MEAT FREE!

Was always the opposite for me- my UC was less symptomatic when I eat plenty of meat- albeit grass fed unprocessed as well as wild fish. The substitutions I had to make to get enough protein without meat tended to flare me up. But we are all different when it comes to what helps or hinders us re. IBD. Ideologically / ethically I would love to never eat meat but my body felt otherwise.

I was a vegetarian at the time I got UC. I don't think that was the reason but since I later discovered gluten is a big problem for my gut I may have aggravated things by eating more bread than was good for me.

I now eat meat because my gut likes it, easy to digest, but only a quarter pound a day (4 oz).
Red meat only twice a week but my GI system LOVES NY Strip, only grass-fed beef and all meat is antibiotic-free, seafood is wild caught (so no antibiotic treatments in pond-fed fish and shrimp.) More expensive but again only 4 oz meat/seafood daily.

i'm the opposite. i feel much better eating the paleo diet as i did as a vegan. my UC symptoms are way less.

I'm a vegan - well at least 95% of the time. I do have meat on occasion. Maybe once a week at most. I can't tolerate dairy so avoid that pretty much completely.

I wouldn't say that I do it because of the UC - I think it's just a more healthy lifestyle overall.

I would say that is much more difficult to avoid meat when flaring. Beans, leafy vegetables, raw fruit seem to give people problems when in a flare.

Interesting about the steak. Meats also do better for me but I have noticed that every time I eat a steak I do quite a bit better. I remember the first time I ate a good big thick steak after having this disease. I had been reading on this forum at the time no red meats, no red meats. I hadn't had a good steak in quite a while and said what the hell and was totally surprised how well I felt afterwards and it continued every single time I ate a steak. Sometimes I think about going Paleo but since I'm doing way better than most I really don't want to restrict my diet severly. I really enjoy some nice red meat on occasion but I still prefer a mix of things, with chicken and turkey outnumbering the other meats.

Good for you! Your experience would seem to coincide with this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1774255/

Im vegan. Was vegetarian at time of diagnosis. You are very, very lucky. I wish it helped my UC.

Not me Madpotter. I get frequent blood work and I'm not anemic. Red meats make my stool more firm but sadly I can't afford to eat steak every day! lol

Thanks everyone for the info... everyones body is different so its all trial and error...

Formyson...your son can eat some veggie burgers...i use olive oil and fry them in a pan with some garlic powder and spices...melt reg cheese or veggie cheese on top...you can add some sauted spinish for iron..

Add peanut butter to his shakes,,,theres the protein and it tastes great...i dont like tofu to much, but thats a good protein.

Try making a veggie chili in the crock pot...with beans,diced tomatoes,tomato paste,garlic,pepper,onion,and veggie crumbles. I saute the veggies and veggie crumbles first then add it to the crock pot...add any spice u like. Try it for a while meat free and see how he feels...good luck :)

Formyson - I'm vegan as well. I rarely do protein supplements..only once in a blue moon will I put pea protein powder in my fruit smoothies. I get more than enough eating a whole foods, plant-based diet. As for high-protein foods, I do eat tofu and/or tempeh usually once or twice a week. I eat beans and peanut butter almost daily. Try soups and salads (if he will eat them), veggie burgers, burritos/tacos, pastas. Quinoa is a great grain (technically a seed) that is very high protein; you can use it like rice. Any meat dish can be made vegan -- lots of recipes online! :)

My daughter was vegetarian from birth. She does much better with meat though it is always grassfed, abx free etc. Odd but whatever works.