Eating Cauliflower with an Ileostomy: Tips and Experiences

This is for ileostomates. Does anyone eat cauliflower? And what problems? Cooked, I mean. I have been reluctant to try it in case of blockage. I have had a blockage before, and it was not a fun experience in the hospital. So I am wondering about eating cauliflower. I am looking to expand my veggies beyond canned beets, zucchini, and broccoli, all cooked and zucchini skinned. I can eat broccoli if it's chopped up in a food processor. I am wondering, could I do the same with cauliflower, and is it too much roughage?

I eat steamed cauliflower and broccoli maybe two to three times a week; it's quite a soft vegetable, really. You know the plan: start slowly.

Hi, I eat cauliflower. I boil it, drain it, cut it small, then put butter on it. It's delicious, and sometimes I put grated Italian cheese and a glass of wine. 🍷 Enjoy.   Regards, S. I. L.

Yes, I have been eating it problem-free for close to 40 years now with an ileostomy and jejunostomy stoma. You know the routine: try a small amount, and if it were to cause a problem, it should be short-lived.

I never eat canned veggies.  Steamed cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus...regularly.  

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No problem at all with cauliflower; cook it well and enjoy.

IGGIE

I eat it fairly regularly, mostly cooked, but occasionally raw, with dip. Axl is right; it is really a pretty soft vegetable when cooked and breaks down more easily than broccoli. I don't think you would have a problem with it.

Terry

Melt some American cheese on the cauliflower as a snack. I wouldn't mind trying pickled beets again, but the red color that I would see later would freak me out a bit.

Agreed Iggy ..... although, oddly so long as it is not double cooked [i.e., heated up] it is OK for me too ...... can be gas generative if eaten in large portions when cooked as cauliflower cheese in the oven for too long! - I find it best lightly cooked when it still has a little 'bite' to it - but as has been said here - chew it well - try small amounts - progressively - little and frequently is better than volume irregularly!

Freshly prepared and lightly cooked organically grown food is great - along with exercise and a positive mindset.

Sometimes we need to spend a little more time on our self-care than perhaps we always do .....

Good luck Infinity Castle - I know having blockage history can cause us extra timidity - but try to move forward and hold a positive outlook - and chew chew chew ..... no binging - no matter how delicious!

BW

I am used to the color of output when I eat beets. It's a deep purple color. Once you get used to it, it's no big deal. I have come to expect it when I eat beets.

Thank you, everyone, for the encouragement. I do get kind of scared to try new things because of having had a blockage. And having had an NG tube three times in my past, I know that I hate them. I wonder if the riced form of it would be better for me than just plain old cauliflower. It would be smaller pieces of it and maybe would digest better. But I have had an experience with rice, cheese, and broccoli that was my blockage, so I am afraid to add cheese to veggies. And I definitely avoid rice now.

I know that I should move forward and chew, chew, chew, and try things slowly, but I am extra cautious since I had the blockage because it was so unpleasant. I get little streaks of fear about foods. I don't want to have a problem again. I think I will try cauliflower, cook it well, chop it up in the food processor, and see how that goes. That is what I do with broccoli, and it works. I just need more veggie options because sticking to three veggies is getting boring. I know for sure carrots don't work, even from a can when they are soft, because they come out of my bag looking like carrot pieces. So I know they aren't being digested. So what is the point then? And what comes out like that can get stuck inside. So I don't eat carrots anymore. I'd like to eat beans, but I am leery of them because black beans come out with skins. I can eat baked beans, but they are so high in sodium. I'd like to eat butter beans, but I don't know about the skins on them. I like chickpeas on a salad with chicken and cheese on iceberg lettuce, but the lettuce gives my stoma the runs. So I don't know. I guess I shouldn't eat salad. But I used to eat it all the time and just deal with the high liquid output... I don't know, it's hard to eat healthy. I want to, but it's very challenging.

Thanks. I hope it goes well. I will give it a try maybe next week sometime when I go to the store next.

I will cook it well. And I will chop it up in the food processor. That's what I do with broccoli, and it works for that.

I've never tasted asparagus. I don't like the way it smells. I sauté zucchini. I rarely eat yellow squash because it has big seeds in it.

Yeah, try a small amount; that is a good idea.

A glass of wine with cauliflower. That's funny. I never thought of that. Too bad the house rule is no alcohol. I take too many medications to mix drinks with it.

Yeah, start off slow and see how it goes. I know the routine. I just wanted to hear from other ileostomates how it's gone for them.

G-Day infinitycastle,

Don't read about everything as being a problem; you seem to see danger in everything. We have a saying in Australia: "Suck it and see," which simply means "Give it a go." Stop seeing danger in everything.

IGGIE

After eating carrots, I see bits of them come out of the bag. I know my body has digested a good bit of them, as not all the carrots come out. What comes out is simply waste product because the body has already used what it needed out of the carrots. The same is most likely true for you. Anything you eat will see some of the “leftovers” after the body uses what it needs. This is just normal digestion that happens in everyone. The only difference between them, us, and other ostomates is that we see digestion end product firsthand, as the extra drying out from a colon does not happen anymore. Use your instincts and what you know about chewing, and enjoy the foods in life.

Ileostomy for 27 years, no problem eating cauliflower at least once a week with no issues. I've expanded my veggies to include fresh cabbage, green beans, and carrots as well as the cauliflower. Just chew slowly and thoroughly.

I do this with cabbage and have had luck if it's sautéed (about 1/2 a medium-sized head) in olive oil and garlic or onion until it is caramelized. Finish off with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar... but take an anti-gas preventative first (like Beano) and only eat a small portion at a time. This also freezes well for a future serving or two. I get 4 portions out of 1/2 head. I then follow the meal with a Gas-X type of medication.

Good luck

Just make sure it is soft steamed. I ate raw cauliflower with ranch dip one time and got a horrible obstruction, so I never ate it again.

No problem with blockage, but it certainly makes me windy.

My husband eats cooked cauliflower without problems.

Just chew everything, and it's not a problem.

Illiostomy 3 years ago now. Cook it well, chew it well. Salad stuff is a no for me; not easy. Carrots I beat into paste works.

I would just not eat it. I can eat all cooked veggies except the ones known to make gas. I have an ileostomy as well. I eat salads too. I've had my ileo for 3 years.

For the first time in years, I tried both cauliflower and broccoli. I was unable to process both long before my ileostomy almost 3 years ago. Broccoli was first, cooked and soft; all was well. The next day, I had some leftovers, and that was not a great idea. I started with broccolini, thinking in a baby veg it might be more tender, then graduated to regular broccoli. Note to self, don't eat two days in a row.

Next up, cauliflower, same steamed and soft. It was wonderful. The next day was fine. Again, I made the mistake of two days in a row, and then I got freaked out. I had experienced a small bowel obstruction with surgery for extensive scar tissue that had adhered my small bowel together. The sensation was similar; my output was liquid all day, and I could feel my small intestine spasm in the same spot. I used a heating pad for a bit to help it and myself calm down. When it finally all released, it was a disaster. I woke up to the worst ever security breach. Everything had finally been able to move, and the gas created by the cauliflower was no match for any adhesive.

I feel so defeated in these moments. The stark reminder of how precious life is, is what brings me back to gratitude to be here.

Most of the time, everything feels "normal." I also have several intolerances that I'm trying to slowly and carefully revisit. Food I couldn't eat that I'm willing to try might be okay, but it's a precarious dance. I did find that after the 2-year mark after surgery, I was able to eat a greater variety of foods that previously didn't work out at all.

If you had a blockage experience like I did, you would understand my reluctance. I like to get people's opinions about things before I try them myself. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Word.