Eating Cauliflower with an Ileostomy: Tips and Experiences

Sounds like you are going through a lot. I am sorry you are struggling so much. I don't like to cook the nutrients out of veggies, but I also don't want a blockage. So I don't know between the two what to do.

I plan on not having too much of the stalk in the cauliflower. I am sure I can't cut all of the stalk off, but I am sure I can get close.

Ileo here. I avoided it for a few years. My local UOAA group reformed after the COVID shutdown. I zap both broccoli and cauliflower a few times (add H2O or it dries out). 2 minutes, second 2 minutes, and maybe 1 minute more. Soft to the touch and easy to pass. Miss Rinaldi's Pizza on Halstead. Go Cubs!

All my old Italian friends from Bklyn moved/live on SI. Is Sotile's still around? Add some fresh garlic and olive oil instead. Healthier.

Deep Purple? One of my favorites! Smoke on the Water. Good news, bad news. They are on tour in Russia, the Emirates, and Malaysia—NOT!!

How to Stay Hydrated with an Ostomy with Collin | Hollister

I eat most vegetables overcooked, and I am fine. I also chew my food very well. I had one horrible blockage, and it was due to eating vitamin gummies.

Sometimes we use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice. I've had no problems.

I used to take magnesium vitamin, and it never gave me trouble; it was a gummy. I guess I have been lucky. Sorry you had a blockage with gummies.

I wondered if cauliflower rice would be better than just cauliflower. Of course, if I put it through the food processor, it will come out like cauliflower rice anyway.

As long as you chew, chew, and chew, you should be okay to eat it raw. Cooked veggies are better with an ileostomy. I can't eat raw carrots; it causes a blockage.

I've had an ileostomy for 1.5 years. I gradually introduced more gas-producing foods, like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage. Cooked only. Luckily, I haven't had any problems and hope to never experience a blockage!

My wife cuts off the stems of broccoli and cauliflower and puts them in her soups, and I eat the florets. We cook them in the Instant Pot or roast them.

To deal with the gas issues, my GI turned me on to a plant-based product called Atrantil. It took a couple of months to work. Before then, my bag was like the Hindenburg - ready to blow! Now it doesn't get that bad. I take 2 Atrantil with each meal, but it might be different for everyone.

I bought some cauliflower today, so we will see how it goes.

I hope my bag isn't going to blow up with gas when I eat cauliflower. It doesn't when I eat broccoli, so maybe I won't have that much of a gas issue with the cauliflower. I can hope, can't I? Thanks for sharing your experiences with me. I appreciate hearing how things have gone for you and your advice about the natural anti-gas agent in case I do need it.

I've become accustomed to creating my own meals from the food in its most natural state. I like to cook and bake, so I welcome the challenge of converting recipes with comparable ingredients to enjoy the foods I love without worry of eating something that's going to disagree with me.

As far as soups, flavor is enhanced by using various types of stock, veggies, and herbs. Have you tried nutritional yeast? It's a healthy seasoning that can be used in everything and enhances any vegan recipe calling for cheese. It's awesome in mac and cheese.

I'm on a low-fiber diet due to a blockage and a 3-day hospital stay a few weeks ago. I can eat white rice only; it's considered lower fiber.
I understand the fear and hesitation of adding new things.

Nope, I have never tried nutritional yeast. How do you know how much to put in? Stock has sodium in it. Even veggie stock does. I am trying to avoid too much sodium. I don't want to overdo it on sodium because I have CKD in stage 3. Sodium is very hard on the kidneys. I don't want to overload my kidneys. I know veggies are good for flavoring and herbs; I just don't know what goes with what. I made a squash soup once, and it was good, but the next time I made it, it didn't turn out. So I got discouraged and gave up. It was the same soup; it just came out differently. I don't know if it was that the squash wasn't ripe enough or was too ripe, or there was too much water, or what it was, but I know it didn't work the second time I made it. Plus, I found out pretty fast that squash causes pancaking.

I can't eat rice at all. It was a part of what caused my blockage a year and a half ago. It was a combo of white rice, broccoli, and cheese sauce that caused my blockage. Now I steer clear of rice. There is a lot of hesitation in adding new things because I don't want to get another blockage. I am worried about that. I didn't like it when I got one once. It was very unpleasant and uncomfortable. Painful. And the 4 days with an NG tube in was not fun either.

I zap the veggies a few times. Water evaporates, so I add more. After the last zap, I use the remaining liquid for sauces.

By zap, I assume you mean microwave. I have heard that and nuke for microwave. Both terms make me laugh. They paint a picture in my mind of someone with a ray gun aimed at veggies waiting to be cooked real fast.