Crohn's food habits

[nogutsnoglory]

I don't know about you but I'm like an artist in a restaurant, fishing out ingredients to not eat and always get weird looks. I'm sure we have a few weird eating habits amongst each other.

1. I always wipe my utensils in napkins for fear of germs due to being immunocompromised.

2. When I order I basically say "I am
allergic to everything" so please only give me xyz and absolutely plain.

3. I get my order and something is always on it that shouldn't be, herbs, seeds, spices, fruit or veg and I need to remove them and put it on another plate.

4. I eat my food but probably not the full plate still worrying I'll get obstructed or sick.

I swear I have the weirdest crohn's eating rituals when out but I'm sure some of you guys can relate or share your crazy stories!

 

[powerpuffgals]

Hi..I guess you are not alone...I am also the same as you. Practically, the person who takes orders looks weird at me when I order and wherever I go, I'll be famous due to my eating habits...Well, we just have to go with it...) Have a nive day..

 

[theOcean]

1. I don't eat seafood. I don't have an allergy, but I was raised by my grandmother and she did, so I was just never exposed to it. I'm also incredibly sensitive to smell and find the smell of it repulsive. So when I order, I often just tell waiters I'm allergic. If I can tell my food has interacted with it at all, I won't eat it. One time I even couldn't keep my food down when I realized it was touching salmon at some point in time and I could taste it.

2. Whenever I order something, I make sure there's no spinach/arugala etc. I can't handle certain greens at all since being diagnosed.

3. I've done this even before my diagnosis, but I obsessively inspect my food to make sure there's nothing in it I don't want (whether it's food or hair or fibres/dust) and I'll spend my time meticulously removing all these things onto a separate plate before I eat or take a bite of anything.

4. I have a really, really hard time eating outside and will avoid it at all costs because I'm terrified of bugs getting in my food. This isn't even specifically Crohn's-related, except on the level that I'm terrified of germs.

5. I'm very bad at being lactose-intolerant and carry enzymes for it on me at all times just in case I reaaaally want that dish with cream sauce or melted cheese.

I have other odd food rituals, but don't feel they're quite appropriate to share since they're not related to my illness. Just me being neurotic.

 

[jlm]

Smart thread lol. who else picks sesame seeds off their buns/bread products when they order something and it comes with seeds. I hate when it's a surprise if a product comes out on whole grain, or multigrain, covered in seeds or nuts.

I actually watched my mother cut her soup the other day at olive garden lol, she ordered the toscana which has kale, she cut it all up into tiny pieces.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Ha I'm always picking breads for seeds and stuff. Waiters usually run to ask what's wrong. I'm like um my body haha.

 

[Orchid]

I haven't developed any weird eating rituals yet but my mother, who also has Crohn's, will chew up food and spit it out, in public. It is disgusting.

 

[darster]

I can only get a few bites down and then I don't feel like eating any more. It helps if I eat lots of different things, a few bites of each, but it's hard to get variety on a restricted diet.

 

[vonfunk]

I have different levels of rules depending on the current situation.

In general
1) Religiously avoid all shellfish and mushrooms
2) No eating after 9pm
3) When drinking 1:1 ratio of alcohol to water

Recent stoma/chronic small bowel obstruction related
3) Avoid all potato unless in potato chip format
4) No oatmeal, beans, or lentils
5) No complex vegetarian meals
6) No tempeh or fake meat (tofu & seitan is okay)

Other unrelated to health
6) No fish or seafood (moral objection)
7) No avocado (irrational lifestyle choice)

 

[Ladyslipper]

I was just diagnosed with Crohn's at the beginning of March and actually wonder if I will ever eat out again. Currently am just eating eggs, carrots, some potatoes, rice, yogurt. My symptoms have seemed to resolved at present - I have lost about 20lbs since diagnosis - just tapering off prednisone - on 15mg and to go to 10 mg next week and see GI Dr. April 24th but am very scared to eat anything. I have 2 teenage boys and a husband and we would often eat out, so just feeling so abnormal about food lately. Also used to have a glass of wine or 2 on the weekends, but again I am only drinking water. I am pleased to be feeling better without pain or D but really wondering if I will ever be able to fit in with society again. I had been a very social person, but feel all this fear of food kind of has me in a coccoon. Wondering if others feel this way.

 

[JoFowler]

I can't/don't eat: Raw veggies, seeds, nuts, cream, tomato anything, bread/buns, steak. This eliminates salads, sandwiches, most pasta dishes, pizza and now steak dinners. I also have an aversion to pan fried haddock and soup, from eating them in my nausea periods.

99% of the time I will order chicken fingers. Occasionally a burger without the bun or all the things I used to enjoy (lettuce, tomato ...)

I used to eat nearly everything.

 

[vonfunk]

I was just diagnosed with Crohn's at the beginning of March and actually wonder if I will ever eat out again.

I had a freeloader who also had Crohn's and had far more food restrictions than I, by the she had moved in I had already had my colon removed and could eat most things. We went out to eat all the time, once you start working food back into your system and get a handle on what you can't tolerate it gets easier. Eventually it'll get to a point where no only will you know what you can can't eat, but you might actual reach a stage where you'll find some restaurants that you can deem "safe places". The danger of contamination is everywhere, but as it turns out one of my favourite restaurant which is a complete dive (Sneaky Dee's for anyone in Toronto), is fairly good at dealing with intolerances and allergies. The freeloader couldn't touch gluten amongst other things and the only time she had any distress is when she knowingly ate something she knew would cause problems.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Add me to the list of people who pick off sesame seeds! I also inspect chicken thoroughly every time I have it. If it's even the slightest bit pink, I get nauseous thinking about it and I can't eat it. I would way rather have overcooked, dry, "safe" chicken then have juicy, moist, "possibly unsafe" chicken.

I also kind of obsess about "hidden" ingredients. For example, I can't have coconut. Some of my family members are gluten-free, and coconut is a common replacement ingredient for gluten. At Thanksgiving last year, my aunt made gluten-free gravy and I forgot to ask what is in it. It turned out there was coconut in it, and I was sick for like 4 days. So I always have to ask what's in something, because I don't want to get a sneak coconut attack again!

 

[Allison M]

My best option is chicken or baked potatoes. I am also germ-phobe. I guess we earned that.

 

[hbrekkaas]

Add me to the list of people who pick off sesame seeds! I also inspect chicken thoroughly every time I have it. If it's even the slightest bit pink, I get nauseous thinking about it and I can't eat it. I would way rather have overcooked, dry, "safe" chicken then have juicy, moist, "possibly unsafe" chicken.

I also kind of obsess about "hidden" ingredients. For example, I can't have coconut. Some of my family members are gluten-free, and coconut is a common replacement ingredient for gluten. At Thanksgiving last year, my aunt made gluten-free gravy and I forgot to ask what is in it. It turned out there was coconut in it, and I was sick for like 4 days. So I always have to ask what's in something, because I don't want to get a sneak coconut attack again!

I obsess about the hidden stuff too. I have celiac on top of Crohn's, so unless I find an ingredient list or it's something that can't contain it (like salad or a baked potato) I stay away.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Ugh hidden ingredients are the worst. It's so hard to get yummy foods because "bad" stuff is mixed in there.

 

[moss]

I pick the lettuce and tomato off of sandwiches, although that's probably not too odd. Olives and mushrooms need to be excavated, too. And, of course, before I even sit down to eat, I need to scope out where the bathroom is.

I also have a couple Friday/ Saturday night specific foods, like pizza and ice cream. If I've had a good week and am willing to spend the next day regretting my choices, I'll eat them.

 

[greatauntalta]

Lol. When we go out, I usually end up ordering a simple pasta dish. Sometimes with the sauce on the side. I'm not a big fan of restaurant restrooms(total lack of privacy?) Sometimes I just push the food around the plate. My husband usually covers for me if we are with family/friends. Given a choice...I would not eat in public...