7 Breakfast Recipes for People With Crohn’s

1. Jim’s Fluffy Pancakes

Pancakes can be whipped up in a few minutes with this simple recipe or the one that follows. Plus, many pancake recipes don’t require gluten or dairy products.

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups almond flour
• 4 medium eggs
• 4 tbsp honey (optional)
• 2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp butter

The full recipe details can be found here, at No More Crohn’s.

2. Banana and Apple Pancakes

Some people with Crohn’s have trouble digesting gluten and dairy. If that’s the case for you, try this pancake recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 bananas
• 1 apple
• 6 small eggs
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Honey (optional)

For the full recipe details, visit IBD Relief. Note that the recipe doesn’t call for peeling the apple (most of the fiber is in the skin), but you might want to so that it’s easier on your digestion.

3. Banana, Blueberry, and Kale Smoothie

The key to making good smoothies is to have a blender that can process frozen fruit. Many fruits, including bananas, contain lots of vitamins and minerals and are easy to digest. Ripe bananas (which contain both soluble and insoluble fiber) that have been peeled and frozen will make a smoothie rich and creamy, while kale, spinach, and other vegetables add important nutrients. Fresh and frozen blueberries, for example, contain soluble and insoluble fiber. The best choice for Crohn’s disease are soluble fibers, which absorb extra fluid in your gut. Eating foods with this type of fiber will help to form more solid stools, slow gut motility, and decrease inflammation, notes UMass Chan Medical School.

Protein powders may be added, although some are dairy based and should be avoided if lactose is a problem. Coconut oil (gently heated until it’s liquid) is a good addition, as is coconut cream, coconut milk, or even a scoop of smooth nut butter. You can also thicken a smoothie with yogurt, which contains probiotics and plenty of protein.

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• A handful of blueberries
• A handful of kale
• 100 mL coconut milk
• 100 mL water

For the full recipe, visit IBD Relief.

4. Yogurt Parfait With Mixed Berries

Yogurt is a source of probiotics, or good bacteria, which can be especially helpful for someone with Crohn’s, as probiotics aid digestion and help heal the gut. The bacteria also “eat” some of the lactose, which makes this naturally easier to digest for those with lactose intolerance or sensitivity.

Yogurt is also a great source of protein and provides calcium and potassium. Look for plain, unflavored yogurt that contains live, active cultures and no added sugars.

Ingredients

• 4 cups organic yogurt*
• ¼ cup strawberry fruit spread*
• ½ cup frozen blueberries, unthawed
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
• ¼ cup slivered almonds**
• ¼ tsp lemon juice

*Both the yogurt and the fruit spread in this recipe are homemade and sweetened with honey, to adhere to the specific carbohydrate diet. If you use store-bought ingredients, try to select an additive-free fruit spread that has no added sugar and plain yogurt with active, live cultures. Visit Elizabeth M Jacob’s blog for this recipe and other ideas.

**Substitute with a well-tolerated breakfast cereal if nuts irritate your stomach.

5. Overnight Oats

Kennedy says oatmeal is a great breakfast option because oats are high in soluble fiber, which absorbs water and moves slowly through the digestive tract — unlike insoluble fiber, which is difficult to digest and can irritate the bowel. Here’s a breakfast recipe that requires no cooking.

Ingredients

• ½ cup old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup yogurt (optional)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

6. Eggs, Salmon, and Avocado

This quick and easy breakfast recipe from Kennedy is a great source of protein and healthy fats. Both eggs and salmon are high in protein, and the salmon and avocado are high in healthy fats.

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 eggs
• 2 oz salmon, canned in water, drained
• 1/3 avocado, cubed

Scramble eggs and then top with salmon and avocado.

7. Baked Apple

Cooked fruit is easier to digest than raw fruit for people with Crohn’s. Here’s a baked apple recipe from Kennedy.

Ingredients

• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp old-fashioned oats
• 1 tsp brown sugar*
• 1 apple, cored

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the cinnamon, oil, oats, and sugar. Stuff into the apple and bake about 45 minutes, until cooked through. Eat everything but the skin, which is high in fiber and not always well tolerated.

*Omit if it irritates your digestive tract.

Additional reporting by Joanna Broder.