Constipating Diet
Children with a tendency towards diarrhea need a diet and medications that will slow down the colon. Foods that further loosen the bowel movements are eliminated to help the colon move more slowly. The diet is very restrictive in the beginning, and as the diarrhea is controlled, more foods can be added to your child's diet. Anti-diarrheal medications are commonly used as well.
This type of diet is made up of foods to reduce the amount of stool in the lower bowel. Not everyone has the same reaction to the same foods, so learning to identify the foods that control your child's diarrhea best will be important. Using the Foods Recommended List should help you increase the variety of tolerated foods in your child's diet more quickly. Continue to give your child a multivitamin with mineral and calcium supplement each day.
Phase I Diet: Use to Constipate Your Child
| Food Groups | Food Recommended | Food to Avoid |
|---|
| Milk and Milk Products | Plain Rice Milk | All others |
| Vegetables | None | All |
| Fruits | Applesauce, apples without skin, bananas | All others |
| Starches, breads & Grain | Bread, crackers and cereals made from refined flours, pasta and noodles made from white flours, white rice, pretzels, white potatoes without skin, dry cereals such as: Rice Krispies, Rice or Corn Chex, Corn Flakes, Kixx. | All others |
| Meat or Meat Substitutes | Baked, broiled, boiled or grilled meat, poultry or fish, lean deli meats such as ham and turkey and eggs(boiled, scrambled or fried with allowed fats listed below) | All others |
| Fats and Oils | Limit amounts of butter, margarine and oils in food preparation during this phase, non-stick spray and non-fat butter sprays are allowed | All others |
| Sweets and Desserts | Sugar free gelatin or popsicles, Rice Dream Frozen Dessert, sugar free jelly and syrup, marshmallows, angel food cake and vanilla wafers | All others |
| Beverages | Water, Gatorade, Propel, Sugar Free Crystal Lite, and Sugar Free Kool-aid | All others |
Phase I Sample Menus
| Meal | Day 1 | Day 2 |
|---|
| Breakfast | Waffle with small amount of sugar free syrup Soft Boiled Egg Banana Plain Rice milk | Plain bagel with sugar free jelly Scrambled Eggs Banana Plain Rice Milk |
| Lunch | Deli sliced turkey White Bread Applesauce Pretzels Water | Plain hamburger White hamburger bun Applesauce Peeled, baked potato wedges Water |
| Dinner | Baked chicken Ramen Noodles Peeled apple slices Angle food cake Plain Rice Milk | Baked fish White Rice Peeled apple slices Vanilla Wafers Plain Rice Milk |
Once your child has been without accidents for 24-48 hours you can begin to liberalize the diet. Choose single ingredient foods and introduce one new food every 2-3 days and observe the effect on colonic activity. If your child soils after eating a newly introduced food, eliminate that food from the diet. Continue to try other new foods, observing the effect on your child. The most liberal diet possible is the goal.
Phase II Diet: Adding Fat
| Meal | Day 1 | Day 2 |
|---|
| Breakfast | Pancake with small amount of sugar free syrup and butter Scrambled Eggs Applesauce Plain Rice Milk | English muffin with small amount of cream cheese Poached Egg Applesauce Plain Rice Milk |
| Lunch | Deli sliced turkey White Bread Butter Banana Pretzels Plain Rice Milk | Deli slice roast beef Plain bagel Cream cheese Banana Saltine crackers Plain Rice Milk |
| Dinner | Roast Beef Buttered noodles Peeled apple slices Angel food cake Plain Rice Milk | Baked Chicken Boiled potatoes with cream cheese Peeled apple slices Vanilla Wafers Plain Rice Milk |
