If you have a narrowing or stricture in your small bowel you can have symptoms of bloating, feeling sick, poor appetite or pain. You can help these symptoms by changing your diet to avoid foods difficult to digest and choosing foods that pass through the narrowing more easily.
Dietary fibre and residue are the parts of food which are not fully digested but continue to pass down the gut, through the small intestine, and into the large bowel. A strict low fibre diet is mostly not required, but indigestible foods containing large amounts or ‘lumps’ of fibre that pass through the intestine unchanged should be avoided.
Taking your time to eat and chewing food thoroughly may also help. Foods are usually best tolerated if they are well cooked, chopped finely, soft or pureed.
The following list indicates foods you can eat and those that should be avoided:
|
Food type |
Foods you can eat |
Foods to avoid |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruits |
Foods you can eat Any canned fruit which does not contain pips such as mandarins, peaches, pears, grapefruit Fruit juices Any stewed, peeled fruit Ripe bananas, peeled pears and apples |
Foods to avoid All other fresh, uncooked fruit Dried fruit |
|
| Vegetables |
Foods you can eat Potatoes (without skins), boiled or mashed Soft varieties of crisps such as Skips, Wotsits, Quavers Vegetable juices Canned tomatoes (without pips) Small portions of boiled, well cooked vegetables (without skins, pips or stalks) for example marrow, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, parsnip, swede, turnip, carrot, aubergine and courgette. Lettuce or cucumber (no skin or seeds) |
Foods to avoid Crispy roast potatoes Hard crispy bits of chips Standard potato crisps All other vegetables not listed Any raw or undercooked vegetables Salad vegetables and pickles Avoid all types of pulses for example baked beans, chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans |
|
|
Bread, cereals, grains and baked products |
Foods you can eat White bread, white flour products (including biscuits/cakes/scones) Wholemeal bread/brown bread and flour products (if you suffer from diarrhoea/loose stools, wholemeal products are best avoided) Cornflakes, Rice Krispies, Ready Brek, porridge, Weetabix White rice or pasta Couscous |
Foods to avoid Any bread or flour products containing grains, seeds, dried fruit, or granary bread, fruit scones Wholegrain cereals for example Allbran, Branflakes, Shredded Wheat Any cereal containing fruit or nuts for example muesli, granola, fruit and fibre Brown or wild rice, wholemeal pasta |
|
| Dairy products |
Foods you can eat Milk and other dairy products except (see ‘foods to avoid’ opposite) |
Foods to avoid Cottage cheese containing vegetable pieces Muesli yogurts Ice cream containing nuts or dried fruit Fried eggs |
|
| Meat, fish, poultry and alternatives |
Foods you can eat Minced tender meat, poultry without skin Well cooked tender meat for example in casseroles Fish without bones or skin Skinless sausage Sausage rolls (made with white flour) Eggs – boiled, poached, scrambled, omelette Tofu, Quorn |
Foods to avoid Course, large, or fibrous pieces of meat Meat skin and gristle Fish bones and skin such as canned salmon, sardines |
|
| Desserts and puddings |
Foods you can eat Any dessert or pudding except (see ‘foods to avoid’ opposite) |
Foods to avoid Desserts, puddings or pies containing dried fruit, fruit peel or nuts such as mince pies, fruit cake |
|
| Jams, preserves and spreading fats |
Foods you can eat Seedless or jelly jams Rindless marmalade Honey Lemon curd Sugar Butter, margarine, Oil |
Foods to avoid Coarse, thick, medium or thin cut marmalade Jam with pips or seeds |
|
| Nuts |
Foods you can eat None, except smooth peanut butter |
Foods to avoid Avoid all whole nuts or nut pieces |
|
| Drinks |
Foods you can eat Tea, coffee, mineral or tap water, squash, fizzy drinks, hot chocolate, malted drinks, fruit smoothies |
Foods to avoid None |
|
| Miscellaneous |
Foods you can eat Salt, pepper, herbs, boiled sweets, chocolate (no fruit or nuts), tomato purée, all sauces and flavourings |
Foods to avoid Pickle and chutney |
If you have lost weight or are not managing to eat well please contact your doctor, nurse or dietitian.
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