What are your superfoods?

[f_else]

Hey Everyone,
I have been struggling with a really restricted diet for the last year, and have found that most of the time I am just eating white bread products and rice. That is ok for a little while, but I have really started to lag in energy lately because of it, and also that kind of food doesn't help me gain weight.
However, two foods which I have found recently to be great in terms of not giving me stomach pain and filling nutritional gaps are:
- Salmon (fresh or canned, either way it is easily digested and super healthy, full of protein and omega 3).
- Lamb Liver .... I know it sounds gross but it is actually not too bad. It is the only red-meat I have been able to tolerate because it lack the fat and sinew that makes other meats hard to digest. I cook it with a bit of onion (for flavour which I then discard because I can't eat them) and some rosemary. On the upside it is full of iron and good red-meat related protein and minerals so it fills a much needed gap in my diet and is also REALLY cheap to buy (at least here in Oz).

I was just wondering what you guys use to help give you energy and fill nutritional gaps that occur in our restricted diets?

 

[moogie]

When I can,t eat I use Ensure. 6 cans a day. 2 per meals. The rest is low fiber like usual.

Ensure really gives me the energy I need and does not hurt my stomach at all.

 

[mickey]

White breads and rice are killers for me. I find the more steamed veggies the better (pureed, if need be) and then beans in soup or other ways add the protein. You are possibly lagging for lack of protein? I found the white breads and white rice broken down to sugar and I felt weaker and weaker. Chicken broth may also help. I put in a mug, as though it is tea. Ginger tea (made with piece of fresh ginger in hot pot of boiling water) is a life saver as well. Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

If you're trying to gain some weight, you might want to try some of the "good" fats. Things like olive oil, avocado, and nuts (you could do a nut butter like almond butter, or even almond milk - I do both and they're easy on my tummy). An easy go-to snack for me is a banana with some almond butter smeared on it. Or with the salmon, which you said is safe for you, you could maybe drizzle some olive oil on it before baking it.

 

[Jessi]

My tummy agrees with Cat-a-Tonic...

Cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil or grape seed oil;
Avocado, super-ripe;
Banana, also must be super ripe;
Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, fat on;
Almond milk, vanilla or chocolate;
Mashed potatoes, must be piping hot!
And my liquid form of Vitamin D3.

 

[bangarang]

Ripe bananas and avocados, sweet potatoes, blended berry smoothies.

 

[Emily]

mmmmmmmmm yes avocados. I love to just eat slices of them, or even make them into a really simple guacamole and make sandwiches.
I think cheese is my superfood. I've heard many people on here say cheese is a big no no. But I tolerate it perfectly and it adds variety to my standard diet of bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.

 

[ThanksP]

Juicing gives me INCREDIBLE energy. I get all the great vitamins and minerals that I was missing and none of the fiber, pulp that would usually kill me gut. In fact, I got my infusion nurse doing it, and a few patients at the Infusion center. They are all doing great and can't believe how much energy it gives them.

As far as solid foods, when I'm in a flare, by go to's are baked sweet potato and High protein Boost. The sweet potato drizzled with olive oil has tons of great stuff for you in it along with some good fats and the Boost adds protein. I don't like the white bread and white rice because it serves no nutritonal purpose other than filling your belly.

 

[Kelly2]

Just a suggestion - instead of Boost and Ensure which is full of sugar, is there any way you could rather drink a high protein elemental drink when in a flare. Something like Peptamen 1.5 made by Nestle would be so much better for you.

 

[Geri18]

EGGS all the way for me!! There's so many different things you can do with eggs and they are loaded with goodness apparently :dance:

Geri

 

[ThanksP]

Just a suggestion - instead of Boost and Ensure which is full of sugar, is there any way you could rather drink a high protein elemental drink when in a flare. Something like Peptamen 1.5 made by Nestle would be so much better for you.

I've never heard of it and just looked it up online to see where it's available. I'm thinking it's something not very common in the US since it's $280 for 24 cans plus $26 shipping on Amazon. I'd love to have something that doesn't have all the crud that is in Boost (I can't stand the taste of Ensure). But I also need it to be readily available so I can always have it on hand. I'll try to remember to look next time I'm at Wholefoods, I bet they have something.

 

[sashaz]

for me its mash mad with potatoes and sweet potatoes. really feel it helps me a lot!

 

[Kelly2]

I've never heard of it and just looked it up online to see where it's available. I'm thinking it's something not very common in the US since it's $280 for 24 cans plus $26 shipping on Amazon. I'd love to have something that doesn't have all the crud that is in Boost (I can't stand the taste of Ensure). But I also need it to be readily available so I can always have it on hand. I'll try to remember to look next time I'm at Wholefoods, I bet they have something.

Yes, it is very expensive - but my insurance company pays for the formula to be delivered to my front door. What health insurance do you have?

 

[tishbite]

I drink spiru-tein and i also like to make smoothies with peanut butter, bananas and berries. It ends up tasting like a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich minus the bread I also eat a lot of avacados/pickles & hummus. I'm pretty sure pickles don't have much nutritional value but i am able to tolerate them very well. I always get stuck eating pasta and white bread as well. it's kind of hard to get out of that habit when it becomes such a comfortable thing to do.

 

[Cynthia-Christina]

I agree with ThanksP, juicing is definitely a useful weapon against crohn's, it really helps me get in gear when I need the energy and it makes my days brighter because I feel like I can have something *fresh* without feeling bad!

 

[guest9933]

even when i'm not flaring juicing gives me very bad gas and bad painfull D

 

[f_else]

Hey everyone!

Thanks for all your input and suggestions, it is all super helpful. I am definitely going to try and put a bit more olive oil in my diet seeing as a lot of you seem to agree that it is a safe fat. When I found I was reacting badly to oil I stopped having most types as often as possible, I didn't realise that so many of you find olive oil to be safe for your tummies. Juicing is also a great idea, although this last week I just got an amazing blender and I have been making the best smoothies with it.
One of my favourites:
- Bananna
- Honey
- A splash of lactose free milk
- Ice
- A scoop of vanilla protein powder

Anyways, keep the suggestions coming, I love hearing how we all get around our diet issues.

Thanks,
Fab

 

[rygon]

I enjoy juicing, normally add a carrot, a stick of celery, half a cucumber, couple of apples and a bit of melon to make a drink. Its pretty nice.

My comfort food is rice, cheese sauce, bits of chicken, peas, onion, boiled egg cut up, (add any other veg like mushrooms) and add cheese on top.

What about chicken stock with bit of chicken, diced carrots and peas, a bit of olive oil. Then add either cubes of potato or spaghetti (or both) and cook for a nice soup (to thicken it up I make a ball of butter and flour and drop that in)

I like liver as well. It goes great with bacon and new potatoes and a bit of gravy

 

[aboarna]

I'm fine with white bread, potatoes, rice (one or twice a week, otherwise I get constipation), boiled eggs, chicken soup, almond milk, lactose free cheese, peas, beef liver and chicken liver, carrots, onions, pumpkin, honey, salmon, canned tuna, pasta, bananas, watermelon, pears, apples (raw red delicious otherwise I have to cook them), cherries, peaches, nectarines, oranges and grapefruits (just the juice).