Gentle Bowel Relief With This 7 Day Meal Plan For Crohn’s Disease

If you have Crohn’s disease, this 7 Day Meal Plan For Crohn’s Disease is specifically for you.

Because Crohn’s disease is going to make your life harder, choosing the right diet from the start will help you control your gut inflammation and go into disease remission.

Most importantly, there are foods to avoid with Crohn’s disease so as not to invite a flare-up.

These include fatty and fried foods, alcohol, beverages (Pepsi, Coke), margarine, mayonnaise, and raw high-fiber-rich foods.

While it’s important to note that diet alone cannot cure Crohn’s disease, making informed dietary choices can help alleviate symptoms, reduce inflammation, and improve overall well-being.

The relationship between diet and Crohn’s disease is complex, and individual responses can vary widely.

Therefore, a personalized approach, often in collaboration with healthcare professionals, is essential for effective management.

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Common Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

• Abdominal pain mostly in the lower right quadrant along with cramping and discomfort.
• Frequent diarrhea and watery stools often lead to dehydration and nutritional deficiencies.
• Persistent fatigue.
• Weight loss due to decreased nutrient absorption is caused by inflammation.
• Bloody stools due to intestinal bleeding.
• Some individuals experience joint pain or swelling, a condition known as enteropathic arthritis, due to the systemic nature of Crohn’s disease.
• Inflammation might affect other parts of the body including the eyes (Uveitis), back (sacroiliitis), liver (cholangitis), and brain (depression)

Inflammation and Diet – What is the connection?

Inflammation is the body’s natural defense mechanism against harmful substances such as toxins and pathogens.

While inflammation is essential for protecting the body, chronic or excessive inflammation can contribute to Crohn’s Disease and various other disorders.

However, there is a strong connection between inflammation and the foods we eat. Certain pro-inflammatory foods can increase or possibly cause existing inflammation.

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Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Foods:

Certain foods have the ability to either induce or inhibit inflammation. Foods’ lipids, antioxidants, fiber, and other components all play a role in influencing the inflammatory response of the body.

Inflammatory Foods:

• Trans Fats:

  • Trans fats are the top contributors to the list of pro-inflammatory foods. Omega 6 fatty acids found in sunflower oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable, and palm oils are also among the inflammatory foods.

• Saturated Fats:

  • Saturated fats found in red meat, dairy products, and processed foods also cause inflammation

• Refined Carbohydrates:

  • Refined and processed grains lead to insulin resistance and also contribute to inflammation

Anti-Inflammatory Foods:

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids:

  • Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and very beneficial for health. These can be found in fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), flaxseeds, and walnuts.

• Fruits and Vegetables:

  • Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, colorful fruits and vegetables help combat inflammation. Among these, citrus fruits are highly beneficial

• Whole Grains:

  • Whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, and oats contain fiber and other nutrients that support gut health and reduce inflammation.

• Nuts and Seeds:

  • Almonds, chia seeds, and other nuts and seeds provide healthy fats and antioxidants.

• Herbs and Spices:

  • Turmeric, ginger, garlic, and other herbs and spices also have anti-inflammatory properties.

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Crohn’s Friendly Diet: 7 Day Meal Plan For Crohn’s Disease?

A Crohn ‘s-friendly diet focuses on minimizing Crohn’s disease symptoms by managing inflammation, boosting gut health, and increasing gut health.

While everyone reacts differently to food, adopting certain important components might help people with Crohn’s disease maintain improved digestive comfort and general well-being.

Here are the key components of a Crohn’s-friendly diet:

• Low-fiber Diet:

A medium to low-fiber diet is the most suitable to avoid excess bloating and pain.

Limit foods such as raw fruits, beans, legumes, and whole grains that contain a large amount of insoluble fiber. This type of fiber often aggravates bloating.

Switch to peeled fruits, refined carbs, and cooked vegetables because these foods are well-tolerated.

• Gut-friendly Foods:

Gut-friendly foods include probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, miso, kimchi, tempeh, fermented vegetables, and prebiotics like steel-cut oats, seeds, asparagus, and other fruits and vegetables that contain soluble fiber.

These foods promote the growth of good bacteria and might be useful to combat inflammation.

Other well-tolerated foods include baked, steamed, boiled food products and refined carbohydrates that have lesser fat content and are easily digested.

• Proteins:

As mentioned above, red meat is a source of pro-inflammatory fats and therefore it has to be limited.

However, we cannot completely skip protein because it is essential for tissue repair and proper immune functioning. Add lean proteins such as skinless poultry, fish, and eggs to your diet.

• Avoid troublemaking foods

The key to a healthy diet with Crohn’s disease is to carefully identify all the trigger foods and avoid them.

The most common triggers are spicy foods, high-fat foods, processed foods, caffeine, emulsifiers (carrageenan, maltodextrin, polysorbate 80, carboxymethyl cellulose), full-fat dairy, fresh cheeses, and gluten products.

• Changing the eating patterns

The common trends include eating 3 main meals per day. But to best control your symptoms switch to small frequent meals with nutritious foods while avoiding all the triggers.

Moreover, practice mindful eating to avoid any other complications.

Read:

Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

Common Nutrient Deficiencies with Crohn’s Disease

• Iron:

Inflammation and bleeding in the intestines can cause iron deficiency anemia, which causes exhaustion, weakness, and decreased oxygen delivery in the blood.

• Vitamin B12:

The ileum, a section of the small intestine typically afflicted by Crohn’s disease, is in charge of vitamin B12 absorption.

Damage to this area might result in a lack of vitamin B12, which can cause exhaustion, neurological problems, and anemia.

•  Folate:

Inflammation and intestinal injury can impair folate absorption, contributing to anemia and other health problems.

• Calcium and Vitamin D:

Malabsorption of these nutrients can lead to bone health problems, such as osteoporosis and increased fracture risk.

• Vitamin A:

Damage to the intestines and inflammation can impair vitamin A absorption, affecting immune function, eyesight, and skin health.

• Magnesium and Zinc:

Inflammation and diarrhea can lead to losses of magnesium and zinc, which are essential for various physiological processes.

Read:

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7 Day Meal Plan For Crohn’s Disease: 1000 kcal

Although a 1000 Kcal 7-day meal plan for Crohn’s disease may look insufficient, especially for a person who has already lost weight due to Crohn’s disease.

However, it can be a starting point and once you are able to tolerate 1000 kcal per day, you can switch to 1200 or 1500 Kcal per day as mentioned below.

Here is a 7-day meal plan for Crohn’s disease day-wise and then a summary is given at the end:

Day 1 of a 7-day meal plan for Crohn’s disease:

Day 1	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Monday	Breakfast	Quinoa Breakfast Bowl	220
	Snack	Greek Yogurt with Berries	190
	Lunch	Lentil Soup with Rice	350
	Snack	Rice cake	120
	Dinner	Grilled Turkey Wrap	220

 

Day 2	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Tuesday	Breakfast	Vegetable Omelet	150
	Snack	½ cup strawberries	120
	Lunch	Baked chicken + mashed sweet potato	370
	Snack	French toast	120
	Dinner	Stuffed chicken breast	250

 

Day 3	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Wednesday	Breakfast	Greek Yogurt Parfait	210
	Snack	1 medium mango	90
	Lunch	Baked Salmon with Quinoa	390
	Snack	Banana bread	120
	Dinner	Stir-fry shrimps	300

 

Day 4	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Thursday	Breakfast	Avocado bread + scrambled eggs	280
	Snack	Sliced (peeled) apple	60
	Lunch	Vegetable rice with roasted turkey	320
	Snack	Carrot Sticks with Hummus	80
	Dinner	Fresh veggies and tuna salad with olive oil	350

 

Day 5	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Friday	Breakfast	Spinach omelet with bread	250
	Snack	2 Bananas	120
	Lunch	Baked salmon with fruit salsa	290
	Snack	Mango + yogurt smoothie	120
	Dinner	Grilled zucchini with guacamole	320

 

Day 6	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Saturday	Breakfast	Banana and rice pudding	190
	Snack	Baked sweet potato	100
	Lunch	Tofu and quinoa salad	280
	Snack	1 cup Pineapple chunks	120
	Dinner	Vegetable tortilla wrap with tahini sauce	350

 

Day 7	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Sunday	Breakfast	Chia Seed Pudding	170
	Snack	Greek yogurt bowl	120
	Lunch	Turkey meatballs with tortilla	310
	Snack	Caramelized banana	90
	Dinner	Spinach pasta	340

 

Day	Breakfast	Snack	Lunch	Snack	Dinner	Total Calories
Monday	Quinoa Breakfast Bowl 220 kcal	Greek Yogurt with Berries 190 kcal	Lentil Soup with Rice 350 kcal	Rice cake 120 kcal	Grilled Turkey Wrap 220 kcal	1000 kcal
Tuesday	Vegetable Omelet 150 kcal	½ cup strawberries 120 kcal	Baked chicken + mashed sweet potato 370 kcal	French toast 120 kcal	Stuffed chicken breast 250 kcal	1030 kcal
Wednesday	Greek Yogurt Parfait 210 kcal	1 medium mango 90 kcal	Baked Salmon with Quinoa 390 kcal	Banana bread 120 kcal	Stir-fry shrimps 300 kcal	1000 kcal
Thursday	Avocado bread + scrambled eggs 280 kcal	Sliced (peeled) apple 60 kcal	Vegetable rice with roasted turkey 320 kcal	Carrot Sticks with Hummus 80 kcal	Fresh veggies and tuna salad with olive oil 350 kcal	1090 kcal
Friday	Spinach omelet with bread 250 kcal	2 Bananas 120 kcal	Baked salmon with fruit salsa 290 kcal	Mango + yogurt smoothie 120 kcal	Grilled zucchini with guacamole 320kcal	1010 kcal
Saturday	Banana and rice pudding 190 kcal	Baked sweet potato 100 kcal	Tofu and quinoa salad 280 kcal	1 cup Pineapple chunks 120 kcal	Vegetable tortilla wrap with tahini sauce 350 kcal	1040 kcal
Sunday	Chia Seed Pudding 170 kcal	Greek yogurt bowl 120 kcal	Turkey meatballs with tortilla 310 kcal	Caramelized banana 90 kcal	Spinach pasta 340 kcal	1030

 

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7 Day Meal Plan For Crohn’s Disease: 1500 kcal

1500 kcal per day 7-day meal plan for Crohn’s disease is probably best for underweight individuals with Crohn’s disease and those who are losing weight.

It is best to start slowly from a 1000 Kcal diet plan as mentioned above and gradually increase your intake when you are able to tolerate more.

Day 1	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Monday	Breakfast	Strawberry and chia seed smoothie	190
	Snack	Figs (4) + Dates (4) + almonds (6)	220
	Lunch	Avocado soup with gingerbread +  pineapple chunks	430
	Snack	Almond butter banana (2)	210
	Dinner	Chicken oats bowl	250

 

Day 2	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Tuesday	Breakfast	Amaranth porridge with walnuts and honey	260
	Snack	Carrot sticks with hummus	130
	Lunch	Spinach soup with thyme roasted veggies and garlic bread	450
	Snack	Honey-glazed roasted pears	200
	Dinner	Chicken and lettuce tortilla wrap + strawberry juice	390

 

Day 3	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Wednesday	Breakfast	Egg muffins (2) + milkshake	340
	Snack	Pumpkin smoothie	120
	Lunch	Vegetable spaghetti with tomato sauce	380
	Snack	Banana bread slices with fruit jam	240
	Dinner	Avocado and tuna salad	320

 

Day 4	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Thursday	Breakfast	Banana pancakes	210
	Snack	Mango and avocado salad	250
	Lunch	Roasted chicken breast with baked kale	340
	Snack	Popcorn bowl	150
	Dinner	Zucchini noodles + pineapple juice	420

 

Day 5	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Friday	Breakfast	Cheese omelet + Blueberry smoothie	290
	Snack	Watermelon chunks	120
	Lunch	Baked cod with tahini sauce	380
	Snack	Oatmeal waffles	220
	Dinner	Egg and chicken sandwich + veggie salad	390

 

Day 6	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Saturday	Breakfast	Zucchini omelet with bread	280
	Snack	Papaya smoothie	140
	Lunch	Vegetable rice with baked turkey	410
	Snack	Mixed nuts with raisins	220
	Dinner	Mushroom and oats risotto	390

 

Day 7	Meal	Food Item	Calories (Kcal)
Sunday	Breakfast	Avocado toast with 1 cup of fat-free milk	270
	Snack	Spinach, cucumber, and pear smoothie	150
	Lunch	Grilled chicken with acorn squash	440
	Snack	Mango Ice-cream	200
	Dinner	Vegetable macaroni	370

 

Day	Breakfast	Snack	Lunch	Snack	Dinner	Total Calories
Monday	Strawberry and chia seed smoothie 190 kcal	Figs (4) + Dates (4) + almonds (6) 220 kcal	Avocado soup with gingerbread +  pineapple chunks 430 kcal	Almond butter banana (2) 210 kcal	Chicken oats bowl 250 kcal	1450 kcal
Tuesday	Amaranth porridge with walnuts and honey 260 kcal	Carrot sticks with hummus 130 kcal	Spinach soup with thyme roasted veggies and garlic bread 450 kcal	Honey-glazed roasted pears 200 kcal	Chicken and lettuce tortilla wrap + strawberry juice 390 kcal	1430 kcal
Wednesday	Egg muffins (2) + milkshake 340 kcal	Pumpkin smoothie 120 kcal	Vegetable spaghetti with tomato sauce 380 kcal	Banana bread slices with fruit jam 240 kcal	Avocado and tuna salad 320 kcal	1400 kcal
Thursday	Banana pancakes 210 kcal	Mango and avocado salad 250 kcal	Roasted chicken breast with baked kale 340 kcal	Popcorn bowl 150 kcal	Zucchini noodles + pineapple juice 420 kcal	1370 kcal
Friday	Cheese omelet + Blueberry smoothie 290 kcal	Watermelon chunks 120 kcal	Baked cod with tahini sauce 380 kcal	Oatmeal waffles 220 kcal	Egg and chicken sandwich + veggie salad 390 kcal	1400 kcal
Saturday	Zucchini omelet with bread 280 kcal	Papaya smoothie 140 kcal	Vegetable rice with baked turkey 410 kcal	Mixed nuts with raisins 220 kcal	Mushroom and oats risotto 390 kcal	1440 kcal
Sunday	Avocado toast with 1 cup of fat-free milk  270 kcal	Spinach, cucumber, and pear smoothie 150 kcal	Grilled chicken with acorn squash 440 kcal	Mango Ice-cream 200 kcal	Vegetable macaroni 370 kcal	1430 kcal

In Summary:

Diet plays an important part in healing your gut. The two plans are formulated to provide 1000 Kcal per day and 1500 kcal per day.

One may start slowly from 1000 kcal per day and gradually increase the caloric intake to 1500 kcal per day.

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