Toots & Trots / Answers
What should I eat during a flare or pouchitis?
During a flare or pouchitis, many people find it helps to drop back to gentle, low-residue, low-fibre foods — white rice, white toast, eggs, ripe banana, smooth potato, lean cooked meat and fish — eaten in smaller, more frequent meals, with extra attention to hydration and salt. Food doesn't treat the inflammation itself (pouchitis is usually managed medically, often with antibiotics), but easing the residue and fermentable load can reduce symptoms while you recover. If symptoms are new, severe or not settling, contact your clinical team.
A flare or a bout of pouchitis (inflammation of the pouch) usually means more frequent, looser, more urgent output, sometimes with cramping. The first thing to know: diet doesn't cure the inflammation — pouchitis is typically treated medically, often with a short course of antibiotics — but what you eat can make the days more comfortable while it settles.
The usual move is to temporarily narrow back to gentle, low-residue foods, much like the early weeks after surgery, then widen out again as you recover.
| Often easier during a flare | Often worth easing off |
|---|
| White rice, white toast, plain pasta | High-fibre, wholegrain and bran foods |
| Eggs, lean cooked meat and fish | Raw veg, skins, seeds, nuts |
| Ripe banana, smooth potato | Spicy, very fatty or fried food |
| Rehydration fluids, with salt | Alcohol, lots of caffeine, sugary drinks |
Stay on top of hydration especially — output is often higher during a flare. And treat any new, severe or persistent symptoms as a reason to contact your clinical team; this is a way to cope, not a substitute for treatment.
Try it on your own food
These ideas are a starting point — see how your actual meals and foods score.
Sources we drew on
Our synthesis and interpretation — we're not affiliated with or endorsed by these organisations. Use them as starting points for your own reading.
Written and checked from lived experience with a J-pouch. Last updated June 2026. The GASP Score is a modelled estimate, not medical advice — always work alongside your own clinical team.
Scores are modelled estimates, not medical advice. Everyone's gut is different, and tolerance changes over time. Reintroduce foods one at a time, and follow your own medical team's advice.