Eating Beans with an Ileostomy - Is It Safe?

I am new to ileostomy which I have named Oliver.

I am curious if anyone eats beans and if it is a problem for ileostomies?

Yes, and I have done so for over 30 problem-free years. As with all foods, just try a small amount at first and see how it goes. It's the only way.

As above ☝️

Hello,

Fresh runner beans and green beans work for me. However, dried and subsequently soaked and then single- or double-cooked beans of this type do not; neither do canned baked beans suit me. As these 'preserved' beans (and peas and lentils too) seem to cause the generation of gas as they digest within my small bowel. But as many folk will say, it is different for all of us, and IMHO it is very much dependent upon the mix of foodstuffs that you have in your diet.

Just try things one at a time and assess as you go.

Whoops, sorry, just seen capital letters.

Not shouting or intending to emphasize.

Good luck in testing out what works for you.

Best wishes (seems the caps lock has stayed off now lol).

Waves from the hills in the UK,

Jayne

I can usually eat green beans. Dry beans are a no for me. Everyone is different, so maybe give them a try.

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I find that canned beans and the like are much more easily digested if they are cooked way longer than suggested. I pressure cook every kind now, followed by mashing afterwards. I find that refried pinto beans are better than refried black beans (because there are fewer rogue whole beans) for me. Green beans don't cause issues for me if cooked well. Try small amounts at first.

Yes to all beans for me, dried and soaked, then cooked, fresh, frozen, canned, whatever. The key for me is chewing everything really well, and drinking lots of liquids.

Terry

I stay away from green beans due to the insoluble fiber and the fact that I don't care for them unless they are fresh from the garden. And the former outweighs the latter. I have no problems with pinto beans and black beans, other than the gas they produce. Haven't tried lima beans or kidney beans since the ileostomy.

Your mileage may vary. :-)

Daniel

I have recently started eating French-style green beans with no problems. I have not tried other kinds of beans. I miss baked beans and other kinds of beans.

Lee

I've had an ileostomy for a year and continue to be a cautious eater. I worry about the skins on beans. Shortly after my surgery, my surgeon recommended refried beans, which don't have skins. They come in a can and look like dog food, but I've come to like them combined with rice and with cheese melted on top.

Ileostomy here. I rarely eat green beans, but when I do, they are always well cooked. I eat all types of canned beans, have even eaten baked beans straight out of the can 😂 and not had a problem, but beans do tend to thicken my output. I also eat kidney beans, butter beans, etc., that I myself cook. I soak them first and cook them well. Generally, I now eat anything except spinach unless it's baby spinach.

Start small and see how you do. I can eat any kind of beans as long as they are well cooked/chewed. However, I never, ever eat them for dinner anymore because the gas will invariably blow up my bag at night, more than once, when I'm sleeping, and almost always results in me having to do multiple loads (s**t loads, I call them) of laundry (bedding, etc.), well into the next day. It just isn't worth it, and no beans are worth setting my alarm for 1:00 a.m. just so I can "fart" my bag! They're great for lunch, though. My two cents.

I never worry about gas at night. Being a 75-year-old male that drinks a lot of water, nighttime trips to the loo are part of life. And also a perfect time to burp my bag. 🥸

Daniel