Nutrition with inflammatory bowel disease (1352)

Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Indeterminate Colitis

Do I need to follow a special diet?

There is no special diet when you have IBD.  It is very important to eat a variety of foods to get a balanced diet.   Include vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean meat and low-fat dairy every day. This will help you get enough calories, protein and nutrients. Use MyPlate as a guide.

Sweets and higher-fat snack foods can be part of the diet, but should be eaten less often and in small portions. 

Stay away from foods that cause discomfort. These foods are different for everyone. 

Your health care provider may recommend one of these diets.  Often the diet is used for a short time. 

Low fiber:  this diet may be used if you have narrowing of your intestine. 
Low lactose:  this diet may be used if you are not able to digest lactose (a sugar found in dairy products) easily.

Calcium and Vitamin D

You will need to make sure that you are taking in enough calcium and vitamin D.  They help to build strong bones and teeth.  Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium.  Supplements may be needed.  If more calcium is needed, it is best to take it in 2 or 3 doses each day.

This shows how much is needed based on age:

1 to 3 years: 700 mg of Calcium and 15 mcg of Vitamin D

4 to 8 years: 1000 mg of Calcium and 15 mcg of Vitamin D

9 to 18 years: 1300 mg of Calcium and 15 mcg of Vitamin D

19 to 30 years: 1000 mg of Calcium and 15 mcg of Vitamin D

Mealtime tips

• Eat three to four servings of dairy each day.
• Add extra milk or cheese to pizza, soups, macaroni and cheese and baked goods.  This will boost calcium. 
• Use juice and foods with added calcium.  
• Calcium food sources include:

Milk, 8 oz - 280-300 mg of Calcium
Yogurt, 8 oz - 350-400 mg of Calcium
Cheese, 1 oz - 175-275 mg of Calcium
Ice cream, ½ cup 88 mg of Calcium
Fortified soy milk 200-300 mg of Calcium
Greens (beet, collard, mustard, spinach) 1/2 cup - 100-180 mg of Calcium

Supplements

Most supplements have 500 to 600 mg of calcium.  They come in both pills and chews.  Some examples are listed below.  Read the Supplement Facts panel to find out how much calcium is in a supplement.  Always make sure to look at the serving size when reading the label.

Viactiv® (chewable) - 650 mg of Calcium and 12.5 mcg of Vitamin D
Tums® Regular Strength - 200 mg of Calcium and no Vitamin D
Calcium carbonate (generic) - 500-600 mg of Calcium and Vitamin D varies on brand

• Take Vitamin D as directed by your healthcare provider.
• If your multivitamin has vitamin D, add that in your total IUs of vitamin D.   
• Check generic brands for the amounts of calcium and vitamin D.

Iron

Iron helps the red blood cells carry oxygen to the body.  It is also needed for growth.  Iron-deficiency anemia is fairly common with IBD.  It makes you tire easily and get sick more often. 

• Beef liver
• Chicken liver
• Hamburger
• Pork
• Venison
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Tuna, salmon, fish

• Cereal bars
• Cream of Wheat
• Oatmeal
• Wheat germ
• Cereals (with 45% or more of total daily value of iron)

Meal tips

• Choose one super and two to three other iron sources daily.
• Vitamin C helps your body use iron.  Drink a 4-ounce glass of orange, cranberry or vitamin C-added juice, or eat a citrus fruit with any super source of iron for the best use of the iron.
• Add foods that are rich in iron to other foods to boost iron intake.  Try adding wheat germ to hamburgers or meatloaf.  Add oatmeal to cookies.

Daily iron needs for children and teens

1 to 3 years - 7 mg
4 to 8 years - 10 mg
9 to 13 years - 8 mg
14 to 18 years - 11 mg (males), 15 mg (females)
19 to 30 years - 8 mg (males), 18 mg (females)