5 Tasty and healthy snacks for people living with Crohn’s disease
02/12/2021 / By Joanne Washburn / Comments
5 Tasty and healthy snacks for people living with Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of your gastrointestinal tract. There are no approved mainstream cures for this condition, but it can go into remission. During remission, a person living with Crohn’s disease may experience very few to no symptoms at all.

Experts still do not fully understand what causes Crohn’s disease. However, studies suggest that eating certain foods can cause flare-ups. During a flare-up, a person could experience abdominal pain and diarrhea.

So if you have Crohn’s disease, snacking can definitely be a challenge most days. Luckily for you, there are plenty of GI-friendly snack options out there, such as smoothies, energy bites and vegetable roll-ups.

If you’re looking for a simple midday snack that won’t trigger a flare-up, look no further than the recipes listed below:

1. Vegan peanut butter banana smoothie

Smoothies are great for when you want to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables but don’t feel like chewing them. This recipe calls for just a banana and organic peanut butter, but you can also use other fruits or add yogurt instead of peanut butter.

Ingredients:

  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1–2 tablespoons organic peanut butter
  • Oat, coconut or almond milk

Preparation:

  1. To a blender, add frozen banana, peanut butter and a few splashes of milk. Blend until smooth.
  2. Pour in more milk if needed to thin out the smoothie. Serve.

2. Gluten-free guacamole cups

Guacamole is rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, thanks to its primary ingredients: avocado and tomato. You can serve these guac cups as a dip for tortilla chips and raw veggie sticks or spread it on your toast for breakfast.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lime
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1/4 onion
  • Handful of cilantro
  • Whole-grain tortilla chips

Preparation:

  1. Mash the avocado with a fork. Dice the tomato, onion and cilantro. Mix these with the avocado.
  2. Squeeze lime over the mixture. Stir well and serve with whole-grain tortilla chips.

3. Easy vegetable soup

There are few things as comforting as a hot bowl of soup. You can use whichever vegetables you prefer for this recipe. You can also add some beans, lentils or even shredded chicken for a bit of protein.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can tomatoes, drained and diced
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2–3 Cups mixed vegetables, diced

Preparation:

  1. To a saucepan, add the broth, tomatoes and vegetables. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
  3. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

4. No-bake energy bites

Pop one of these no-bake energy bites in your mouth if you need a midday pick-me-up. Made with rolled oats, flaxseeds and mixed nuts, these energy bites are incredibly filling. They make for a tasty treat, too.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup ground flaxseeds
  • 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup organic honey
  • Raisins and nuts

Preparation:

  1. In a small bowl, mix the oats, flaxseeds, raisins, nuts, peanut butter and honey.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Take a small spoonful of the mixture and shape it into a ball. Do this with the rest of the mixture.
  4. Place the balls on the baking sheet.
  5. Chill for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Serve once set.

5. Veggie roll-ups

If you’ve got a bit of time on your hands, try making some of these veggie roll-ups. You’ll get fiber from colorful, crunchy veggies and gut-friendly probiotics from yogurt all rolled up into a neat little snack.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups mixed vegetables, chopped
  • 1 cup vegan cream cheese
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
  • Homemade ranch dressing
  • Whole-grain tortillas

Preparation

  1. In a bowl, whisk the cream cheese with yogurt, ranch dressing and dill.
  2. Working with one tortilla at a time, spread about 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture over each tortilla, going all the way to the edge. Divide the vegetables among the tortillas.
  3. Starting at one end of the tortilla, roll towards the center until the filling is tightly wrapped.
  4. Repeat with as many tortillas as you want. Cover each rollup in plastic wrap.
  5. Chill the roll-ups until serving time. To serve, trim the unfilled ends and slice each roll-up into smaller pieces if desired.

If you have Crohn’s disease, try these incredibly tasty snack ideas without having to worry about a possible flare-up. Or, if you’re really pressed for time, grab-and-go snacks like a hard-boiled egg, a piece of fruit, mixed nuts or low-fat yogurt should suffice.

Sources:

MedicalNewsToday.com

CulinaryHill.com

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