What to eat when you have a
partial bowel obstruction
This information will help you choose what to eat when you have a partial
bowel obstruction. It has general nutrition guidelines only. Talk to your
dietitian about the food choices that are right for you.
What diet do I need to follow?
Eating less fibre may help improve your pain, abdominal cramping or
fullness and gas. The amount of fibre you can eat depends on your
symptoms and the degree of your bowel obstruction. This chart shows
symptoms and the type of diet that can help.
Type of symptoms
Type of diet that can help
Mild symptoms:
Occasional abdominal
cramping, excess gas, bloating
Low fibre diet
Moderate symptoms:
Abdominal pain, cramps,
bloating that does not go away
Minimal fibre diet
Severe symptoms:
Severe abdominal pain,
heartburn, significant bloating,
nausea, cramps
Fluid diet
Contact your health care team.
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 2
Some helpful tips:
You may find it helpful to keep a record of the foods that cause nausea,
cramping or bloating and share this list with your dietitian.
Eat only as much as you feel comfortable and do not force food!
Chew all solid foods well.
Eat small meals – large meals may lead to more discomfort and/or
cramping. Aim for 5 or 6 small meals rather than 3 large meals.
Drink as much as you can. Try to have 6 to 8 cups of fluids each day.
You may need to take a multivitamin if you cannot eat as much as usual or
if your diet is severely restricted. Discuss this with your doctor or dietitian.
Dietitian’s suggestions:
1. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Low fibre diet
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 3
Low fibre diet
Avoid any foods that make your symptoms worse.
Cook vegetables to help make them produce less gas when you eat them.
As your symptoms improve, bring foods back into your diet one at a time
and in small amounts. This will help you to identify any foods that you
cannot tolerate.
Foods to Eat
Foods To Avoid
Milk and Milk
Products
Fluid milk and milk beverages
Cheese such as cottage
cheese, hard cheese,
Cheese Whiz, cheese slices,
parmesan cheese
Cheese with seeds
Cream soups made with
recommended ingredients
Desserts such as Cool Whip,
puddings, yogurt, sherbet,
ice cream
Yogurt mixed with fruits
with seeds, tough skins
or membranes
(strawberry, raspberry,
blueberry and cherry)
Meat, Fish,
Poultry,
and Meat
Alternatives
Meats prepared by baking,
broiling, roasting, poaching,
and stewing: fish, poultry,
lamb, beef, pork, veal, ham,
rabbit, organ meats
Shrimp, lobster, crab and
other shell fish
Eggs (all types)
Tofu
Well pureed hummus
Hot dogs without a skin
(most commercial brands)
Smooth nut spreads such
as smooth peanut butter
Nuts and seeds
Beans and lentils
Sausages and other
processed meats such
as bologna with casings
or skins
European frankfurters
and other deli-made
wieners
Chunky nut spreads such
as chunky peanut butter
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 4
Foods to Eat
Foods To Avoid
Vegetables
Well to soft cooked
non-stringy vegetables:
asparagus (young), beets and
beet greens, broccoli, carrots,
cauliflower, eggplant (skinless),
potato (skinless, white or sweet),
parsnips, pumpkin (seedless),
rutabagas, squash, turnip,
wax beans (canned green
or yellow)
Tomato paste, skinless and
seedless tomato sauce
Spaghetti sauce (plain or with
ground beef)
Vegetable juice (eg. V8 drink)
Tomatoes and cucumbers
(skinless and seedless)
Bottled and roasted red
peppers
Raw vegetables such as:
bean sprouts, broccoli,
brussel sprouts,
cabbage, carrots,
cauliflower, celery, corn,
coleslaw, cucumber,
fiddleheads, lima beans,
mushrooms, onions,
okra, parsnips, peas,
peppers, radish,
sauerkraut, spinach,
swiss chard, tomato,
tossed salad
Chinese vegetables such
as bok choy, bamboo
shoots
Fruits
Fruit juices/drinks, baked
apple (peeled), applesauce,
banana (ripe)
Canned fruit such as: apricots,
mandarin oranges, peaches,
pears
Eat these fruits if the skin,
seeds and membranes are
removed: apple, apricots,
cantaloupe, grapefruit,
honeydew melon, mango,
nectarines, oranges, papayas,
peaches, pears, plums,
watermelon
Fruits with seeds, tough
skins, or membranes:
apple, apricots,
blackberries, blueberries,
cherries, cranberries,
fruit cocktail, grapes, kiwi
fruit, pineapple,
raspberries, rhubarb,
strawberries
Dried fruit:
apple, apricots, currants,
coconut, dates, figs,
prunes, raisins
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 5
Foods to Eat
Foods To Avoid
Breads and
Cereals
Any baked goods made from
refined flours (white flour)
and allowed ingredients:
bagels, biscuits, bread, buns,
crackers, croissants, muffins
(such as banana, apple spice,
chocolate), pancakes, rolls,
waffles
Low-fiber, cooked and prepared
cereals such as: Cheerios,
Corn Flakes, Cream of
Wheat, Oatmeal, Plain
Puffs, Rice Krispies,
Special K
Pasta (fresh or canned)
such as: macaroni, spaghetti,
couscous, fettuccini
White rice and barley (cooked
very soft and chewed well)
Coarse whole grain
breads which contain
fruit, nuts or seeds:
breads and cereals made
with whole grain, bran,
cracked wheat or
pumpernickel flour
Breads, muffins, and
cereals containing nuts,
seeds, dried fruit,
granola mix
Brown or wild rice
Quinoa
Whole wheat pastas
Fats
Butter or margarine, shortening,
lard, cooking oils, mayonnaise,
salad dressing (seedless),
sesame butter (tahini)
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 6
Foods to Eat
Foods To Avoid
Sweets/Snacks
All sugars such as white,
brown, icing, maple syrup, corn
syrup, molasses, honey
Baked goods made with
allowed ingredients, eg. donuts,
plain cookies, plain cheesecake
Chocolate without nuts,
cheesies, potato chips, pretzels
Caramels, gum drops,
jellybeans, hard candy,
marshmallows, licorice
Seedless jelly and jam
Donuts with raspberry,
blueberry, strawberry
and cherry filing
Pie with fruit filling, cakes
with poppy seeds,
raisins, chopped nuts,
coconut
Cookies with nuts or
dried fruits
Trail mix
Jam with seeds or peel
(marmalade, strawberry,
raspberry, blueberry)
Miscellaneous
Drinks:
Nutritional supplements such
as EnsurePlus, BoostPlus,
Boost Fruit Juice Beverage,
Breakfast Anytime
Mineral waters
Carbonated beverages
Ovaltine
Postum
Gatorade
Alcohol
Coffee, tea
Pizza (made with allowed
ingredients and a thin crust)
Popsicles
Mild herbs and spices
Condiments:
vinegar
ketchup
mustard
BBQ sauce
Popcorn
Condiments:
pickles
chutney
olives
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 7
Minimal fibre diet
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 8
Minimal fibre diet
This diet may be needed if your symptoms get worse and happen more often.
This diet has less fibre than the Low Fibre Diet. If on this diet you continue to
have abdominal stomach pain and cramping, you may need to lower your
fibre intake even more. Contact your health care team.
Foods To Avoid
Milk and Milk
Products
Cheese with seeds
Yogurt mixed with fruits
with seeds, tough skins
or membranes
(strawberry, raspberry,
blueberry and cherry)
Meat, Fish, Poultry,
and Meat
Alternatives
Nuts and seeds
Beans and lentils
Sausages and other
processed meats such as
hot dogs or bologna with
casings or skins
European frankfurters and
other deli-made wieners
Chunky nut spreads such
as chunky peanut butter
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 9
Foods to Eat
Foods To Avoid
Vegetables
Strained vegetable juices,
without pulp, such as
V8
drink
Pureed soups
A small amount of tomato
sauce may be tolerated.
All other vegetables
Fruits
Fruit drinks
Strained fruit juices,
without pulp
All other fruits
Breads and Cereals
Any baked goods made
from refined flours
(white flour) and allowed
ingredients:
bagels, biscuits, bread,
buns, crackers, croissants,
pancakes, rolls, waffles
and muffins such as
banana, apple spice or
chocolate
Low-fiber, cooked and
prepared cereals such as:
Cheerios, Corn Flakes,
Cream of Wheat,
Plain Puffs,
Rice Krispies, Special K
Pasta (fresh or canned)
such as macaroni,
spaghetti, couscous,
fettuccini
White rice
Coarse whole grain
breads which contain
fruit, nuts or seeds:
breads and cereals
made with whole grain,
bran, cracked wheat or
pumpernickel flour
Breads, muffins, and
cereals containing nuts,
seeds, dried fruit, granola
mix, oatmeal
Brown or wild rice
Barley
Quinoa
Whole wheat pastas
Fats
Butter or margarine,
shortening, lard, cooking
oils, mayonnaise, salad
dressing (seedless),
sesame butter (tahini)
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 10
Foods to Eat
Foods To Avoid
Sweets/Snacks
All sugars such as white,
brown, icing, maple syrup,
corn syrup, molasses, honey
Baked goods made with
allowed ingredients such
as donuts, plain cookies or
plain cheesecake
Chocolate without nuts,
cheesies, potato chips,
pretzels
Caramels, gum drops,
jellybeans, hard candy,
marshmallows, licorice
Seedless jelly and jam
Donuts with raspberry,
blueberry, strawberry and
cherry filing
Pie with fruit filling, cakes
with poppy seeds, raisins,
chopped nuts, coconut
Cookies with nuts or dried
fruits
Trail mix
Jam with seeds or peel
(marmalade, strawberry,
raspberry, blueberry)
Miscellaneous
To help decrease
gas production,
avoid chewing
gum and allow
carbonated
beverages to go
flat and avoid
using a straw.
Drinks:
Nutritional supplements
such as EnsurePlus,
BoostPlus, Boost Fruit
Juice Beverage, Breakfast
Anytime
Mineral waters
Carbonated beverages
Ovaltine
Postum
Gatorade
Alcohol
Coffee, tea
Pizza (made with allowed
ingredients and a thin crust)
Popsicles
Mild herbs and spices
Condiments:
vinegar
ketchup
mustard
BBQ sauce
Popcorn
Condiments:
pickles
chutney
olives
Fluid diet
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 11
Fluid diet
You may need to follow this diet if you have severe symptoms with
occasional vomiting after eating solid foods. This diet has little to no fibre.
Fluids are important for keeping your skin, eyes, and the linings of your
mouth moist, as well as preventing dehydration. Avoid all solid foods when
on a fluid diet.
Type of Food
Recommended Choices
Avoid
Milk and
Milk Products
All milk beverages.
This includes:
chocolate milk
buttermilk
milkshakes without
pieces of fruit
Yogurt, plain or flavoured
Hot chocolate or cocoa
Yogurt with nuts, seeds,
grains or pieces of fruit
such as strawberry
or peach
Cereals
Refined cooked cereals such
as Cream of Wheat
All others with pieces of
fruit, nuts or seeds
Fruits and
Vegetables
Fruit and vegetable juice
without pulp
All others
Soups
Pureed soups, strained
creamed soups, bouillon
and consomme
All others
Desserts
Pudding, fruit whip, custard,
yogurt, plain gelatin desserts,
ice cream, ice milk,
popsicles, sherbet
All others made with
coconut, fruit, nuts or
whole fruit
Rice and tapioca pudding
What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction
Page - 12
Type of Food
Recommended Choices
Avoid
Beverages
Nutritional supplements such
as, Ensure, Boost Fruit
Beverage
Carbonated beverages,
crystal fruit drinks, sport
drinks, coffee and tea
All others.
Sweets
Honey, plain sugar and
hard candy
All others.
Seasonings
Ground seasonings
as tolerated
Skim milk powder
To increase your protein and calories intake, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of skim
milk powder to ½ to 1 cup serving of milk or full fluid item.
Your needs may be different. Talk to your dietitian.
©Hamilton Health Sciences, 2007
PD 5639 – 10/2017
dpc/pted/BowelObstructionFoodChoices-trh.docx
dt/October 17, 2017