fruits and veggies...tips please!

I haven't posted in a while in here. I'm still without a diagnosis so I feel kind of silly posting somewhere for a condition I probably don't even have, but you guys are always so helpful and are usually going through the same symptoms I am.

Here's my question now...

How do you guys handle fruits and vegetables? They could be fresh, raw, canned, cooked, any way you can think of lol. I have a horrible time with raw fruits and veggies and I'm even having trouble with some cooked veggies. I don't know what to do. I definitely need a multivitamin I've realized because I know I'm not getting the nutrients I need by avoiding most fruits and veggies and then the usual diarrhea I have. Do any of you have this problem or have had this problem? What did you guys do to be able to eat these things if they were a problem for you. I'm looking for any tips or suggestions! I'm even considering trying baby food. Are there "safe" fruits and veggies I could try that maybe I haven't thought of?

Help!

 

I would like to hear what everyone has to say as well.

I have never really been one to eat any vegetables (besides green beans) and have the occasional orange, apple or cantaloupe. None of those seem to bother me too much at least when I'm not having a flare.

I just recently started vitamins back up earlier this week. I take one Centrum Performance with my breakfast. The performance stands means it has Ginseng, Ginkgo and five B vitamins. Which I can definitely use when feeling a bit tired during the day. (didn't mean to make it sound like a commercial, lol).

Hey Closure!

I steam all of my veggies but have found that I still can't really tolerate steamed spinach. I totally can't handle raw lettuce or spinach.

I also juice veggies and fruits so I can try and get all of their nutritional benefits. Juicing ginger helps when you feel a cold coming on =)

When I'm in remission I eat strawberries, cantaloupe, and watermelon but totally stay away from them when flaring. I don't really eat anything from the fruit family raw besides those three things. Actually I stay away from all forms of fruits and veggies when flaring.

Take care of yourself and keep us updated!!

-Emma

Veggies bother me more than fruit....my biggest no no is corn on the cob. Regular frozen corn doesnt hit me to bad but if I eat it off the cob I am in trouble! LOL Oh and onions....big no no on onions!!!!!

I juice my veggies. I have come up with some GREAT juice combinations! A friend of mine got me into juicing and now we both swear by it, it defiantely gives me a boost of energy when I need it most!

well I'm glad, but feel bad, that I'm not alone in this lol.

here's what I can handle sometimes...

mashed potatoes, sometimes baked potatoes or baked fries/tater tots, I don't fry those. potatoes are almost always a "safe" food for me
veggies in like vegetable beef soup, not always chicken noodle though because in some kinds they're kind of big
canned green beans
bananas
applesauce
sometimes artichoke heart pieces in like pasta or something like that cooked

my list of worst offenders...

broccoli...cooked, steamed, mixed in with things, especially raw
salad/lettuce! oh my! I have to avoid that like the plague!
spinach, raw or cooked any way you can think of...even little pieces mixed in food...bad results!
cauliflower
corn! I don't believe my stomach even knows how to digest it!
sometimes even peas
onions
raw green/red peppers
breads with seeds or fruits with seeds...I love strawberries though :-(

that's all I can think of now. the one thing a lot of you have mentioned...cooked carrots. I hate cooked carrots! lol. I'll eat them in soups, but by themselves...yuck! so unless I start forcing myself to eat them I don't think they're an option even though they seem to work for some of you. raw carrots I love though...but pay for it later. hate sweet potatoes and yams too.

I was thinking about juicing...maybe Jack Lalane or whatever his name is will become my new best friend/idol.

so looking at my list...is there some great, digestable, won't make you run to the bathroom vegetable/fruit I just have to try? oh and one that won't make me gag from taste? lol...maybe I'm asking for too much.

back again with more thoughts.

It sounds to me as if you could benefit from going on a lower-residue diet, just to give your bowel a rest and stop it from hurting so much every time you eat. Here are some tips:

Breakfast
* low fibre breakfast cereal, eg. corn flakes. No museli or rolled oats! Add milk / soy milk / rice milk if desired. Cooked semolina is also good, if you want something hot.
* stewed PEELED apples or pears. Puree them if you're really having gut trouble. No berries or skins or anything that has little hard bits in it. You might be able to tolerate a peeled pear - try a segment and see.
* white toast, topped with margarine and chopped banana (yum)

Snack
* a banana, or a tub of plain yoghurt (no fruity bits), or a plain biscuit

Lunch
* Sandwich made with white bread, lean white meat or cheese or plain spread, eg margarine or Vegemite
* A soup made with root vegetables, pureed
* Steamed root vegetables and white rice
* boiled eggs and white toast

Snack
* perhaps a smoothie made with a banana and some milk and yoghurt

Dinner
* lean grilled / steamed chicken or fish.
* Steamed or mashed PEELED root vegetables (pumpkin, turnip, swede, perhaps some zucchini)
* perhaps a slice of avocado

Dessert / supper snack (if desired)
* stewed fruit (pureed if needed) with some custard, plain yoghurt or ice cream.
* piece of toast spread with avocado or tomato paste. You might even be able to tolerate hummus, and that would give you some legume vitamins - try a small bit and see, but don't do this if you have uncontrollable d or gas pains.

You can also have fun hiding vegies in cakes, muffins and slices, e.g.:
* carrot and / or zucchini cake
* pumpkin pie
* carrot muffins
* pumpkin scones
* chocolate and apple cake
* chocolate and beetroot cake

And avoid the grainy and fruity bread. Just stick to white until your gut settles.

Also, you can try mint tea, ginger tea, things like that (*in moderation*). And there's always juice, as others have said.

I hope this helps,

Ivy.

This is my first flare that i'm aware of, since i never had a problem consuming food before. I actually got a list from a nutritionist that listed foods that can cause diarrhea. It's a low residue diet mainly, and i've been doing really well with that. You could probably google it and get the suggestions online. If those are causing you problems, maybe you could try the juicing route to get the nutrients in? I know when i first started adding veggies in my diet for the nutrients, i made sure to get a lot of lean protein as well. It seemed to keep my stools from getting too loose. I have been adding ginger to my diet recently. It seems to calm my stomach tons! I got these bite sized pieces from the health food store and keep them in my purse. I'd seriously consider the low residue diet, like Ivy suggested. I haven't had any problems as long as i stick with it.

Post Edited (Aerosmithkat) : 9/1/2008 11:00:40 PM (GMT-6)

I've never been one to eat many fruits or vegetables. One day I stumbled across a V8 juice called Fusion, and they claim that it contains 2.5 servings of fruits AND 2.5 servings of veggies in every bottle. I tried it, and it didn't upset my stomach like I thought it would. Usually raw fruits or veggies cause some sort of negative reaction in me. I began drinking a bottle of that juice a day. One day someone suggested I get a juicer and make my own juice at home. I've been doing that for a month now, and the homemade juice is much better than the V8. Plus, I put in it what I like (fruits and veggies alike!), and I've been able to find all sorts of great combinations. I'm not suggesting everyone run out and get a juicer, but I do suggest giving f & v juices a try. It might be placebo effect, but I really feel healthier since including f & v in my diet regularly. It hasn't cured any of my ills where my colitis is concerned, but I'm all for anything that helps my general well being.

ps. Closure, you can also grate up various vegetables and put them in rissoles, meatloaf, things like that.

Another thing I do is grate a half a peeled apple and mix it with my breakfast semolina / porridge. The apple means I don't need to use honey or sugar as a sweetener, and it gives me a serve of fruit as well. And because it's grated into tiny pieces and then mixed with a warm cereal, the fruit is easier to digest.

Ivy,

Sorry that I forgot to mention that.  I read the article with great interest, and sure enough my fexofenadine is one of the medicines that loses much of its potency when taken with citrus juices.  Because of that, I take the pill first thing when I wake up, and I won't go for the juice for at least an hour.  Something else to be careful of is that fruit juices can also amplify the effects of other drugs.

Thanks for putting the info out there again. 

well petitarte...just rub it in our faces lol! totally kidding.

athensgirl...your lists sound a lot like mine.

shredded cooked carrots might not be bad when mixed with stuff...glad I'm hearing some other options from everyone. I also do well with mushrooms...actually just had some tonight mixed in with rice...yummy.

can't wait to hear the zucchini pancake recipe. I've recently discovered how much I like zucchini so I'm always looking for new ways to make it.