7 Foods To Eat And 7 To Avoid When You Have Crohn's Disease

Okay, here's the bad news. As registered dietitian Kelly Kennedy told Everyday Health, "Crohn's can be super frustrating because there's no one specific diet that works for everyone." Plus, Kennedy pointed out that "the foods that work for you can change over time." With that said, certain foods have a good track record when it comes to helping Crohn's patients get the nutrients they need without exacerbating their symptoms.

Case in point: eggs. They are packed with minerals like calcium, selenium, zinc, and phosphorus (via Keck Medicine of USC). Plus, they contain vitamins E, K, D, and A, as well as several of the B vitamins. But what's especially crucial for someone with Crohn's is eggs have lean protein (via Everyday Health). Why is this important? Well, as the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's website explains, lean sources of protein are usually easier for a Crohn's patient to process. And since malnutrition is a concern for someone managing Crohn's disease, it's essential that a person with this condition eat the right amount of protein every day.

In addition to eggs being a good food choice for Crohn's disease patients, they also might help with cholesterol (via Keck Medicine of USC). Yes, despite concerns about eggs raising cholesterol, more recent data supports that eating eggs can actually increase your body's levels of high-density lipoprotein (aka the good kind of cholesterol). However, before adding more eggs to your diet, you should check with your health care professional.

Animal studies have shown that green tea may be good for inflammation in the colon and thus potentially beneficial for those with Crohn's disease (via Healthline). Although more research — especially research on humans — is needed on green tea's impact on the digestive tract, there is a working theory as to why green tea might be beneficial for Crohn's disease.

Like many plants, green tea contains a substance called polyphenols, according to Healthline. These compounds not only have antioxidant properties but also might have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. In fact, one study concluded that the types of polyphenols in green tea might have a similar impact on inflammation as the medication sulfasalazine, which is prescribed for inflammation in the bowels, according to a study in Frontiers in Immunology. Despite these promising findings, you should still speak with your health care professional before adding more green tea to your diet.

Plant-based meat alternatives have been gaining popularity. Why? Well, despite not containing meat, companies are able to craft something close to foods like steak and burgers (Everyday Health). Does that mean you won't be able to tell the difference between meat and meat alternative products? Truthfully, a great deal of how close they get to fooling your senses depends on the manufacturer. But even if you can detect a difference, plant-based "faux meat" might be worth adding to your diet if you have Crohn's disease.

As Everyday Health notes, red meat and Crohn's disease can be a bad combination. Specifically, traditional steaks, burgers, and other red meat-based foods can cause a Crohn's patient's gastrointestinal tract to become inflamed. And since the GI tract is made up of your stomach and intestines, it's not hard to see why swapping out red meat for plant-based substitutes could help you control your Crohn's symptoms.

Although meat alternatives can be tasty substitutes for some of your favorite foods, they can lack important vitamins found in red meat, like vitamin B12 (via Everyday Health). Now, this doesn't mean they have no nutritional value. In fact, one study found such plant-based products contain important nutrients like iron and folate (via WebMD). However, that same study also concluded it had less vitamin B12 and zinc. Because of this, the study's lead researcher Lisa Harnack recommends reading food labels to make sure you're getting what you want from your meat alternatives.

From cookies to garnishes for fish, almonds are incredibly versatile members of the nut family. As Health explained, "Nuts are an excellent source of good fats, vitamin E, and protein, but digesting them presents an insurmountable challenge to most people with Crohn's. You can get the benefits of nuts without aggravating symptoms by eating nut butters."

Although peanut butter is arguably the best known of the nut butters, almond butter in many ways is healthier. As Medical News Today explains, it has approximately half the sugar (depending on the brand), and more calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous than its peanut cousin's spread. And for someone with Crohn's disease, almond butter can be especially helpful since it packs twice as much fiber as peanut butter, which can aid in keeping you regular. However,  you'll want to stick with smooth varieties, advised Health.

Besides almond butter, almond milk is another product to consider for your Crohn's-friendly diet. According to Health, Crohn's patients are more likely to become lactose intolerant, which can mean missing out on a source of calcium. But as registered dietitian Cynthia Sass pointed out, manufacturers sometimes choose to add calcium as well as vitamin D to almond milk (via Health). Nevertheless, you should compare different brands in order to find one with the most nutrients and least amount of sugar and preservatives.

For some people with Crohn's disease, their condition progresses to where they need to have at least some of their large intestine surgically removed (via Verywell Health). And even if this surgery is successful, living without part or all of your intestine means your body will have a more difficult time taking in water. This, of course, can lead to dehydration and constipation, and while it's important to replenish those lost fluids and electrolytes, you still need to be careful what products you use to do so.

Let's start with one of the most common electrolyte drinks: sports drinks. On the surface, they seem like a good choice since they were designed for athletes (via Verywell Health). Well, like so many manufactured foods, these drinks all have their own formulas, which can include artificial food coloring, caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners. And if you guessed that these are not great for your body if you have an irritable bowel disease like Crohn's, you'd be right. Fortunately, there is a DIY solution.

According to the United Ostomy Association of America, a combination of frozen orange juice, baking soda, salt, water, and white Karo syrup can give you an all-natural, effective drink for replenishing your electrolytes (via Verywell Health). For those unfamiliar with Karo syrup, it's a type of corn syrup that has been used to help with constipation, per Medical News Today.

Bananas can actually help with one of the most common symptoms of Crohn's disease: diarrhea (via Medical News Today). But anyone familiar with the BRAT diet will probably not find this surprising.

Now, don't let the name fool you. The "BRAT" in the BRAT diet has nothing to do with a rude child. It's an acronym for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast and it is used to help with diarrhea, as explained in a study published in StatPearls. The reason bananas are part of this special diet (and might be good for a Crohn's patient's diet plan) is because they have fiber and water. In addition, Crohn's patients can lose electrolytes like potassium during a flare-up involving diarrhea. Fortunately, bananas are an excellent source of not just potassium but also other nutrients like folate and vitamin C. 

Although bananas can help naturally treat Crohn's disease-related diarrhea, that doesn't mean you should stuff yourselves with these appealing fruits (sorry, we couldn't resist a banana pun). As Medical News Today recommends, stick to eating small amounts of banana at a time. 

From miso soup to the infamous tofurky, tofu is a well-known soy product that ranges from silken to super firm in texture (via Health). But even if you're not its biggest fan, you might want to give it another try especially if you have Crohn's disease.

According to the Iowa Clinic, people with irritable bowel diseases, like Crohn's, should stick to lean proteins. And as registered dietitian nutritionist Summer Yule explained to Health, tofu is "a rich source of lean plant-based protein." In fact, certified dietitian nutritionist and registered dietitian Tanya Freirich takes this one step further in her statement to Health, saying,  "Tofu is an excellent source of protein — in fact, it is a rare vegan choice that is a complete source of protein, which means it contains all nine amino acids."

Besides being a good protein choice for individuals with Crohn's, some research has found soy products might help support cognitive function, as well as help manage high cholesterol and decrease the chances of developing coronary heart disease (via Health). However, there are also some concerns regarding soy. One study's findings suggest that soy might raise the odds of developing aggressive prostate cancer. Nevertheless, tofu is rich in a number of minerals, including iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium, so it's worth discussing whether or not it's a good fit for your Crohn's diet plan with your health care professional.