The Tasty&Healthy™ diet is based on the latest research. It excludes foods that aggravate intestinal inflammation in the most up to date scientific evidence. It encourages avoiding processed and industrialized foods, animal fats, and gluten. Instead, Tasty&Healthy™ focuses on recipes made from fresh, whole foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, rice, gluten-free grains, eggs, poultry, seafood and fish. It offers a wide range of delicious food options to support gut health, and manage Crohn’s disease. It induces clinical remission in 70% of patients with mild-moderate Crohn’s disease and leads to healing
or near healing of the inflammation in the intestine in 40-50%.
• What To Eat
You Can Eat Freely Anything Not Included in
the “To Avoid” List, for example:
The following foods can be consumed without restriction in full flexibility:
Vegetables, fruits, natural fruit
juices, and herbs.
Fresh fish, seafood, and poultry (avoid frozen as it is often processed).
Plain natural yogurt or probiotic yogurt without additives (e.g., fruits, vitamins, flavors).
Eggs (limit to one per day).
Vegetable oils, preferably olive
or canola oil, provided they are not used for deep frying.
Gluten-free grains such as rice, quinoa, buckwheat, gluten-free oats. etc.
Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, green beans, soybeans, etc.
Gluten-free flours made from almond, coconut, oats, buckwheat, chickpeas, lentils, etc.
All types of nuts, including peanuts, almonds, and sesame seeds.
Natural coffee and tea (without flavoring).
Natural spices (additive-free).
Any other unprocessed, additive-free foods not listed in the “avoid” section.
The items shown in the are only examples of the permitted foods.
• What NOT To Eat
Ingredients to Avoid on the
“Tasty&Healthy” Plan
The following foods should be avoided:
Processed and Packaged Foods
Avoid all foods that come from
a box, bottle, can, bag, or package, unless they contain a single
raw ingredient with no additives. Canned foods are strictly forbidden.
Animal Fats
Refrain from consuming meat, milk, and dairy products, except
for plain yogurt.
Deep-Fried Foods
All deep-fried foods should be avoided.
Gluten
Avoid wheat, barley, spelt, and rye. Gluten-free oats are permitted.
Salt, sugar, honey and alcohol
Ideally, these should be avoided, but small amounts may be allowed if necessary.
The Tasty&Healthy™ Maintenance
Nutritional Therapy
The effect of different types of food on intestinal inflammation can vary between individuals. The Tasty&Healthy™ Maintenance Nutritional Therapy Plan allows a personalized approach by gradually reintroducing specific foods every four weeks under the guidance of your medical team. Progress will
be monitored using fecal calprotectin levels which is a sensitive marker of bowel inflammation, aided by blood tests, such as C-reactive protein.
Every four weeks, new food items will be added to your diet, starting with low quantity gluten (mainly whole spelt, barley, rye and oats), followed by milk and dairy. Importantly, also during the maintenance phase you should continue to avoid all processed and packaged foods—anything that comes in a box, bottle, can, bag, or package—except foods containing only a single nutritional ingredient without any added substances listed on the label. Based on your calprotectin test results, your dietitian or medical team will provide tailored guidance for the next steps. This process will also allow you to observe and evaluate how your body responds to different foods (e.g., diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, etc.).
Packaged products, especially industrial bread, often contain artificial additives that should be avoided.
Incorporate calcium-rich foods such as natural yogurt, green vegetables, lentils, beans, oranges, almonds, tahini, whole sesame, nuts, and seeds. If tolerated during the maintenance phase, dairy may also be included. Talk to your dietician if based on your diet you require calcium supplements. Vitamin D levels should be monitored in all individuals with IBD and treat if low.
The Tasty&Healthy™ diet phases
Is the Tasty&Healthy™diet suitable for ulcerative colitis?
The evidence to support one specific diet for reducing inflammation in ulcerative colitis is limited. Nonetheless some food additives in processed food, such as sulphites and emulsifiers, have been shown to aggravate the colitis and a high-fiber diet may be protective. Tasty&Healthy™ diet does not include processed food and rich in fiber and therefore suitable to support medical treatment in ulcerative colitis. Since there is no data to suggest that dairy or gluten are bad for ulcerative colitis, the more flexible maintenance stage of Tasty&Healthy™ may be provided from the outset (i.e. with gluten and dairy).
Is the Tasty&Healthy™diet suitable for patients with celiac disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks the bowel but only when gluten is consumed. The presence of IBD increases also the risk for developing celiac disease. All recipes of the induction stage of the Tasty&HealthyTMdiet do not contain gluten and thus suitable for patients with celiac disease. The advantage of the Tasty&Healthy™ recipes is that they do not include processed ingredients which are common in gluten-free diet and low in animal and trans fat and therefore healthy in general.
Additional Tips for Success
- Consult with a dietitian to ensure a balanced diet.
- In cases of abdominal pain or diarrhea, consult with a dietitian about temporarily reducing insoluble fiber in your diet.
- Try a variety of recipes and meal options to keep your diet diverse for maintaining a balanced and healthy diet. Different types of foods provide a range of fibers, micronutrients, and macronutrients.
- Plan your meals in advance to ensure you have everything you need. Simple preparations, like washing and cutting fruits and vegetables in advance, can make it easier to follow the diet. When healthy food is easily accessible, you’re more likely to eat it.
- Homemade gluten-free breads and buns can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. Simply heat them before eating, and you’ll always have fresh and tasty options.
Your Guide to a Tasty & Healthy Life!
