As promised, I am posting a list of foods that I, personally, can enjoy with my Crohn's, usually without any problems. (For part 1 of this topic, click HERE) But, I want to make it clear that every Crohn's/UC patient is different - what one of us can eat could send another of us to the hospital. So, this list is purely from my own perspective, and maybe it will help other Crohnies discover some things to try.
YAY FOODS!:
- Pasta - regular pasta is best for me. The whole-grain type gives me far too many problems. Anything from spaghetti to macaroni to bow-ties. YUM! I have to make sure it's fully cooked and soft (al dente is too hard to digest), and I really love it with just some butter and cheese, or even Alfredo sauce. Red meat sauces are iffy... I try to avoid any meat in them, unless it's meat I've added myself. Plus, the abundance of the tomato acids in the red sauces tends to produce severe acid reflux, so I can only have small amounts of red sauces. I recently started mixing red and white sauces, and it's delicious!
- Filled pastas, such as ravioli, tortellini, or stuffed shells - If they're filled with mostly cheese, I'm good to go! The ones that are filled with sausage or other meats tend to cause some discomfort, but I still allow myself to enjoy it from time to time. That's the "bargaining" part of our diet... you know it might make you slightly ill, but the indulging might be worth it!
- Seafood - I really love all sorts of fish, shellfish, and even the occasional clam strips. There are a few things I have to remember with these delights: watch for bones!! These can cause harm to anyone, not just Crohnies! And if it's cooked with too much butter or grease, I'm going to be in some major discomfort. Again, I do bargain with myself on seafood, because I LOVE IT.
- Cooked Veggies - Raw veggies typically send me to the floor in the fetal position within a few minutes after eating them. I now avoid them completely. But COOKED veggies are much easier on the digestive system, and I can enjoy quite a few of them. Some of my favorites are green beans, beets, mushrooms, artichokes, squash (such as acorn squash or spaghetti squash), zucchini, summer squash (the yellow kind that looks like zucchini), and cooked/steamed cauliflower.
- Potatoes - I didn't include this in the "veggies" above, because I think it deserves to be in it's own category. I LOVE potatoes. It doesn't matter how they're prepared. Mashed, baked, sliced, diced, chips, fries, tater tots, boiled... I'll eat them! I garnish my baked potatoes with cheese, butter, or sour cream (or all of the above, if I'm feeling adventurous). I like fries and tots dipped in ketchup, ranch dressing, or even mayonnaise. I loved oven-baked diced potatoes, as long as the spices used aren't too hot or whole. Heck, I will even peel a small potato and eat it like an apple, on occasion! They're so delicious, and they're filling, so for me, it serves as a meal in itself.
- Bread - I choose non-enriched white bread for my diet. Not considered "healthy" by most standards, but whole-grain bread and enriched breads make me very sick. The bakeries at most grocery stores sell Italian or French breads that are perfect for me. They freeze nicely too, so I can stock up. I enjoy making toast, with various items on top: butter/margarine, jam (NOT preserves!), peanut butter, and sometimes even mayonnaise. Don't judge.
- Condiments - I can enjoy small amounts of many types of accessory foods: real butter or margarine (vegetable spreads); smooth peanut butter, including almond and cashew butter - as long as there are no chunks of nuts; jams and jellies without whole pieces of fruit (no preserves or marmalade); salad dressings of all sorts; mayonnaise (I prefer the type made from olive oil rather than eggs); ketchup; A-1 steak sauce; barbecue/BBQ sauce; Alfredo sauce; marinara sauce without meat; sour cream and sour cream-based dips; wine sauces; Hollandaise sauce; maple syrup; yellow (non-spicy) mustard; cream cheese spread. I'm sure there are others that I can't think of off the top of my head at the moment, and I'll revise the post as I think of them.
- Fruits - Probably the most difficult part of my diet is trying to integrate fruits. They hate my guts! I can eat bananas, pears, and small oranges without any problems. That's about it. However, I haven't given up on trying all kinds of fruits! They are all so tasty and delicious, so sometimes I'll "test" them out to see how my body responds. Unfortunately, it's usually a very negative response, and I wind up in bed or on the toilet all day long. *sad face*
- Processed Foods - Fortunately for me, I live in America, where the processed food industry output is abundant and inexpensive. Also, highly controversial. Processed foods typically involve the use of many chemicals not meant for human consumption. BUT... my body seems to be OK with this. In fact, my guts seem to prefer a factory-made, preservative-loaded chocolate cupcake over a homemade one. I've given up on trying to understand it, and I just roll with it. I still eat these kinds of foods in moderation, but sometimes, it's all I can stomach. Especially instant oatmeal. YUM! Or Little Debbie Zebra Cakes. OMG. YUM. Oreo Cookies? TO DIE FOR. Doritos? A must-have. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese? My life support. Banquet oven-ready Pot Pies for 89 cents? I'll eat them daily! Ramen noodles = my go-to meal. It is not without guilt that I enjoy these foods, but they truly are my comfort foods - they do not cause my Crohn's to act up whatsoever... probably because my body can't figure out what to do with all those chemicals!
- Fast Foods - I strongly dislike fast-food, but let's be honest: sometimes, you just need to grab something quick and you don't have any other options. McDonalds is a place I have a love-hate relationship with. I love their breakfast foods, namely the breakfast burrito. It's cheap, simple, and easy on my stomach. It does have small amounts of sausage and peppers in it, but they're so overly cooked and processed that my body doesn't seem to notice. Their lunch and dinner offerings are a HUGE hurdle for me. Their burgers are made with overly-processed meat, so I CAN digest them, but they are so greasy, I wind up feeling terrible for hours afterward. Their whole-piece chicken products (like the grilled chicken sandwiches) are delicious, and I usually do OK with them, as long as there are no veggies on the burger. Big NO to the fried foods, except for their French fries - I can nosh a small handful of those without any problems.
- Rather than go through each and every fast-food restaurant menu listing, I'll just say that I try to avoid fast food as much as possible. Subway's offerings have been my best bet thus far, but even their "fresh" ingredients tend to make me ill. I'm better off making a PB&J sandwich to go before I leave the house for the day, to eat when I'm hungry.
- Soups - Soups are usually pretty good to me, as long as I choose ones that don't have difficult ingredients. I stay away from soups with lots of peppers or celery, but I certainly enjoy the potatoes, carrots, and barley. Clam chowder is one of my favorites, along with cheesy potato soup, and good ol' classic chicken noodle soup.
- Dairy - this has been an ongoing roller-coaster for me. Depending on my current medication regimen, I can either enjoy all the dairy I want, or I can't have a drop of it. When i'm on steroid medication for my Crohn's, I become so intolerant of dairy, that it literally comes right back up and out my mouth. But, when I'm not on that type of medication, I can indulge in all things dairy and it's wonderful! I do TRY to indulge in moderation, but lets face it - ice cream, cheese, milk, yogurt - it's all so delicious! I tend to go a little overboard at times, thus making myself sick. But I believe that could happen to anyone who over-indulges in any kind of food.
I hope my list above will offer some insight into the diet of a Crohnie. Again, this list is NOT going to be the same for every Crohnie. Some patients find that dairy, gluten, or preservatives are their worst enemies. Some can only eat liquid forms of everything. And some even resort to eating ONE type of food every day for the rest of their lives, to avoid getting sick.
I recommend Crohn's and UC sufferers warriors learn by process of elimination what foods work best for you. And then, in a year or two, try again. I have discovered that I can eat some foods now that I couldn't eat previously. I believe our bodies and our symptoms are ever-changing, and it is to our benefit to change with them.
A great source for elimination diet tips and how-to's can be found at http://www.precisionnutrition.com/elimination-diet.
What are some of your go-to foods? What about your big no-no foods? Comment below!
Even a non-crohnie can learn something! Of course considering my family history it isn't out of the question for me to have something less serious than Crohns. Fresh veggies I too must be careful with. I stick to cauliflour and carrots. So far, only mild to moderate discomfort. Lettuce hates me.
ReplyDeleteLettuce is one of my worst enemies! I used to love a good garden salad with fresh greens, but now if I indulge, I wind up with the WORST cramps ever! Luckily, it's not bad enough to send me to the hospital YET. So, truth be told, I do still bargain with salad, occasionally ;)
DeleteJessi's Subway order: Egg whites on flat bread,toasted with American cheese and sometimes a few onions. Light salt and pepper.
ReplyDeleteThat's the one! Yum!
DeleteOmg,I just typed a long post of my diet but it didn't post,ugh lol. Here it is again: I cannot eat veggies,except for carrots,peas,and water chestnuts. I cannot eat most fast foods,except arby's,subway,and sometimes kfc. I cannot eat ice cream, I learned the hard way from a trip to culvers. I love I've cream :(. I can eat some processed foods,like doritoes,cakes,cookies,candy,and lots of sugar. Gum is generally a no no. I can't eat most fruits, except blueberries, strawberries, and grapes but only a handful. I can eat some pizza,like papa murphys or homemade. I can eat most pastas,sometimes. I can eat sauces,ketchup,mustard,mayo,butter, but cannot drink milk. I'm not lactose intolerant because i love sour cream,butter,and eggs. Eggs are hit or miss. I can't eat cooked sausage,but can eat deli meats. I can eat bread but it's hit or miss on the kind of bread it is. My stomach and intestines have their own as agenda, they'll agree to some things one day but the next day in the fetal position on the couch. I have not yet been diagnosed with crohns (thank God),but through process of elimination they've diagnosed me with ibs. However, I continue to undergo tests,as I'm sure most people that are reading this can understand. Anyway, I think that's about it, i hope this helps someone. Thanks for asking for feedback Jess. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your restrictions, Jolene! As you can see, different foods affect different people. I've seen so many articles about "IBD diets," but all of them have different information because we're all so different. As much as I love food and cooking, it really becomes a daunting task when you're unsure how it will affect you. :( Beat wishes for a proper diagnosis for you so that you can start treatment!!
DeleteThat last post was by Jolene Orlowski.
ReplyDeleteI love salad but can't eat onions,tomatoes or peppers of any kind,they are also my enemy Jess.
ReplyDeleteJolene Orlowski
Very insightful Jessica, thanks for sharing this! Mom
ReplyDeleteCookie? COOKIE!
ReplyDeleteI had to comment on this! Marry me? Pretty please? LOL
ReplyDeleteI've lived with Crohns for over 20 years now, and my mom has been there with me almost every step of the way. I think she feels guilty even tho I've told her many times it's just life, no one is at fault for this happening. But since becoming stuck in a wheelchair I've lived with her until I can learn to walk again. Anyways, she does much of the grocery shopping and then she tells me what my half is and I give her the money. Even after ALL this time together (I was 12 when I was told I had this so she's fixed meals for me for years)...she ALWAYS buys foods that I can't touch. When I point it out to her she sighs, agures with me about how the other foods aren't "healthy", or that she thought it would be nice for me to have for something different.
With Crohns, you can't do something different, different means a night in the ER. But I can so relate to what you put in this. Processed foods are a life savior! Fast food, hell yes! People can't understand how you can wolf down a Big Mac but die from a burger at home. I think the same as you, your body is looking at all these chemicals going "Wow, new neighbors!" instead of "ATTACK!!". White bread is the only bread I can touch, all the veggies (except cali) are my go toos...I love salads but I have to be extremely picky. One veggie I can eat that even baffles me is yellow sweetly mild banana peppers, it's odd, but I can eat them with no problems. My candy is always something jelly....starburst, skittles, jelly belly beans, jolly ranchers...chocolate is only for something special. Cake is special too, altho pies seem easier, and cookies the easiest. I LOVE seafood and pasta. I eat my pasta just like you....butter, cheese, and a little herbs. My go to condiments are French's mustard, Heinz ketchup, Kraft's Zesty Itailan dressing, Kraft's mayo, sweet BBQ sauce, and I can eat anything with A-1 sauce...any-thing!
I feel like I've become a "foodie" because you learn all the different herbs, spices, condiments, ways to cook things all in a effort to keep eating food and to find a way to do that doesn't make you want to die. I feel I could face down Gordon Ramsey any day. And I'm addicted to "Food porn". Ya know, where you watch cooking shows or read the menu's to resturants just because you're hungry and want to imagine or see the food that your body is rejecting. It's a sad thing, and I can see why men hide their Playboys. And I have to resist hoarding food too, my mind is so scared I'm going to run out of food that I can't even eat but I want to eat.
Sometimes I think the mental part of this disease is worst then all the physical. You can get drugs (boy, some of them are killers too) to help the physical, but the mental is always there and you can't escape it. So it's always great to come along someone like you that can be funny about it because sometimes I think my family and friends think I'm crazy for laughing about all my problems or that I'm trying to advoid them. When all I'm tryin' to do is make them feel better because if they are sad for me, then I feel sad. No one wants to be around someone sad and depressed, and when you start laughing, you honestly do feel better.
Oh, one more thing. You seem to do well with dairy (all that cheese)...how is ice cream for you??
So well-stated, Michelle!! Thank you so much for your input... I too, feel like a "foodie" because I'm obsessed with recipes, cooking shows, and trying to find ways to make them edible for myself. I love to cook, so it's almost like a game! I think you and I could build a feast for an army of delicious foods and manage to eat it all ourselves :)
DeleteMy friends and family have come to accept my awkward sense of humor about this disease, and I am so grateful for that! If we couldn't laugh about the hell it puts us through, we'd be even more miserable than we already are. Laughing takes that edge off the pain and sadness, and getting others to laugh with you... priceless!!
Ice cream is tricky one for me... when I eat it, there's about a 50/50 chance it's going to agree to stay in my belly and be nice. It tends to change depending on my medications, too! I suppose it doesn't always help that I can't just eat a small bowl of ice cream... it has to be the whole container ;) haha ~Jessi