Foods to Eat and Avoid After Colon Resection or Removal

If you've had any type of colon surgery (in which part or all of the large intestine is removed), chances are you've been told you need to follow a special diet as you recover over the next few weeks. Your long-term diet after a colon resection (surgery) however, should not be affected.

Typically, a few days after surgery, you'll be able to start drinking clear liquids. From there, you'll gradually add foods back into your diet until you're back to eating as you did prior to the surgery. As your colon heals, some foods are easier to digest than others.

This article will explain which foods you can eat during the weeks following your surgery as well as the foods you should avoid.

Diet Immediately After Colon Resection

For the first two to three days after a colon resection, you'll probably receive only intravenous (IV) fluids given through a tube inserted in a vein to give your colon time to heal. After that, you'll switch to a clear liquid diet.

A clear liquid diet involves only drinking liquids that you can see through, such as:

• Clear broth (bullion) with no meat, noodles, or vegetables
• Fruit juices without pulp, such as apple, grape, and cranberry juice
• Sodas
• Jell-O gelatin without fruit
• Popsicles, Icees, and snow cones
• Caffeine-free tea without milk
• Water, mineral water, and club soda

Liquid items that are not allowed on a clear liquid diet include:

• Dairy products, including milk and ice cream
• Pudding
• Cream soups
• Tomato juice or tomato soup
• Alcoholic beverages
• Chocolate beverages

Long-Term Diet After Colon Resection

Most people can start to resume their normal diets by six to eight weeks after colon resection surgery. Your healthcare provider will determine a more specific timeline depending on how your recovery is going.

Foods to Eat After a Colon Resection

Common symptoms after a colectomy include diarrhea and dehydration. These symptoms can happen because your colon hasn't yet returned to working normally. One of the things the colon does is absorb liquid. If it's not doing that properly, diarrhea and dehydration can occur.

Foods that are easy to digest and can help to minimize diarrhea include:

• Applesauce
• Bananas, pears, peaches, and melons
• Boiled white rice
• Cooked beets
  
• Cream of rice or cream of wheat
• Low-sugar cereals (avoid high-fiber cereals such as wheat bran)
• Pasta
• Peanut butter
• Potatoes
• Pretzels
• Spinach
• Tapioca and angel food cake
• White bread or toast
• Yogurt
  

Once you're ready to start eating solid food again, the first foods you eat will be easy-to-digest foods, such as toast and cream of wheat.

Other soft, low-residue foods include:

• Eggs
• Cooked fish or tender meat
• Mild cheese
• Soft-cooked fruits or vegetables
• Pudding
• Sorbet
• Ice cream

Foods to Avoid Right After Colon Resection

Since you are still healing, it's best to stay away from foods that might carry the risk of food poisoning. These include:

• Non-pasteurized soft cheeses (choose only pasteurized cheese)
• Undercooked meat
• Uncooked fish (avoid sushi for the time being)
• Fruits or vegetables that you haven't thoroughly washed

Having surgery may make you more likely to get an infection. Getting food poisoning shortly after an operation could land you back in the hospital.

If you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea after getting home from a colon resection, call your healthcare provider right away. Violent vomiting, in particular, can lead to an incisional hernia, in which tissues from the abdomen push up through the muscles under the incision. It's a common complication of colon surgery.

Foods to Ease Back Into After Colon Resection

You will be able to go back to your normal diet after surgery, but you may find that some foods you used to eat are difficult to digest. It is best to avoid these foods for now.

Over time, your body will adjust, and you should be able to eat what you want. No two people respond the same way after a colon resection. Take your time to find out which foods work for you and which don't. In addition, adding back foods slowly makes it easier to figure out which food is responsible if something upsets your stomach.

If you're unsure about a certain food, start by eating smaller quantities. Add a little bigger portion with each meal.

It's usually better to eat smaller meals every three hours or so rather than overloading your digestive tract with one large meal. Snacking also keeps your digestion moving and helps minimize constipation or diarrhea.

The foods you may need to limit until your body adjusts after a colectomy include:

• Raw vegetables, particularly "gassy" vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, radishes, and asparagus
• Vegetables such as celery, corn, mushrooms, and onion
• Skins and peels of fruit, particularly acidic fruits
• Dried fruits, such as raisins and dates
• Dairy products
• High-fiber food such as wheat bran cereals and bread
• Beans, peas, and lentils
• Nuts and seeds (especially if you have diverticulosis)
• Popcorn
• Brown rice and wild rice
• Cakes, pies, cookies, and other baked sweets
• High-fat and fried foods
• Beer, red wine, and hard liquor
• Hot soup or drinks
• Caffeine, including coffee and chocolate
• Very spicy foods
• Licorice
• Prune juice

It can take time for your body to readjust to high-fiber foods. Try adding back one high-fiber food at a time so you don't overwhelm your system, which can lead to constipation.

Remain patient and listen to your body as you slowly add more foods to your diet. If you feel sick to your stomach or full, stop eating or slow down.

Long-Term Reminders After Colon Surgery

In addition to eating the right foods, be sure to drink plenty of water (8 to 10 cups per day). This will help your body digest food and remove waste.

To make sure they get enough fluid, some people find it useful to place a full pitcher of water in the fridge each morning and finish it over the course of the day. Your fluids don't all have to be water. Apple juice and cranberry juice are good fluids too.

Chewing your food very well is important after colon surgery. Try to chew your food until it has a liquid-like texture before swallowing. This is especially important with meats or other dense foods that might cause a blockage if not broken down before swallowing.

No matter what your condition, it's important to eat a healthy, balanced diet. If needed, work with a dietitian to design a plan with the right amount of carbs, fats, and proteins for your age, weight, and level of physical activity.

Summary

After a colon resection, it's important to follow the diet your healthcare provider recommends. Immediately after your surgery, you will receive only IV fluids to give your colon time to heal. Later on, you will switch to a clear liquid diet.

Finally, you will begin eating solid foods that are easy to digest, like toast and cream of wheat. Following your healthcare provider's directions will help prevent diarrhea and dehydration. Soon, you'll be able to go back to a normal diet. You can expect to live a normal, healthy life after colon surgery.

Don't be afraid to ask your healthcare provider very specific questions about what you can or can't eat. Making sure all your questions are answered before you leave the hospital can go a long way toward your comfort and confidence when you go home.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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5. Rebori K. UTMC. Colectomy. February 18, 2019.
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7. Kobayashi T, Miki H, Yamamoto N, et al. Retrospective study of an incisional hernia after laparoscopic colectomy for colorectal cancer. BMC Surgery. 2023 Oct;23(1):314. doi:10.1186/s12893-023-02229-7
8. Kaiser Permanente Thrive. Patient handbook for colectomy.

• U.S. National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus. Total colectomy or proctocolectomy discharge.

By Suzanne Dixon, MPH, RD
Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RDN, is an award-winning registered dietitian and epidemiologist, as well as an expert in cancer prevention and management.

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