Vegetarian w/Ulcerative Colitis

[forum contributor]

Hi, everybody - newbie here!

Now, this is a pain in the butt - pun intended!

I'm a vegetarian who was (finally) diagnosed with UC this past August. I don't eat any kind of meat (I'm a lacto-vegetarian, so eggs are out, too). I've tried tofu, but I really didn't like that! I've since found Veggie Patch foods and do like those.

Here are my questions: Are any of you vegetarians/vegans? What do you eat that doesn't kill your stomach?

I found Planters Nut-rition... and although I LOVE that mix of nuts, that mix does NOT love me back! It totally killed my stomach.

I love fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, popcorn, nuts... stuff that vegetarians are supposed to eat, but people with UC can't.

Any help that anyone, veg or not, can give is much appreciated!!!

[kello82]

hey santos!
sorry im not a vegetarian but i saw that no one else has answered so i figured i would try!

i would suggest tofu, have you looked up different recepies for the tofu? my friend is a vegetarian and she said she bakes it with cumin and its tasty. i have no clue, but sounds kinda good!
what about beans? i have had chili with beans in it before and my belly has done ok.

sorry i dont have much advice. just a few thoughts. good luck!

[MsSickandTired]

i'm not a vegetarian, either, but i do cook for vegetarians... have you tried TVP? (textured vegetable protein - made from soy)... it's dry, you can buy it in most bulk and health food stores. when re-hydrated, it has a texture similar to ground beef and you can use it in chilis, tacos, salads, etc...

also, try grains like quinoa and bulgur. i'm a big fan of quinoa.

maybe give tofu another try... there are lots of textures and flavour varieties available. use soft or silken tofu in smoothies and shakes. the firmer varieties are great for stir fries and pastas... since tofu is so bland, it will soak up the flavours from the other ingredients in the dish...

if you do dairy - eat yogurts and cheeses.

...that's all that comes to mind right now. if i have any other ideas, i'll post 'em!

-sharon

[forum contributor]

Hey Kello and MsSickandTired ~

Thank you both for your help! I do eat some TVP (Veggie Patch) and it's pretty good. I will definitely try your suggestions!

[shootingstar]

I've been trying out recipes from a ton of vegan cookbooks lately as I've cut out dairy, eggs among other things. I've found some really yummy recipes in Eat Drink and Be Vegan (some great pasta recipes, cashew ginger tofu) as well as Veganomican and reFresh (great salads & dressings, marinated tofu, etc)

Have you tried any nut butters? (almond, cashew, sunflower seed etc) Same benefit from the buts, but without the sharp pointy pieces.

I didn't like tofu for a long time either (I've recently converted after making some yummy recipes), have you tried tempeh? Also soy but created in a different way and has a different texture.

Hope this helps!

[My Butt Hurts]

Hey santos - welcome to the forum. If you google 'low residue diet', you will find a list of fruits and veggies that probably won't bother your belly.
I find that cantalope and honeydew are fine, as are bananas, applesauce, and most canned fruit. I cut the outside off of my strawberries too, so I don't get any off the seeds.
For veggies, asparagus and squash shouldn't bother you. There are more, but I'm not sure right off the top of my head.
Basically, no skins or seeds.

[kello82]

oo i kept forgetting to come back and tell you santos:

ive eaten soy yogurts from Trader Joe's and they are REALLY tasty. i tried them when i started the SCD, but i would eat them even if i wasnt on a certain diet

[forum contributor]

Thanks, everyone - these are all really great ideas, and I will be trying each one!

[TooSick]

I've been a vegetarian for a long time (26 years), but have only recently been diagnosed with Crohn's, so I don't yet know how all my favorite foods affect me. I don't think tofu is giving me any problems, though. It's hard to tell at this point, because I've been eating a lot of different things, many of which I should not be eating, and I'm paying for it! But, before I ate the bad stuff, I was eating tofu, and things were getting better as far as my symptoms.

Tofu is only good when it's prepared well. Plain, raw tofu is tasteless and bland. I was vegetarian for a LONG time before I ever liked tofu. I can give you some ideas on tasty ways to prepare it that might surprise you when you taste how yummy it is! Sometimes I'll make baked tofu and my son will tell me that he doesn't want any. Then, he goes in to the kitchen for something else, sees the baked tofu, takes a piece & eats it, and then he wants MORE!

[dingbat]

Originally Posted by TooSick

Sometimes I'll make baked tofu and my son will tell me that he doesn't want any. Then, he goes in to the kitchen for something else, sees the baked tofu, takes a piece & eats it, and then he wants MORE!

lol aren't kids funny? last night my daughter, who is really fussy about veggies, was eating her meal and commented that the cabbage was really nice and wanted some more. her face dropped when i told her it was leeks.

[TooSick]

LOL dingbat, that is hilarious!!

[forum contributor]

Lots of shout outs, so please bear with me!

MBH - My fridge is loaded with applesauce, so that's a plus! I'll definitely check out the low-residue diets. My only real weakness I see with the whole "don't-eat-the-skin" thing is apples lol

TooSick - I would LOVE some tofu ideas if you're willing to share!
I tried tofu as a substitute in chicken parm, and I couldn't even get the first bite down. Texture is a big thing for me.

Kello - Unfortunately, there aren't any Trader Joe's around me, but my husband and I love to do day trips, so I'm going to print out their locations and if we're near one, I'm stopping!

I'm the worst vegetarian in the world. I love pizza, calzones, grilled cheese, cheese fries... anything with cheese!
And then I'm the worst person w/UC. I eat nuts, apples, salad, carrots... and I pay for it dearly. But does it stop me?

[forum contributor]

Sorry, shootingstar!
I knew I would hit reply too soon...
I don't eat eggs as well, but I do eat dairy. I haven't tried any nut butters... but I think I will. There's a great little health food store near me that I just found (got an egg substitute there recently), so I'm going to go back and see what else they have.
I haven't tried tempeh... have any good recipes?
Thanks!

[Agent X20]

Hi Santos... I've been a vegetarian for 20 years or so, and I've had crohns all that time (and longer). I'M a "bad" veggie too, as I'm not that fond of vegetables. I've had a lot of cheese and stuff in the past, but cut that down a bit now. Regarding tofu, I love it! Basically, I don't like meat-substitutes because I don't like meat, which is why I stopped eating it. But tofu is completely different and you have to marinade it or swamp it with with some sort of tasty sauce. I like sweet and sour sauce, but proper stuff following a recipe out of a chinese cook book (not stuff out of a jar)... I usually cook it up in a wok with some boiled up noodles, green onions, peppers... whatever you fancy.
I also like a lot of pasta, with tomato and/or cheesy sauce... I'd eat that for every meal if I had the chance.
A couple of years ago I made the decision to start eating fish again, mainly for health reasons... this has led to more of a varied diet, but I still don't like to eat a lot of fish

[TooSick]

Here's a link to a fairly basic baked tofu recipe:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Baked-Marinated-Tofu-25663

When I make baked tofu, I just use tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) mixed with a little water (otherwise it comes out too salty). So, you really could leave out any of the other ingredients if you wanted.

Also, I like to cook mine longer than 20 minutes. The longer you cook it, the more chewy it will be. I think I generally bake it for 30-40. You could taste it after 20 minutes and see if you like the consistency. If not, leave it in the oven a while longer. Baking it gives it a really nice consistency...nothing like when it's raw!

I hope that helps get you started at least. I'll find more recipes for you.

EDIT: I wanted to add that I squish most of the water out of my tofu before I make it (they don't in this recipe). Just put the tofu between a couple of plates and put something kinda heavy on top (like a pot or something) for about 15 minutes, then pour the water off.

[panda]

Hi Santos
I've been veggie for 6 years with crohns. Tofu is ok but there's lots of issues with soy products. Many are highly processed & there are issues with soy & estrogen. I'm not totally up on it, but I think it shouldn't be your main source of protein. I eat it occasionally myself but I'm not too fond of it.

I'm sometimes a bad veg too- lots of cheese! But I'm trying to be better. You have to be really good with how much protein you're getting, as well as iron & B12. For iron/B12, lots of greens. Unfortunately, greens can be hard on the stomach & the iron in them is not so easily digested. So a supplement is sometimes necessary. I don't know about UC but my CD affects my B12 absorption so I have to be particularly careful about this.

For protein, I love nuts too. I grind my nuts in a blender & I throw them into anything I'm cooking- pasta, smoothies, patties, sauteed veggies, etc. I also eat lots of almond butter- Maranatha makes a yummy spreadable almond butter that doesn't separate like alot of other natural nut butters. Legumes are also fantastic, but remember to get a complete protein you have to combine your legumes (lentils, chickpeas, split peas, black beans) with whole grains (brown rice, millet, quinoa, etc). Some legumes (lentils, split peas) are easier to digest than other (chickpeas). Beans can be hard on the tummy too, so good to mash them into hummus or bean patties or sauces.

My two favourite veggie cookbooks are Viva le Vegan & 500 Greatest-Ever Vegetarian Recipes by Valerie Ferguson. The first one has really simple, family-friendly recipes. A great intro to healthy veggie cooking & what I love about it is that all her recipes use similar ingredients so you're not constantly shopping for stuff. I hope that helps you get started! It takes a bit more effort to be a healthy vegetarian, I'm starting to get back into it after several months of bad eating. If you have any questions or are looking for recipe ideas I'd be happy to help!

[panda]

Oh and for anyone who has trouble with dairy...GOAT MILK! I am in love, I can drink milk again

[Lisa5326]

I have been a veg for almost 12 years as well. Yep, love the cheese, LOVE cheese . Something recently that I have fallen in love with is couscous--it is so good and it doesn't take long to prepare and you can add any spice or veg or... whatever you want.

I love baked tofu also, I used to make tofu jerky too, which I love as a snack. Have a dehydrator? I'm not home in Mich till Sunday but I could post it after that. I think it is best seasoned and fried up in a wok with soy sauce, rice vinegar and a little oil. Tempeh i have done the same as well. Actually haven't had any of these but couscous since I started getting symptoms, actually so not sure how it affects me now. And of course I am not fully diagnosed yet....boo.

I also have kept a food journal for about 2 months now and the only things I have narrowed down to definitely bothering me are pistachios and any spicy anything, which is sad, cause I LOVE spicy. But I probably need to look closer at trends...

I love mashed potatoes, with cheese, it's a 'feeling sick' and any day food. Also sweet potato cooked in the microwave with spray butter, haha, love me some spray butter (zero calories!). I also really love MorningStar chik patties, they rock. Kind of a ramble, hope it helps...somehow!

[forum contributor]

Thanks, Lisa!
That definitely helps. Do/did people treat you weird for being a veg? After 5 years, I still get strange looks and questions. Whatever.
I looooooooooooove cheese. I looooooooooooove mashed potatoes!
Last night I had... omg... I can't think of the brand!!! It's not Morning Star... now this is going to annoy me. Green package. Chik'n nuggets. SOB!!!!

[Lisa5326]

Yeah still get weirdness from people, lots of "Lisa loves bacon" (which I did!) or Lisa want some chicken? want to go to Ribs R us? or at work people watching me what I am eating, asking questions, making a big deal out of it...you would think it would get old! Apparently it is fascinating to them, haha.

This the one? It's green ?

[DanSJVDavis]

Yeah, Morning Star's one of the biggun's. I tried some of it when I was working in the Kroger Produce Department. Some of the fake stuff's okay, some...not so much. The veggie patties aren't bad, neither is some of the processed fake chicken stuff. veggie hot dogs just kinda taste vile to me. There was a fake beef and gravy, IIRC that didn't taste too bad either. I figure, any veggie that's ground fine might be okay. I tend to drink V8 from time to time, when I feel I'm not getting enough veggies, or I'll make my own juice.

[forum contributor]

Veggie Patch! That's what I was trying to remember.

Just found out the hard way that I can't have green beans.

[forum contributor]

You idiot. Don't spam my thread!!! Turd.

[forum contributor]

LOL damn it!!!

[imisspopcorn]

I almost PM'd you when I saw it. Stupid spammers!!