Nutrition in Crohn’s Disease
What you eat can help support your overall well-being and ease symptoms, especially during flare-ups.
Two Nutrition Approaches
Non-therapeutic diets
General everyday recommendations
- Not part of a specific treatment
- Supports your overall health and growth
Therapeutic diets
Part of the medical treatment plan
- Shown to reduce inflammation and support healing
- Can lead to remission
- Examples: EEN and CDED
Non-Therapeutic Diet: General Recommendations
Mediterranean diet
- Fresh fruits and vegetables, e.g. berries, peeled apples, spinach, zucchini
- Non-saturated fats, e.g. olive oil, avocado, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, nuts (if tolerated)
- Complex carbohydrates, e.g. oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole-grain bread
- Lean proteins, e.g. chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, lentils
- Limit processed foods and sugar, e.g. fast food, soda, packaged snacks
Therapeutic Diets
EEN: Exclusive Enteral Nutrition
EEN is used as a treatment during a flare-up to bring Crohn’s into remission. In children and teens it is usually the first treatment tried for this.
Taking regular food out of the picture and using only formula calms the inflammation and gives the lining of the bowel a chance to heal.
Exactly why that works isn’t fully understood; changes in the gut bacteria are thought to play a part. Getting enough nutrition and energy while you heal is a second benefit.
- Administered as a drink (formula), or through a nasogastric tube (a small tube gently inserted through the nose into the stomach) if drinking the daily amount isn’t manageable
- Only liquids/formula for several weeks, then solid foods are slowly reintroduced under your medical team’s guidance
CDED: Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet
CDED is another way to bring Crohn’s into remission. It can be combined with a formula/liquid diet as “partial enteral nutrition” (PEN).
Specific foods are excluded or limited, and the diet is structured in phases, your medical team and nutritionist will guide you through which foods are included and how the phases work for your situation.
Nutrition During a Flare-Up
Eating and drinking enough during a flare-up can be difficult. Focus on foods that are easy to digest, high-calorie, and nutrient-rich, your body needs more of them during flare-ups.
✅ What to eat during a flare-up
- White bread
- White rice
- Eggs
- Fish
- Chicken
- Well-cooked vegetables without seeds or skin
- Fruits without seeds or skin (e.g. peeled banana or apple)
⚠️ What to limit or avoid during a flare-up
- Whole grains
- Processed food
- High-fiber vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cabbage)
- Fatty or fried foods (e.g. fried chicken, heavy sauces)
- Spicy foods (if they bother you)
How strict to be depends on how strong your flare is, your medical team or nutritionist can help you find the right balance.
If gaining weight is difficult, your team may suggest supplementary enteral nutrition or high-calorie shakes.
Nutrients To Keep An Eye On
Crohn’s can make it harder for your body to take in iron, vitamin D and vitamin B12, so your team checks these in your routine blood work. If a test shows a real lack, it is corrected medically. Food can support your levels a little, eggs and lentils for iron, oily fish such as salmon for vitamin D, and fish and dairy for vitamin B12, but eating alone is usually not enough to correct a deficiency.