Safe foods for Crohn's diet

[sharris315]

During Thanksgiving, I'm having a houseguest who has Crohn's. I have checked out diet requirements, but mostly things are listed as what not to eat (and the list is long) - but says the problem foods vary with different people. Since I have no idea what his are, I'd like to have a few things for him to choose from without dietary requirements being an issue.

Anybody have experience with this? Suggestions on foods generally safe for a Crohn's diet?

[Shugness]

I have IBS but the symptoms are similar to Crohns. I agree with the statement that problem foods vary from person to person. In fact, as I've said many times before, no one food always upsets my stomach, but it seems at one point or another every food has upset my stomach. Very little rhyme or reason to it.

Having said that - the danger zones would probably be anything overly greasy, cheesy, or spicy. I tend to have issues if I eat an abundance of fruits or vegetables. The "safe plate" for me would be simple ham or turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls.

It might be better to ask the house guest if there are anything special requests he/she has. My bigger thing wouldn't be the menu, but knowing that my host was understanding. If you have a more private bathroom, go ahead and let them know they're more than welcome to go there if they are having an issue. A bigger embarrassment is when you're having a problem and have to use the bathroom right off the kitchen and might be in there for 10 minutes holding up other folks who need to go, and it draws attention to your problem. Been there, done that.

[mrswaz]

My experience with Crohns in the family is to avoid garlic and onions completely. I make sure when we're gathering wih family members who deal with this that I make foods that don't require garlic and onions. Fresh, dried, powdered- no forms whatsoever, or they'll be spending the evening in the bathroom.

Beyond those two, each person has their own foods that they try to avoid, but these are the ones that are across the board bad for all affected.

I think the suggestion to have some basic, simple, and "safe" foods will be welcomed by your guest.

[wallycat]

Every person is different in what bothers them...both for IBS and for Crohn's.
Just to possibly restate the obvious...
Crohn's is an autoimmune disease that literally damages the intestines; it has little food-base issue to it.
IBS has issues ranging from psychological (stress, etc.) to certain foods being an issue.

Gut flora is so different that even taking probiotics can help some IBS folks. Since Crohn's is autoimmune, it is less likely to help.
Crohn's has flare-up and then mild foods help during the crisis, but if you could, I would contact the guest to see what they need.

[clairea]

My DD and DB both have Crohns. DB is in remission and has been for several years. DD was diagnosed a few months ago and her disease is still (very) active.

As wallycat said, there is really no relationship between Crohns and IBS, and the treatment for one is not appropriate for the other.

I think the biggest question here is whether your guest is in an active disease state or not. If not, then the food restrictions are probably quite few if any. When Crohn's is in remission the inflammation has been reduced to normal (or almost-normal) levels and there are no open lesions in the digestive tract.

If the disease is in an active flare then it will be very individual as to what your guest can eat, and my experience has been that it can change day to day. One day DD will eat nothing but saltines and ramen noodles, the next day she wants a cheeseburger. She is only 11, but has already developed a very good sense of what she will and won't be able to tolerate at any given time. I suspect most Crohns patients are the same way.

The one constant piece of advice I have seen is to avoid high fiber (especially insoluble fiber) foods, raw fruits and vegetables, and anything with small seeds when she is having a flare as these foods can literally "scrape" against the open wounds in the digestive tract.

I would suggest having a couple of bland and low fiber, low residue items available, and being understanding if this guest only eats one or two things. Also, we frequently take food for DD, both to ensure that there will be something she can eat and because, with the high doses of steroids she is on even if she eats a full meal she might be starving an hour later! I always hope people aren't offended (and ask them not to be) as I just want to make things easier and not be an additional burden because of her illness.

One final thought that is not related to food. Many of the medications that are used to treat Crohns are immune suppresants. It's a small thing, but I would love it if we went to someone's house and they had paper hand towels in the bathroom, etc. (I know it isn't "green", but the last time DD got a cold she wound up in the hospital).

[amarante]

Is there some reason you can't just ask the person directly what their dietary needs - likes/dislike are and take it from there. If the person has told you they have a disease, then it's not a secret.

I don't know what the specifics are in terms of who else is there who you will be feeding. In some ways, Thanksgiving is surprisingly easy to work around since a lot of the foods are optional and it's relatively easy to do work arounds. I don't have Crohns but have dieted at my parents house Thanksgiving - plain baked sweet potato; white meat turkey; steamed asparagus (or other veggie) - and then whatever I chose to splurge on. Not saying that this is what your house guest would be eating but just that it's up to the house guest to ask for what they need within reason or not expect other people to be mind readers.

[sharris315]

Thanks for your input. I think I have a better idea now of what to make available. I agree that it is actually easier at a BIG meal because I can offer a lot of different choices.

A couple of dishes with no onion or garlic and/or low fiber and/or low spiciness should do it. I already have basic turkey and ham on the menu.

Amaranthe: This is the new bf of my dd. She is the one who told me... I think he's just planning on "winging it" so to speak, doesn't want to make a deal out of it, but I thought if I could make it easier for him - without actually asking him for details- why not do that?

Thank you all for your suggestions and information!!

[amarante]

Amaranthe: This is the new bf of my dd. She is the one who told me... I think he's just planning on "winging it" so to speak, doesn't want to make a deal out of it, but I thought if I could make it easier for him - without actually asking him for details- why not do that?


Why don't you ask your DD what she has seen him eating or not eating so at least you have some idea of what to have in the house or have as alternatives.

[clairea]

That is really considerate. I hope someday a mom is as kind to my DD (but not for a looooong time;) ).

It sounds like your meal should be fine. As I mentioned above, I suspect that he is pretty experienced at picking and choosing the foods that will work well for him.

[jules1993]

One final thought for you on top of the great suggestions you have been given here. We have Crohn's in our immediate family. Dairy is another thing that I would keep out of dishes. If you are making burgers and they want to add cheese, that works. But to take it out or wonder about the diary issue makes for a challenging and not fun time for the person. We always tend to have very plain foods at every meal: ie. baked potatoes with nothing in them allowing the diner to add what they like or baked sliced potatoes with no seasoning, white rice is another regular again with no seasoning. It may look like simple boring food to those of us with a more steady internal system but to these folks, plain is all good!

Enjoy your time. Very kind of you to be so thoughtful in your menu choices. I know from my family members how embarrassing this condition is and truly how all encompassing it can be. As they say, it's not like I just stay out of a bar to not be in a place where alcohol is served. This is food. A must have!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Julie