As a wife of someone with Crohn's Disease, I've gotten very good at developing Low Residue recipes. But what I wasn't prepared for was a flare that didn't respond well to LR. So I hit the boards in search for high-calorie, low volume foods that worked for other sufferers. The most frustrating thing was not finding any suggestions!
Fear not, caretakers of Crohn's patients, I've got some options for you!
This Coconut Ginger Carrot Soup from About.com is now a staple. It's extremely tasty, easy to make, and full of healthy fat for my skinny husband.
Peanut Butter "Fudge"
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup peanut butter (or any other nut butter)
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 banana, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
Line a small pan with wax paper. Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour into pan and let set in fridge. Cut into small pieces once hardened.
* Make sure to keep this in the fridge unless you are eating it or it will melt!
Honey Carrots
Honey is supposed to be anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, which is a natural way to help treat Crohn's. These carrots are easy and especially perfect if you are suffering around Rosh Hashanah!
Heat your oven to 400 degrees. In a baking dish add chopped carrots, drizzle over olive oil and honey, toss, sprinkle lightly with ground cardamom, salt, and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until soft, stirring up every so often.
Inflamed intestines need well cooked veggies, so be sure to test them before serving. This is a great side dish to a roasted chicken and some potatoes.
Spinach Omelet
1 egg
1/8 - 1/4 cup egg whites (or just use 2 eggs, but the eggwhites keep it light and fluffy)
1 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups of spinach
salt and pepper
olive oil
When Crohn's = bleeding, anemia is always lurking around the corner. Which makes it really important to eat foods high in iron like spinach. This recipe will work unless you are also lactose intolerant.
Crack the egg(s) in a bowl, add the egg whites and milk and whisk until slightly frothy. Heat a pan on medium-low and spray with olive oil. Add egg mixture and swirl around pan, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook and swirl around pan until completely cooked. Remove egg round from pan and set aside. Add olive oil and spinach to pan and cook until wilted. Add spinach to one half moon of the omelet and fold the other side over the spinach.
There is so much you can do here, add mushrooms, a little cheese if tolerated, roasted chicken. Just keep it fairly mild and you'll have a delicious healthy meal on your hands.
I hope this post helps a little for those of you searching for recipes. No doubt it's hard suffering from Crohn's, but being a caretaker is no walk in the park either. Please feel free to leave a comment of foods that your loved one can tolerate and I'd be happy to create some recipes for you.
It's a lot of work picking up the slack and playing nurse, so I tried to keep these recipes pretty simple. A departure from my norm :)
Sending healing thoughts to all that are suffering from an IBD.
<3
