People withinflammatory bowel disease (IBD)often find themselves wondering what to eat.
Especially if you’re newly diagnosed, you might not realize that better food choices are available.
Fruits that are easier to digest can be helpful additions to the diet.
silkegb / Moments / Getty Images
A diet consisting of many fresh foods is the best way to receive vitamins and minerals.
In fact, it can actually aid your digestion of protein.
Papayas contain an enzyme calledpapainthat breaks down proteins and makes them more available for use by the body.
Floortje / Getty Images
In fact, it’s so effective that this enzyme is used as a meat tenderizer.
Like most fruits, papayas are rich in vitamins, minerals, andantioxidants.
They’re a good source ofpotassium, which is a nutrient that people with IBD may be lacking.
DreamPictures / Shannon Faulk / Getty Images
With IBD, you’re best off choosing bananas with no green left on the skin.
Look for solid yellow or even the beginning of brown spots.
Ripe bananas like these are easier to digest and contain more antioxidants than unripened ones.
Eduardo Barrera / Moment / Getty Images
In the United States, the cantaloupe we often find in the grocery store is actually called a muskmelon.
Cantaloupes should be sliced and eaten when they are properly ripened so that the flesh is not too hard.
To choose a ripe cantaloupe, give the end of the melon a little push.
vanillaechoes / Moments / Getty Images
After it is ripe, store it in the refrigerator.
That’s good news for people with IBD who need nutrient-packed, easily digestible foods in their diet.
True to its name, watermelon has a high water content.
Hydration is key for people with IBD.
Honeydew has a smooth rind and a fleshy, light green interior.
A ripe honeydew has a rind that’s somewhere between creamy white and golden yellow, with no green.
Letting it stand for a few more days after buying it will make for a sweeter taste.
Just don’t let it go too long it can get become overripe and develop an unappetizing texture.
2015;87(6):40-44. doi:10.1080/10942912.2012.709210
Banana.
US Department of Agriculture.
US Department of Agriculture.
2016;12(5):324-329. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2015.12.007
Honeydew.
US Department of Agriculture.
