeds okay (no larger!), max two tablespoons at a time on a good bag. (diarrhea risk)
Butter and butter like spreads
Bananas - blended in a smoothie, pudding or eaten in small bits and amounts with something else. Not as whole one all at once.
Real cheese (not processed cheese food comes out like plastic) in small amounts
Rice cooked more than al dente, fried rice minus veggies. No sticky or sushi rice (clog risk). One cup max per serving.
Water, or water with some electrolytes added for taste
V8 juice with less sodium (one small glass)
Pea or tomato soup (no solid bits) one small bowl. Crackers okay.
Dill pickles spears (no skins, clog risk)
Centrum Silver (long diarrhea risk, mornings on a good bag only)
Vanilla Tapioca pudding (little chunks chewed well seems fine)
Meat and cheese lasagna with no solid veggies (2" x 4" slice at a sitting, diarrhea risk)
**Note: Avoid mixing diarrhea risk foods at the same time**
Items above assume rinsing bag after each dump to control odor.