New to UC! need SAFE food/recipes!

[Mollyperry28]

I really really REALLY need some safe foods that I can go to, and would GREATLY appreciate any recipes that you have gathered along your journey's. I have researched some basics of do's and don'ts but as of the past 3 days I have only eaten white rice, chicken, and instant potatoes for fear of worsening symptoms.

My background:
Hi My name is Molly and I'm only 19 years old. Just recently I was told I have an IBD. I have not been completely diagnosed due to lack of availability during the holidays for my GI specialist. I will not be able to see him to be prescribed any medications for about a month. However, they are more than sure it is UC due to my specific symptoms. I am a college student and have a hard time affording some of the stranger recipes I have found on the web and looking for simple and not completely tasteless foods.

*anything that you may know of that helps reduce inflammation and or calm the pain for either the long term or short term would also be appreciated!

I know I have a long journey ahead of me and am so very thankful for any support I can get.

 

[rygon]

Unfortunately theres no such thing as general Safe foods for all. Everyone is different. You will need to find out what you can and cannot eat yourself (keeping a diary of what you eat and how you feel may help. The same goes for drinks.


This thread should helop you a bit http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=17707

and theres also an area called Cooking with Crohns that may help

 

[Crohn's 35]

Hi Molly :welcome: Rygon is correct, there is no one diet fits all. We know of low residue and no dairy, and the brat diet. Most people avoid wheat and eating potatoes from a box has a lot of preservatives, I would use real potatoes and sweet potatoes are better. I know it sucks but you need to learn what you can eat. I can eat oatmeal and other cant.. Hang in there we will help you along the way!

 

[mnsun]

Personally: carrot juice, butternut squash, hardboiled eggs, salmon and cooked vegetables (carrots/potatoes/sweet potatoes) come to mind.

 

[I C Red]

Many (including myself) avoid processed food. During a flare it is probably best to go easy on the fiber, but normally fiber is good to maintain intestinal health.

A tip on potatoes: The skin, and to a lesser extent the rest, contains a glycoalkaloid toxin (the plant uses it to kill insects). You need to bake it to inactivate it (or fry it, but I don't recommend fried food). This toxin can cause diarrhea if you get enough of it. Boiling is not sufficient as the temperature does not get high enough (needs to reach 170 celsius or 340 F).

I don't know if potatoes in a box have significant amounts of this toxin (probably not much) but if the potatoes happened to be exposed to light and turned green before they were mashed they would have some.

 

[liv]

Hi Molly,

I myself have Crohn's but I've found I can make almost any recipe IBD friendly, it's all about substitution and moderation. I get a lot of my inspiration from the Food Network's show "Chopped" in which chefs are given crazy ingredients and have to pull off amazing dishes by substituting the mystery ingredients into recipes we all know and love. It's the same idea with IBD; here are some of my simple tricks:
-If a recipe calls for you to fry something DON'T; bake or grill instead. But poaching is the best way to cook your food.
-If something calls for milk try a milk alternative, my favorite brand is Sensational Soy.
-All vegetables should have their skin removed and if possible should be cooked slightly (nothing raw).
-And most importantly think vegan: I personally am not a vegan nor do I think I will ever have the strength to go fully vegan but in general I try and think if this recipe was vegan what would be a good substitute?

Hope this Helps!

P.S. One of my favorite substitute recipes is for chicken wings! Here's the basic concept: remove the skin from the wings, marinate the wings in combination of homemade vegan BBQ sauce and greek yogurt (this makes the wings creamy instead of crispy), S+P to taste, and bake in a 375° oven for 20 minutes per side (I like to continue to brush the sauce mixture on every 10 minutes for extra flavour).