Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED): Maintenance Phase (Weeks 13 and beyond)

Crohn's Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED) - Maintenance

Learn more about this diet.
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What Do You Need To Do?

  • Use the tables below to know what foods and drinks are best for you during the Maintenance Phase.
  • Do not eat more than the amounts listed below in a single day.
  • If the food does not list an amount, you can eat as much as you would like.
  • Formula can help meet your nutrition needs.
  • Your dietitian will work with you to find the best balance of foods and formula.
  • Adapted from Nestle’s Modulife resources (www.mymodulife.com).

Weekdays (Monday through Friday)

  • You will stay on Phase 2 of the diet for 5 days in a row each week. This will be Monday through Friday.
  • On these days, you can eat the “Allowed” foods from Phase 2 of the CDED, as well as a few more things listed below in bold.

Maintenance Phase:

More allowed food and drinks: Food and drinks you can eat if you want to.

  • Protein foods
    • 5 ounces or more of fresh chicken breast per day
      • May eat other parts of the chicken. Do not eat skin, wings, or internal organs.
    • 2 eggs per day
    • 1 can of tuna, packed in olive or canola oil, once a week
    • 5 oz per week of fresh seafood, lean fish, or salmon.  Do not eat pre-packed or frozen seafood or fish.
    • 1 serving per day (about 6 oz) of plain, full fat yogurt
    • 0 ounces of red meat is recommended. If you need to eat red meat, limit to 7 ounces of fresh unprocessed lean beef steak once a week.
  • Grains and starchy vegetables
    • 2 fresh potatoes per day (peeled, cooked, cooled to room temperature, then refrigerated until chilled through before eating)
    • White rice
    • Rice noodles without preservatives
    • Rice flour for baking
    • Quinoa
    • ½ sweet potato per day
    • ½ cup of cooked lentils, peas, chickpeas, or beans per day
    • ½ cup of dry oatmeal once a week
    • 2 slices of bread per day (homemade is best) or 1 cup cooked pasta (instead of the 2 slices of bread)
  •  Fruits
    • All fruits and berries, including dried fruits (that are sulfite free)
    • Do not eat fruits on the “Not Allowed” fruits
  • Vegetables
    • All vegetables except vegetables on the “Not Allowed” vegetables list
  • Condiments
    • Oils: olive or canola
    • Spices: salt, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric
    • Fresh herbs: mint, oregano, coriander, rosemary, sage, basil, thyme, dill, parsley
    • Seasonings: onions (all types), garlic, ginger, fresh lemon juice
    • Sweeteners: honey (up to 3 Tablespoons (Tbs) per day), table sugar (up to 3 teaspoons (tsp) per day)
    • Baking soda or baking powder
  • Nuts
    • 6 to 8 almonds or walnuts (unsalted, unroasted, unprocessed) per day
    • 2 Tablespoons raw tahini (with no additives)
  • Drinks
    • Water
    • Sparkling water
    • Herbal teas (slice of lemon, lime, orange, or mint leaves may be added for taste)
    • 1 glass freshly squeezed orange juice per day
    • Chamomile tea
    • 1 cup per day of black coffee or tea (not instant coffee)

Not allowed foods and drinks: Food and drinks you should not eat, except for “free” meals.

  • Protein foods
    • Processed meat including hot dogs, sausages, bacon, ready-made meals
  • Grains and starchy vegetables
    • Frozen doughs (pie shells or pizza)
    • Wheat products (like breakfast cereals, breads, and baked goods of any kind)
    • Baker’s yeast
    • Gluten-free products not listed in Allowed foods
    • Soy products
    • Frozen potatoes
    • All other flours
  • Fruits
    • Persimmon
    • Pomegranate
    • Cactus fruit
    • Passion fruit
  • Vegetables
    • Large amounts of kale
    • Leeks
    • Raw celery
  • Condiments
    • Margarine
    • Sauces
    • Salad dressings
    • Syrups (like maple syrup, corn syrup, and the like)
    • Jam of any kind
    • Artificial sweeteners
    • Mixed spices or spice blends
    • Oil sprays of any kind
  • Drinks
    • All soft drinks
    • Fruit juice
    • Other sweetened beverages
    • Alcoholic beverages
  • Other
    • Canned products
    • Packaged snacks (potato chips, pretzels, popcorn, etc)
    • Candy
    • Chocolate
    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Chewing gum

Weekend Days (Saturday and Sunday)

  • On these days, you can eat foods that are on the “Not Allowed” list at 2 meals of your choice per day.
  • It is important not to overeat foods that are on the “Not Allowed” list.
  • Try to eat a variety of foods on these days, including foods from the  “Recommended” and “Allowed” lists.
  • Homemade food is preferred over frozen or processed foods.

Breakfast may include:

  • Bread
  • Cheese, milk
  • Eggs
  • Pancakes
  • Jam
  • Spreads
  • 1 serving of breakfast cereal with milk

Lunch and Dinner may include:

  • Steak, hamburger, pork, seafood, salmon or tuna, pasta of any kind
  • Dairy products including cheese
  • 1 serving of dessert (home baked cake or cookies) or 1 serving of ice cream
  • Cocoa powder and chocolate may be used for baking

Eating Out: One Meal in a Restaurant = One Weekend Day of Meals

  • One meal per week can be eaten in a restaurant, in exchange for 1 day of your weekend day free meals.
  • This means if you choose to eat a meal at a restaurant, then you must follow the Phase 2 diet on either Saturday or Sunday (like you do on the weekdays).
  • Do not eat fast food as your restaurant meal.

To Learn More About Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED), Review This Resource:

Nutritional Therapy for IBD Recipes

ALERT

Call your child’s doctor, nurse, or clinic if you have any questions or concerns or if your child has special health care needs that were not covered by this information.