What should you eat when you have a stent in your stomach?

October 8, 2025 •

4 min read

The primary goal of a gastrointestinal stent is to improve the passage of food and fluids, and proper dietary adjustments are critical to prevent complications. If you're asking what should you eat when you have a stent in your stomach?, the answer involves a gradual, phased approach focusing on soft, moist foods.

Quick Summary

An adaptive diet is crucial for patients with a gastrointestinal stent to ensure safe swallowing and prevent blockages. This involves transitioning from a liquid diet to soft, moist foods over several days and avoiding tough or fibrous items that could obstruct the stent.

Key Points

Phased Diet Progression: Start with clear liquids, move to pureed foods, and then transition to a soft, moist diet over several days to allow the stent to heal and adjust.
Chew Food Thoroughly: This is the most critical step to prevent blockages; food should be chewed until it has a pulp-like consistency before swallowing.
Eat Small, Frequent Meals: Opt for 5-6 smaller meals and snacks throughout the day instead of larger, heavier ones to ease the burden on your digestive system.
Moisten Foods Generously: Use plenty of sauces, gravy, butter, or cream to make foods easier to swallow and pass through the stent.
Avoid Tough and Fibrous Foods: Steer clear of hard, stringy, doughy, or dry foods, as these are the most common causes of stent blockages.
Manage Reflux and Weight: Address acid reflux by avoiding trigger foods and sleeping with your head elevated. If experiencing weight loss, enrich your foods with extra calories or consider nutritional supplements.
Stay Upright After Meals: Sit in an upright position for at least 30-60 minutes after eating to aid digestion and prevent reflux.

A gastrointestinal stent is a small, flexible, mesh tube placed in a narrowed or blocked area of the esophagus (the food tube) or the duodenum (the first part of the small bowel) to help food and fluids pass through more easily. Because the stent is not as wide or flexible as a natural, healthy gullet, the way you eat must change to prevent a blockage. Following a specific dietary protocol is a non-negotiable part of your post-procedure recovery and long-term care. Always consult your healthcare team or a registered dietitian for personalized advice.

The Phased Dietary Approach

Immediately after a stent is placed, your diet will progress through a series of stages to allow the stent to settle and for your body to adjust. This process typically takes a few days.

Stage 1: Liquid Diet

For the first 24 to 48 hours following the procedure, your doctor will advise a clear liquid diet. This allows the stent time to fully expand without irritation.

Clear Fluids: Water, squash, broth, and ice pops.
Full Liquids: Milk, cream soups (strained), milkshakes, custard, and smooth yogurt.

Stage 2: Pureed Diet

After successfully tolerating liquids, you will progress to a puree diet. This involves foods with a smooth, lump-free consistency, often prepared with a blender or food processor.

Blended Meats: Chicken, fish, or beef blended with gravy or sauces.
Pureed Vegetables: Carrots, peas, or sweet potatoes blended with butter, cream, or cheese.
Fruits: Pureed or mashed soft fruits like bananas and pears, or apple sauce.
Breakfast: Porridge or cereal (like Weetabix or Rice Krispies) softened with plenty of milk.

Stage 3: Soft Diet

Once pureed foods are well-tolerated, you can move to a soft diet. These foods should require minimal chewing and be moist and easy to swallow.

Proteins: Tender minced or ground meat, boneless fish in sauce, scrambled or poached eggs.
Starches: Mashed potatoes, soft-cooked pasta with sauce, or the soft inside of a baked potato.
Dairy: Soft cheeses, cottage cheese, thick and creamy yogurt.
Fruits and Vegetables: Well-cooked, peeled vegetables and soft, ripe, peeled fruits.

General Eating Strategies to Prevent Blockage

Beyond selecting the right foods, how you eat is equally important for preventing a blocked stent. Eating small, frequent meals, chewing thoroughly, moistening your food, and drinking with meals are all crucial steps. Additionally, maintaining an upright posture while eating and for 30 minutes to an hour afterward, and avoiding eating right before bed, can help prevent reflux and aid digestion.

Comparison Table: Stent-Friendly vs. Avoid Foods


Food Category	Recommended (Stent-Friendly)	Foods to Avoid (High Blockage Risk)
Meat & Poultry	Tender minced or ground meat in gravy, fish pie with flaky fish, shredded chicken, paté	Tough, gristly, or fibrous meats; chicken/duck skin; bony fish
Bread & Grains	Porridge, well-moistened cereal (e.g., Rice Krispies), white bread (crusts removed and toasted or softened)	Fresh, doughy, or crusty bread; seeds; high-fiber cereals (e.g., Shredded Wheat, muesli)
Fruits	Soft, peeled fruits (ripe bananas, pears), canned fruit, fruit puree, applesauce	Stringy or pithy fruits (orange, pineapple, grapefruit), fruit with seeds/skins (strawberries, kiwi), dried fruit
Vegetables	Well-cooked, peeled vegetables (carrots, swede, mashed potato), soft vegetable florets (broccoli, cauliflower)	Raw or stringy vegetables (celery, green beans), corn, potato skins, salad leaves
Eggs	Scrambled or poached eggs	Hard-boiled whole eggs, fried eggs
Snacks	Yogurts, custard, mousse, ice cream, soft cakes	Nuts, popcorn, hard crackers, chewy sweets

Managing Common Side Effects

Acid Reflux (Heartburn): A stent can increase the risk of acid reflux. To manage this, avoid fatty, rich, or spicy foods and acidic items. Staying upright after meals and elevating your head while sleeping can help, and your doctor may prescribe medication.

Poor Appetite and Weight Loss: If you have a poor appetite or are losing weight, enrich your food by adding extra butter, cream, cheese, or sauces. Nutritional supplements may also be helpful.

What to Do If Your Stent Blocks

If you feel food is stuck, stop eating, remain calm, and try sipping a warm or carbonated drink or walking gently. If the blockage persists for more than a few hours, contact your healthcare provider.

Conclusion

Navigating your diet after receiving a gastrointestinal stent requires careful planning and a gradual, phased approach. Starting with liquids and progressing to soft, moist foods is key to preventing a blockage and ensuring comfortable swallowing. Remember to chew thoroughly, eat small meals frequently, and use plenty of sauces to moisten your food. If you experience persistent issues like acid reflux or weight loss, your healthcare team or a dietitian can offer further strategies and nutritional supplements. Your diligence in following these dietary guidelines will significantly improve your quality of life and help ensure the success of your stent. For more detailed nutritional guidance, consider visiting the University Health Network's patient information portal.

Frequently Asked Questions

For the first few hours to a day after your stent is placed, your medical team will typically advise you to have only clear fluids, such as water, broth, or clear fruit juices, allowing the stent to settle.

No, you should not eat solid food immediately. The diet progresses slowly, starting with clear liquids and advancing to pureed and then soft solids over several days, as advised by your healthcare provider.

Safe meat options include tender minced or ground meat in gravy, flaky fish without bones, and shredded chicken. Avoid tough, gristly, or fibrous meats and poultry skin.

It is generally best to avoid fresh, doughy, or crusty bread, as it can form sticky lumps that cause blockages. You can try well-moistened, day-old white bread with the crusts removed.

Stop eating, remain calm, and try sipping a warm or carbonated drink to try and dislodge it. Walking around can also help. If the blockage persists, contact your doctor.

It is recommended to eat soft, peeled fruits and well-cooked, peeled vegetables. Avoid skins, seeds, and stringy parts of fruits and vegetables, as they are hard to chew and can cause blockages.

You can enrich your meals by adding extra butter, cream, or grated cheese to foods. Also, drinking nutritional supplements like Ensure or Boost can help meet your caloric needs.

To prevent acid reflux, eat small, frequent meals, avoid trigger foods, remain upright for at least 30 minutes after eating, and elevate the head of your bed while sleeping.