Recipe Ideas for Ulcerative Colitis? (2024)

April 28, 2006

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I was recently diagnosed as well. Its definitely a tough situation and everyone will respond to diets differently. I recommend you start reading a variety of books: The Makers Diet by Jordan Rubin; Sally Fallon's "Noursishing Traditions" cookbook; also there is a book called something like "Specific Carbohydrate Diet".

I've heard that raw foods are the way to go. Right now, I'm working on a very strict elimination diet which basically means I can eat veggies, fruits and chicken and some nuts... but nothing allergenic. That means, NO eggs, soy, dairy, honey, gluten etc. After 30 days, I will reintroduce some of these things and see what type of reaction I get.

I would also encourage you to visit the healthfood store and buy some supplements, Aloe, Cod Liver Oil, Peppermint pills or tea etc. Good Luck.

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Suppers: Break out your crock-pot; the slow cooking tends to break down the fiber and connective tissues in foods to make them softer and a little more digestible; and they taste good, too! Look for recipes with green beans, rice, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and flavorful ingredients. Beef and chicken usually digest well. Avoid corn, nuts, seeds, celery (except the leaves), cabbage,and other foods with more "residue". (I think that is the old-fashioned term for insoluble fiber, or as Grandma used to say: roughage.) You may also want to avoid broccoli, brussels sprouts, and foods like that which may be gas-producing. Avoid beans, except the green ones.

Pastas are always a good bet, with less chunky sauces. Cheese raviolis, macaroni and cheese (the men seem to love the old-fashioned baked kind--which is easy to make!)

Iceberg lettuce is actually not bad! But avoid some of the other usual salad ingredients. Tomato is OK if you peel and seed it. Same with cucumber.

Breakfasts: Cream of wheat and cream of rice; rice crispies; white toast with seedless jam or jelly; puffed rice; eggs; yogurt (avoid raspberry, strawberry, blackberry--potential for seeds); cheese; smooth peanut butter may be fine--it usually is, but NOT chunky.

Desserts: Sugar wafer cookies, vanilla wafers, puddings and custards, jello, angel cakes, etc. You may want to avoid a lot of cinnamon. Rice Crispies treats go over well!

One caution about the milk products--some people develop a sensitivity or lactose intolerance, so you may want to eliminate them for a couple of weeks, then add back and see if he reacts adversely.

Peeled apples, bananas, peeled peaches, most canned fruits (but I would avoid pineapple), applesauce; jellied cranberry sauce (not whole berry--seeds!)

Lunches: Avoid heavily seasoned lunchmeats and other proccessed meats; try to avoid the preservatives, too--the Kosher lunchmeats are usually more "pure" that way. Tuna is usually OK, too. Cream cheese and jelly. Leftovers! Canned pastas and soups (again, watch the labels for corn and other trouble foods).

Truly, think more of how our grandparents ate in the forties and fifties. Simple fare; a lot of what we now see as comfort foods.

If you don't have a crock-pot, get one today! Buy the lean cuts of meat and cook them all day for moist, fall-apart meats. Fall off the bone chicken.

I agree about seeing a dietician--but be sure it is a registered dietician; "nutritionists" are unregulated in many areas, meaning anyone can hang out that shingle. One nutritionist may be the best thing going; but another may be a well-spoken quack.

Read; but many of the "diets" for IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) are not proven. Be cautious, and go with what works for your husband.

There are also support groups, great places for recipe sharing and other tips. Even if he doesn't want to go, you should. Learn what you can do to help, so you don't feel like you're going to hurt him!

Once he gets his meds straightened out, he will hopefully start feeling better and you will both be able to live and learn and move forward. It does get easier!

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I highly recommend Breaking the Viscious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall. There is a website, and pecanbread.com offers info on the same diet (though they use the diet for the gut issues related to autism)

Old fashioned "creamy" soup (made by pureeing the veggies, not adding cream) seems the best, though its not always as satisfying, for a gastric episode.

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I have UC and had to have the surgery to remove the lower intestine.

First, the safest, safest thing to have, despite what everyone tells you, is meat. High calories and NO fiber. I used to be almost vegetarian. Not anymore. Boiled is best, but baked or seared is fine too. You're right to stay away from fried, as grease can go through rather quickly.

My doctor told me to stick to things with less than 2g of fiber per serving.

I would also get him tested for allergies. It turns out that I'm allergic to gluten and staying away from gluten makes my life sooo much easier. If I hadn't been tested I'm sure I would be in much worse shape.

Other than that, I asked my doctor _and_ my dietician and they both said, and I quote, "Try it. You'll know if you can't have it." I'd let his taste buds (and GI tract) dictate what he eats.

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I have this as well. I don't so much have recipes, as ideas.
Drink lots and lots of water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine like the plague as they make intestines work more, you don't need that!

Dairy is a caution. Use lactose removed milk, or goats milk. They digest better. Vanilla soy milk soothes my belly. Yogurt is good as it puts "friendly" bacteria back into your body.

Avoid all fried foods. Make homemade mashed potatoes, not the junky package stuff, or fries, or potatoes fried in any way. I do well on mashed potatoes and eat a little more of them, than your other vegetables. Zucchini is good as well as carrots, turnips and sweet potatoes. A lot of the green vegetables can be a problem if it is acting up.

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Actually, my husband loves tuna pasta salad. I got it from the Colitis Cookbook:

1 5 oz can of tuna, drained, water packed
2 cups cooked medium pasta (I use rotini)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup onions (I leave this out as my husband hates onions)
1 tbs. chopped parsley (you can soak some dried parsley if he is ultra sensitive)
2 large ripe tomato (again, I leave this out.)

Mix together ingredients and serve chilled. Goes great with Jiffy corn muffin mix. You can double or triple the recipe and it stays good for days!!! Great to have on hand for a flare up...

Hope this helps!!!!! It was a life saver for me...

This was the first of MANY "hits" when I googled "recipes ulcerative colitis"

ibscrohns.about.com/.../

Dine in health.

PS: Does your insurance offer access to a registered dietician? That might be a resource, plus any groups that exist for this condition. (ie. cancer patients may turn to The American Cancer Society among others).

Might also want to get a consult with a dietitian for ideas.
Lissette RN

Here is a natural treatment for Ulcerative Colitus.

drbenkim.com/articles-ulcerative-colitis-treatment...

It may appear that your husband is allergic to gluten as another person said on here earlier. Which is important!! My sister has that and no one knew what to look for and assumed she was just crazy. She gets insanely sick to the stomach after eating gluten which is in most foods out there in the market. Even in some sauces. That might explain why you feel you have little choice in what to feed him. I too have colitis and find that if I indulge too much in chocolates, caffeine, I get a flare up. I hear corn is hard to digest, as well as celery.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Do regular saltine crackers have gluten in them. I've been eating them lately and have had a lot more pain, inflammation in colon. I'm wondering if this is the problem. Please respond to: suespark777 AT cox.net. I would really appreciate it as I'm trying to figure out just what I can eat (have had both interstitial cystitis and ulcerative colitis (according to doctors)). Thanks

How do we eat healthy without paying for Tummy issues and other ones? I take vitamins.

My husband also suffers from this condition. Funny thing is, it was "in remission" or "dormant" for many years and then suddenly it came back with a vengeance. So, I'm back looking to calm it down and then start all over again.

Most of what everyone has said is true: low fiber, low fats, no: dairy, nuts, seeds, alcohol, gluten. Right now we're sticking to homemade broths, ginger tea, Jell-o, because this flare-up is not being very nice at all! Nothing is working right now.

My question is: We know to avoid dairy, but I've seen alot of people eating yogurt. I suggest it, but my husband refuses to eat it because it's considered dairy. We're also thinking at making homemade tomato soup because tomatoes are an anti-inflammatory which he needs right now, but I'm not certain. Does anyone know?

Here are some ideas: boil soft light white rice, yogurt (if too acidic, dilute with water and a pinch of salt) banana campacola (light yellow peel small), pomegranate juice, cranberry, soak almond,boil apple, pears, pumpkin, chicken, potatoes, bottle gourd. All this we make with little oil and turmeric powder. This I eat during flareups, along with food supplements like lycium, pomosteen, probiotic,fields of green, aleo nectar (from forever living product), bee propolis,

Once bleeding stops, I would try white bread with little butter, tomato and cumcumber sandwich, salmon, fish which has less fats, boil with garlic, ginger, tomatoes, even paneer (cottage cheese) made with peas, curry without chilli.

You don't have to tell your doc that you googled it. I have UC since sixteen years now. I'm 33. It flares up every three years. This third time, it's fatal even this time now by God's grace. The doc told me I might not need surgery but I'm still in the hospital waiting for my biopsy result and solid motion three times a day. Hope to be out by Wednesday:-)

I would personally recommend the book 'What To Eat With IBD' by Tracie Dalessandro. It offers some good recipes and information on Colitis and related conditions. It has certainly helped me out.

Thank you for the info. I am also gluten free so I am trying different things to eat. Colitis and gluten free is not easy.

I am having chicken breast with pasta and a nice healthy cheese sauce over it all tonight"with garlic white bread"very filling"add this to your meal for your man in your life..good luck..xx

My 17 year old son has been sick for 3 years, we have tried many medicines. currently entyvio and Xeljanz he is not cooperative with diet as I would like. yesterday his doctor suggested the surgery and told him after it he could eat whatever he wants! why are you restricted if you have had your colon removed? did you have the other surgeries to connect your small intestines?

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