A Picky Eater with Crohn's......

Since my daughter's diagnosis of Crohn's disease, we have been watching what she eats as certain foods can initiate a flare. However, because she was so malnourished and lost a lot of weight, the GI doctor had put her on a high calorie diet. My thoughts....How am I going to watch what she eats being on a high calorie diet and a picky eater? The doctors office gave me a list of high calorie foods which was great but was only able to use some of these suggestions as my daughter wouldn't eat much of what was on this list. I then researched online for recipes and didn't find much that was Crohn's friendly and high calorie. Most of what I encountered was geared towards adult food palates and healthy eating. The healthy eating part isn't a problem but when you have a child on a high calorie diet, eating healthy isn't an option. High calorie usually involves cream based, buttery, fat laden foods! UGH! This can also be a challenge when you have a malabsorption issue which can only be helped with eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables (not something she likes). I also had to consider in my recipes the foods that are suggested for Crohn's disease patients to steer clear of like anything fried (not good for the gut; too much non-absorbable fat), processed ( ex: box mac and cheese) and seeds. These are the 3 things that I do not incorporate in my meals. However, on occasion, you may try them but beware it could potentially cause a flare.

So, I certainly have my work cut out for me and still have more to figure out on foods. I was keeping a food log to keep track of what she ate, how much she ate and how it made her feel. I stay away from certain foods and always give her the things she likes, however, she seemed to go through a flare every so often even though she had non flare times on the foods she ate before a flare. Her GI doctor says that the initial inflammation just didn't seem to clear up with the Prednisone. That is why we are starting Remicade. Once I see that she is not having any flares for a length of time and the existing inflammation is gone, then I will start a new food log.

The one thing I noticed about my daughter is that she will like something one time and not the next time I serve the same thing or even halfway through the meal. This can be very frustrating! Now, I just serve her the foods I know she likes most often and can tolerate as well as try to introduce some others. Below is a list of the foods she will eat and do not cause any intestinal issues for her:

• chicken fingers (baked) with honey mustard sauce ( I make my own using Dijon mustard, honey and sour cream or plain yogurt)
• mashed potatoes
• carrots with butter and brown sugar 
• pancakes
• scrambled eggs
• green beans 
• mac and cheese (I make my own)
• cream dried (chipped) beef
• salad (butter lettuce)
• peanut butter (only creamy texture)

These foods are easily digestible and good for Crohn's. We definitely eat a lot of chicken and mashed potatoes...this is fine with me because I love them both! Suggestion: steam the vegetables as it makes them softer and easy for the intestines to digest. From what I read, there are no real food restrictions for Crohn's patients. Everyone is different as to what causes a flare. What one can eat and be fine...can cause problems for another.  It is all about making smart food choices, being aware of your trigger foods and making sure you are bulking up on calories and nutrients during non flare moments to offset the loss of both during a flare.

Below is a link that I found quite useful for recipes and Crohn's friendly foods:

www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/crohns-disease/joy-bauer-healthy-recipes-for-crohns.aspx

This link is a blog of a friend that has some very good couponing ideas. It is helpful as food prices keep rising!

www.ettsettra.blogspot.com


Any suggestions, advice, comments or questions are welcome and appreciated! Hope this was helpful!

Until next time.....Laugh and Love Life!