Dietary advice following bowel surgery

Patient information leaflets
NHS Borders

NHS Borders

Produced by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Borders General Hospital, NHS Borders.

"Information given on this site is not meant to take the place of a talk with your doctor or health worker."

Advice

After your surgery it can take a few days for the bowel to start working again and return to normal function. The area can be sensitive and as you may not have eaten for a while smaller meals may be easier to digest. You can gradually begin to reintroduce foods as you feel comfortable. Good nutrition is extremely important for your recovery and this booklet will help guide you towards returning to a healthy balanced diet following your operation. Your surgeon will advise you on when to progress to each stage.

Tips

  • Eat little and often. Smaller meals with additional snacks may be easier to manage
  • Eat slowly and chew your food well
  • Drink plenty of fluids but avoid drinking too close to meals and sip only during meals/when eating
  • Avoid spicy and fried foods initially

Stage 1

For the first day after your surgery it is recommended that you choose liquids and smooth puddings only as your body is still adapting to digestion. If you can tolerate milk this is a good source of protein and energy.

Stage 2

Stage 2 involves progressing towards more solid foods. You should aim to take small portions of soft, low fibre foods as they can be easily digested. Fibre containing foods are normally recommended as part of a healthy balanced diet. However, for the first week or two after bowel surgery a low fibre diet may be better tolerated.

If you are managing to eat these foods with no signs of vomiting, stomach bloating or discomfort you may choose to introduce more foods and increase portion sizes as you feel comfortable.

Stage 3

During stage 3 you will begin to return to your normal diet. Once you are tolerating stage 3 for a few days, you can slowly start to introduce more fruit, vegetables, wholegrain bread and higher fibre cereals such as porridge, and wheat biscuits.

Wait two weeks of tolerating stage 3 before introducing lentils, pulses, split peas, beans or barley into your diet, unless you have been advised to avoid these foods completely.

During the early stages after you surgery your Doctor or dietitian may recommend a ‘supplement drink’. This is a nourishing drink to provide you with additional nutrition following your procedure. Your dietitian will advise you if these are necessary and how long you should take these for.

If you have had recent weight loss or reduced dietary intake prior to surgery you should ask to speak to a dietitian.

This diet is intended for short term use only – if you are struggling to progress through the stages or have not returned to normal diet after ~1 month please seek further advice from your Doctor or dietitian.

Foods to choose and foods to avoid - the list is not exhaustive and menus are for guidance only

The list is not exhaustive and menus are for guidance only.

  Foods to choose Foods to avoid
Stage 1
 
  • Tea/coffee
  • Milk
  • Smooth & creamy yoghurts
  • Custard
  • Jelly
  • Ice cream
  • Diluting juice
  • Consommé
  • Bovril
  • Cup-a-soup
  • All vegetable soups (especially pulses/lentils/split-pea/ broth)
  • All fruits and vegetables
  • Foods containing bran and oats
Stage 2
 
  • Rice krispies/cornflakes
  • White bread & rolls
  • Plain sponge
  • Pancake
  • Plain scone
  • Plain biscuit
  • Cream crackers
  • Boiled/mashed potatoes (no skins)
  • Fish, chicken, mince (no onions)
  • Scrambled egg or plain omelette
  • Chicken or tomato soup
  • Milk
  • Smooth yoghurts
  • Cheese
  • Milk puddings (custard, semolina, rice pudding)
  • Tea/coffee
  • Hot chocolate
  • Bovril
  • Diluting juice
  • Cup-a-soup
  • Seedless jam, shredless marmalade
  • All cereals containing oats or bran
  • Wholemeal, wholegrain granary or seeded bread
  • Skins of potatoes
  • All fruit and vegetables
  • Any soup with lentils, pulses, broth
  • Nuts
  • Dried fruit
  • All cereals containing oats or bran
  • Wholemeal, wholegrain granary or seeded bread
  • Skins of potatoes
  • All fruit and vegetables
  • Any soup with lentils, pulses, broth
  • Nuts
  • Dried fruit

 
Stage 3

Cereal, breads, crackers, biscuits & starchy foods
  • Rice krispies/cornflakes
  • Porridge, Ready Brek
  • White bread & rolls
  • Pancake
  • Plain scone
  • Plain sponge
  • Plain biscuits
  • Cream crackers
  • Boiled/mashed potatoes (no skins)
  • White pasta or noodles
  • White rice
  • Wholemeal cereals and cereals containing bran, dried fruit or nuts
  • Wholemeal, wholegrain, granary or seeded bread
  • Wholemeal pasta or noodles
  • Brown rice
  • Skins of potatoes

Meat, Fish & Eggs
  • Meat, chicken, fish
  • Eggs; scrambled or plain omelette
  • Quorn or Tofu
  • Chicken soup
  • Tough, gristly meat
  • Fatty, processed or fried meats

Dairy
  • Milk
  • Hard, soft, cream or cottage cheese
  • Cream
  • Fruit yoghurt
  • Yoghurts with pips, nuts or seeds
  • Cheese with fruit or nuts

Fruit & Vegetables
  • Soft ripe peeled fruit eg. apple, pear, peach, plum, banana
  • Tinned fruit eg. mandarins, peaches, pears, pineapple, fruit cocktail (not prunes)
  • Fruit with skins on or containing seeds
  • Dried fruit
  • Raw vegetables
  • Vegetables with skins, seeds or husks
  • Vegetables that may cause gas such as cabbage & beans
  • Stalks of broccoli/cauliflower
  • Any soup with lentils, pulses, broth

Desserts
  • Milk puddings (custard, semolina, rice pudding)
  • Ice cream
  • Jelly
  • Stewed fruit
  • Sponge pudding
  • fruit yoghurt
  • Puddings with dried fruit, nuts, seeds or coconut

Drinks
  • Tea, coffee, hot chocolate
  • Bovril
  • Diluting juice
  • Smooth fruit Juice (1 serving per day)
  • Fruit juice with bits

Other
  • Seedless jam
  • Shredless marmalade
  • Smooth peanut butter
  • Honey
  • Chocolate, sweets, crisps
  • Gravy
  • Sauces
  • Marmalade with shred
  • Jam with seeds
  • Crunchy peanut butter

 

 

More advice

Information is intended for hospital use.

When ordering from hospital menus you should specify the stage you are on.

Sample Menu for Stage 2

Breakfast

  • cornflakes or rice krispies
  • wait about an hour & try 1 slice white bread & butter/margarine with seedless jam

Mid-Morning

  • glass of milk & plain biscuit (eg. rich tea/ginger-nut) or yoghurt or pancake/plain scone with butter/ margarine & seedless jam

Lunch

  • chicken/poached fish/mince (no onions) with potatoes
  • wait 30-60mins then try pudding eg ice cream, milk pudding, plain sponge

Mid Afternoon

  • glass of milk & plain biscuit (eg rich tea/ginger-nut) or smooth yoghurt

Evening Meal

  • scrambled egg/plain omelette or
  • potatoes & chicken/poached fish
  • chicken or tomato soup

Supper

  • slice of white bread & butter/margarine or plain biscuits or bowl cornflakes/rice krispies

Sample Menu for Stage 3

Breakfast

  • cornflakes or rice krispies
  • 1 slice of white bread & butter/margarine
  • apple juice

Mid-Morning

  • glass of milk & plain biscuit (eg. rich tea/ginger-nut) or yoghurt or pancake/plain scone with butter/margarine & seedless jam

Lunch

  • chicken/poached fish/roast meat/mince with potatoes/white rice/white pasta
  • sponge & custard, jelly & ice cream, milk pudding, plain sponge, stewed or tinned fruit

Mid Afternoon

  • glass milk & plain biscuit (eg rich tea/ginger nut) or fruit yoghurt or pancake/plain scone with butter/ margarine & seedless jam

Evening Meal

  • scrambled egg/plain omelette
  • chicken/poached fish/meat with potatoes/white rice/white pasta
  • macaroni cheese
  • baked potato with cheese (no skins)
  • chicken or tomato soup only
  • sandwich made with white bread (chicken, cheese, ham, tuna, egg)

Supper

  • slice white bread and butter/margarine or plain biscuits or bowl cornflakes/rice krispies or cheese & crackers

 

Editorial Information

Last reviewed: 14/11/2024

Next review date: 30/11/2026

Author(s): Cairns L.

Version: v2

Approved By: Clinical Governance & Quality

Reviewer name(s): Cairns L.