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Improving the Care of Patients with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis through Nutrition
The food list provided is a simplistic overview of the basic requirements of the diet, offering a bird's eye view of restricted and allowed foods. It is not an all-inclusive list of the allowed and restricted foods, nor does it define all the rules of the diet. This list should NOT be used as a guide to following the diet.
The CDED is managed a little differently from the other diets. The CDED is divided into three phases. The first two 6-week phases are grouped together as the Induction Phase, which is used for inducing remission. The first six-week phase of the Induction Phase limits insoluble fiber to prevent bowel obstructions. The second 6-week phase adds back in many of those vegetables by week 10. The Induction Phase is the most important phase of the diet and is required for efficacy. The Maintenance Phase is used after remission is achieved and is intended to sustain that remission. However, the principles of the diet are best represented by the Induction Phase, with the Maintenance Phase opened up to include some foods not recommended in order to promote better long-term compliance if necessary. The published studies to date generally look at the Induction Phase, so the scientific evidence is strongest at this time for the Induction Phase and still in progress for the Maintenance Phase. However, a patient may like to know what the diet might look like long term, so it was decided that the most complete picture would be provided by showing data for both the Induction Phase and the Maintenance Phase separately. The Maintenance Phase requires five contiguous days following the diet as written, then allows for a maximum of two contiguous days (generally weekends) that allow two free meals per day (maximum of four free meals per week), excluding only hot dogs, sausages, soft drinks, luncheon meats, bacon, and frozen dough from those free meals. Those free meals are not included in the table.
Fish | Weeks 1-6: 1 portion lean fish per week |
Red Meat (not processed) | 1 portion of lean steak per week after week 6 (not recommended) |
Wheat/Gluten | 1 slice whole grain bread allowed per day after week 6 |
Corn | Allowed after week 10 |
Oats | 1/2 cup dry oatmeal per week allowed after week 6 (gluten-free oats preferred but not mandatory) |
Rice | Unlimited rice and rice flour or noodles are allowed |
Dried Legumes/Beans | 1/2 cup dry beans/legumes allowed per day after week 6 |
Fresh Legumes/beans (peas, green beans, etc) | Allowed after week 10 |
Starchy Vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips, etc) | Weeks 1-6: Potatoes only allowed |
Nightshades (tomatoes, tomatillos, white potatoes [not sweet potatoes], eggplant, peppers, goji berries, etc) | Weeks 1-6: Tomatoes and Potatoes allowed. |
Honey | Max 3 TBSP per day |
Eggs | Allowed (mandatory: 2 per day) |
Formula (PEN; eg, Boost®, Ensure®, Pediasure®, Modulen IBD®) | Allowed (recommended) |
Poultry | Fresh chicken breast only (mandatory) |
Grains other than wheat, corn, oats, and rice, which are listed separately | Quinoa allowed after week 6 |
Vegetables other than starchy vegetables and nightshades, which are listed separately | Weeks 1-6: Cucumbers, carrot, spinach, lettuce allowed in limited quantities. Onion, garlic, ginger allowed. |
Fruits | Weeks 1-6: Bananas, apples, avocado, strawberries, melon, orange juice in limited quantities, lemon juice (fresh squeezed) as a condiment allowed. |
Nuts | 8 almonds or walnuts allowed per day after week 6. |
Sweeteners other than honey and artificial sweeteners, which are listed separately | Allows refined sugar (4 tsp per day max) |
Fats/Oils | Only olive oil and canola oil allowed |
Seafood other than fish, which is listed separately | Excluded |
Processed Meat | Exclude |
Dairy | Exclude |
Seeds | Exclude |
Artificial Sweeteners | Exclude |
Processed Foods/Preservatives/Artificial Additives | Exclude |
Cocoa | Exclude |
Coffee | Exclude |
Alcohol | Exclude |
Emulsifiers | Exclude |
Fish | One portion of lean fish or other seafood per week, 1 can tuna per week |
Seafood other than fish, which is listed separately | 1 portion of seafood or lean fish per week, 1 can tuna per week |
Red Meat (not processed) | 1 portion of lean steak per week only |
Wheat/Gluten | 2 slices whole grain bread allowed per day (1 cup cooked pasta may be substitued for bread twice per week) |
Corn | Allowed |
Oats | 1/2 cup dry oatmeal allowed per week (gluten-free oats preferred but not mandatory) |
Rice | Unlimited rice and rice flour or noodles are allowed |
Dried Legumes/Beans | 1 1/2 cup dry beans/legumes allowed per day |
Fresh Legumes/beans (peas, green beans, etc) | Allowed |
Starchy Vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips, etc) | Allowed |
Nightshades (tomatoes, tomatillos, white potatoes [not sweet potatoes], eggplant, peppers, goji berries, etc) | Allowed |
Honey | Max 3 TBSP per day (no limit on weekends) |
Eggs | Allowed |
Cocoa | Allowed |
Coffee | Allowed: Black coffee allowed (any coffee allowed on weekends) |
Formula (PEN; eg, Boost®, Ensure®, Pediasure®, Modulen IBD®) | Allowed |
Poultry | Chicken allowed (no wings or skin) |
Grains other than wheat, corn, oats, and rice, which are listed separately | Allows quinoa |
Vegetables other than starchy vegetables and nightshades, which are listed separately | No Leeks, Celery, or Large Amounts of Kale |
Fruits | No persimmons, pomegranate, cactus fruit, passion fruit |
Dairy | 1 yogurt allowed per day (other dairy on weekends) |
Nuts | 8 almonds or walnuts allowed per day |
Sweeteners other than honey and artificial sweeteners, which are listed separately | Allows refined sugar (4 tsp per day max; unlimited on weekends) |
Fats/Oils | Only olive oil and canola oil allowed |
Alcohol | 1 cup of wine or beer allowed on weekends |
Processed Meat | Exclude |
Seeds | Exclude |
Artificial Sweeteners | Exclude |
Processed Foods/Preservatives/Artificial Additives | Exclude |
Emulsifiers | Exclude |
Published Research
View the published research for CDED, including highlighted featured research followed by the complete list.
Research Summaries
View published review articles summarizing the existing research to date on nutritional therapy.
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