Vegetarian Diet for Ostomates: Tips & Experiences?

Hi.

Is anyone here a vegetarian or tried that diet as an ostomate? I'm trying to incorporate more of that into my diet. Wondering how it works for you.

Hi Irish. I have been a pescetarian long before my ileo. So I include seafood along with a vegetarian diet. You could say seafood is my meat. I have been eating this way for over 30 years and will not change. There are pros and cons, and I think you need to consider your own circumstances. I could benefit by eating meat for the protein, and I have a hard time keeping the weight on post ileo. The cons... meat makes your output smell. As a pescetarian, my sh*t doesn't stink lol

Just out of curiosity, I'm wondering what made you consider a vegetarian diet (if you're willing to share)

Hello Irish.

I have been a vegetarian for as long as I can recall, so when I got my stoma (many years ago), my diet did not change. I have not come amiss with dietry things so far, but everyone is different in this regard, so I would be inclined to simply keep trying different foods until you find those that don't agree with you for some reason. The basic principle still remains with whatever you eat : -chew- chew and chew again, and if that doesn't work, then liquidise the food before you eat it. 

Best wishes

Bill 

I eat a lot less meat but cannot do total vegetarian because my stomach becomes super loud! I have to limit myself to 2 fruits or vegetables a day. The office I work in is very quiet and there is no way I can muffle all the noises... I sound like a whoopee cushion!

I have been vegan for almost seven years and have not had many issues. I do take a B12 supplement daily because I don't eat any meat, honey, seafood or dairy products. I did have a few blockages in the past from not cooking vegetables long enough, such as broccoli stems or cabbage, but have no issues eating them raw. Perhaps I instinctively chew more thoroughly when I am consuming raw vegetables?!?

Just a side note, off topic. I also tried eating steel-cut oats and some more fibrous healthier cereal options, and those produced blockages as well.

So, you may just have to try small portions, chewing the food well, to help determine what works best for you. I wish you good luck as you begin your journey to a healthier diet. Ultimately, I believe you will find you have more energy and simply feel so much better overall!

Ever since I've had the radical ileostomy surgery, I can't handle spinach, green beans, any vegetable with a thick coat. Whenever I ate these veggies, it gave me liquid diarrhea. I don't have a puree kind of blender. The doctors told me that I might not be able to digest fiber very well. It might be the fiber whether it's blended into a puree or not. That's been my experience. But I can eat tomatoes, potatoes, coleslaw, etc.

Thanks for all the helpful responses. I decided to try a vegetarian diet because it's more healthy because I don't really eat a lot of meat (red meat specifically) in general. I am lucky in that I have an ileostomy that generally behaves pretty well haven't had much of a problem with food other than it just going right through. I guess it's just a matter of finding what works for me.

Hi, I had an ileostomy and total colectomy at 28 and am now 74. I had stopped eating meat prior to this but when I traveled to Europe, I got really sick and incorporated chicken into my diet. Since then, I've sporadically eaten fish and chicken just to keep my protein level up. That being said, my diet is mostly vegetarian for more than forty years. I can eat almost anything, chew, chew, chew. I find that eggs, bread, pasta. I eat most vegetables without a problem but try to stay away from really high fiber foods, like kale, uncooked cabbage. One of the clues to veggies is to cook them until soft, although, I've eaten raw vegetables with no problem. Just do it a little at a time to figure out what works for you. Last night, I had a delicious home-cooked meal of sautéed garlic, onion, green peppers with chickpeas, added some salt and paprika and mixed it with elbow macaroni and grated cheese. Quite yummy. Good luck with your decision. Just trial and error.

Ann

First, my experience is basically the same as Ann's. I had my ileostomy at 38 and now I am 80. For the second time in my life, I am eating a vegetarian diet because of heart-related issues. Basically, no meat, no dairy, whole-grain bread and pasta, and very low fat. My protein comes primarily from beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, and seitan. I am fortunate in that I can eat green salads. If I'm going to eat an apple, then I want to be hydrated.

You should be fine, but we are all different.

Ival

I've been a vegetarian for 40 years, and love it. The truth is, I don't know any difference before and after my ostomy, nor would I let it change my diet or my life.

John Stoddard Cancer Center just had a vegetarian cooking class designed for cancer survivors. You may want to check to see if they have any more planned. Greta is the dietitian there.

I've been a vegetarian for 43 years. I got this.

Hi Zanzi1 and Ival, thank you both for sharing. I was looking for info on seitan, but you've answered my other questions too. That being said, I just want to express my admiration to both of you for being ostomates for so long. You are both amazing to me. I will be 59 in a few weeks, and I have 2 stoma bags on my abdomen. An ileostomy and a fistula. The surgeon intends to reverse them next summer but has already told me it will be a difficult surgery. My ileostomy is very active always and now it (Molly) has decided to leak regularly too!! I'm 6 months post-op and still learning. You both come across as relaxed and taking it all in your respective strides. You are both heroes to me.

Ps I was vegan since 2016, but after surgery I have eaten meat occasionally, at the request of the surgeon and dietitian, to gain weight they said. I argued but... Anyway, I mostly have fish and eggs and cheese, so I guess I'm vegetarian now and I'm happy at that. ‍I prefer a plant-based diet though and also there is little or no odor with a plant-based diet.

Hi Zanzi1 and Ival, thank you both for sharing. I was looking for info on seitan, but you've answered my other questions too. That being said, I just want to express my admiration to both of you for being ostomates for so long. You are both amazing to me. I will be 59 in a few weeks and I have 2 stoma bags on my abdomen. An ileostomy and a fistula. The surgeon intends to reverse them next summer but has already told me it will be a difficult surgery. My ileostomy is very active always and now it (Molly) has decided to leak regularly too!! I'm 6 months post-op and still learning. You both come across as relaxed and taking it all in your respective strides. You are both heroes to me.

Ps I was vegan since 2016, but after surgery I have eaten meat occasionally, at the request of the surgeon and dietitian, to gain weight they said. I argued but... Anyway, I mostly have fish and eggs and cheese, so I guess I'm vegetarian now and I'm happy at that. I prefer a plant-based diet though and also there is little or no odor with a plant-based diet.

Caroline