What a Nutritionist Eats During a Crohn’s Flare
Crohn's DiseaseTaking Control of Crohn’s

What a Nutritionist Eats During a Crohn’s Flare

What a Nutritionist Eats During a Crohn’s Flare
Raisa Penney; Everyday Health
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Updated on January 24, 2026
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After being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), at age 12, Alexa Federico spent years trying to get her symptoms under control. But it wasn’t until she made radical changes to her diet with the help of a functional medicine doctor — a provider who uses nutrition as a key part of managing a condition — that she started to see an improvement.

“It changed everything,” says Federico. “I started to gain weight [back] and feel like my old self again.”

Determined to help other people with Crohn’s better manage their symptoms through diet, Federico became a certified nutritional therapy practitioner and now sees clients via her virtual private practice, Girl in Healing.

“I believe that a nutrient-dense, whole-foods diet is at the foundation of what should be the dietary protocol,” she says. This approach is largely echoed by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, which also advocates for eating a nutrient-rich diet filled with fiber (nuts, whole grains), protein (lean meats, fish, tofu) and fruits and vegetables while in remission.

On typical days, Federico’s meals revolve around simply cooked proteins, such as sautéed ground beef or roasted chicken wings; starches like white rice or a baked sweet potato; small amounts of healthy fats, such as avocado; and cooked vegetables like roasted beets, broccoli, or steamed peas.

During a flare, however, your diet may need to change, because you may not be able to tolerate as many foods as you can when you’re in remission and experiencing few or no symptoms.

 When Federico’s symptoms flare up, she pares back her diet to the essentials and brings in a few extras aimed at helping her feel her best. “These changes have some noticeable effects within the week,” Federico says.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of what Federico eats during a flare.

Fewer High-Fiber Vegetables

Vegetables are typically a big source of fiber in Federico’s diet, but scaling back on the stuff — particularly insoluble fiber, which the body can’t digest — is the first thing she does during a flare.

 “Some people might tolerate really soft cooked veggies, but ones that are really tough and fibrous are the first to cut back on,” she says.

Broccoli and cauliflower, for example, can be hard to digest due to their high fiber content. Try incorporating cooked vegetables that are lower in fiber and less likely to exacerbate symptoms, such as peeled carrots and sweet potatoes, pureed butternut squash, or steamed asparagus tips.

Warm Liquids

“If I’m feeling totally awful and have no energy, I might do a bone broth fast or have 80-percent bone broth with a little meat or rice,” says Federico. “It’s nourishing and satiating; plus, warm liquids are great to lean on when you’re in a flare.”

Relying more on liquids and less on solid food means Federico’s body doesn’t have to work as hard at digesting, “so I can preserve more energy and make fewer trips to the bathroom,” she says.

Soups can be relatively easy to cook, or you can modify store-bought versions — just use a blender to make them easier to digest. Incorporate peeled vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, or your favorite squash varieties. And if you can tolerate some additional fiber, add hearty whole grains like quinoa, farro, or freekeh, which will also increase the protein content.

Hot, caffeine-free herbal teas traditionally used to soothe digestive issues, such as peppermint, ginger, or chamomile, can also be comforting during a flare.

Animal Proteins

Animal proteins satisfy without adding any fiber to the diet, which reduces the potential for gastrointestinal irritation.

 And meat that’s ground or cooked low and slow is preferable, says Federico. “The slow cooking helps break the protein down and do some of the work for your digestive system,” she says.

Protein is crucial for healing inflammation in the gut, and increasing your protein intake can help support tissue healing. The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) recommends that people with active IBD inflammation increase their protein intake to 1.2 to 1.5 grams (g) per kilogram (kg) of body weight (versus 1 g per kg during times of remission).

 To calculate your weight in kg, use an online calculator or divide your weight in pounds by 2.205.

Bland, Well-Tolerated Foods

As her symptoms improve, Federico typically adds back more of the bland solid foods that her system has an easy time digesting. “I’d go to white rice, avocado, and banana,” she says.

These foods — plus others like mashed potatoes made with plant-based dairy, oatmeal, applesauce, plain poultry or fish, and well-cooked eggs — can help tide you over as you heal from the flare.

Alexa Federico’s Easy Bone Broth Recipe

To make Federico’s bone broth, feel free to use bones you threw in the freezer after cooking — from chicken, turkey or beef — or buy some from a farm or butcher.

Chicken and turkey bones yield a milder flavor (like a chicken soup), while beef bones produce a broth that’s richer and more robust. You can even mix bones from different animals.

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 lb of bones, depending on size of pot
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp unrefined sea salt

Other tools

  • Slow cooker
  • Mesh strainer
  • Glass jars

Instructions

  1. Add the bones to your slow cooker. If you’re starting with bones that have not yet been cooked, you may want to roast them first to bring out more flavor.
  2. Add the carrots, onion, and salt and enough filtered water to cover the bones completely.
  3. Cover and turn down to a simmer for 12 to 24 hours. (During the first hour, you may see some foam rise to the top.)
  4. The broth is done when it’s golden brown and has a slightly opaque, cloudy look. Strain the broth and transfer it to glass jars. The broth will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for 6 to 12 months.
  5. To drink, heat individual servings of the broth and transfer it to a mug.

The Takeaway

  • During a Crohn’s disease flare, nutritionist Alexa Federico limits her diet to easily digestible foods to help manage her symptoms.
  • She cuts back on high-fiber vegetables and consumes warm liquids like bone broth to make digestion easier on her body.
  • As her symptoms improve, she increases her intake of bland, well-tolerated staples like white rice, avocado, and banana.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. A Food First Approach: The Power of Nutrition. The Institute for Functional Medicine. August 8, 2025.
  2. What Should I Eat With IBD? Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
  3. Constipated? Why More Fiber Might Not Be the Answer. University Hospitals. March 20, 2024.
  4. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Diet. MyHealth.Alberta.Ca. November 12, 2024.
  5. Low-Fiber Diet. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. August 16, 2023.
  6. Food: Eating With Crohn’s or Colitis. Crohn’s & Colitis UK. February 2023.
  7. The Best Foods for People With Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) to Eat. Oxford Colon Cancer Trust.
  8. Mishra BP et al. Properties and Physiological Effects of Dietary Fiber-Enriched Meat Products: A Review. Frontiers in Nutrition. November 29, 2023.
  9. Protein Cookery. Illinois State Board of Education.
  10. Bischoff SC. ESPEN Guideline on Clinical Nutrition in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Clinical Nutrition. March 2023.
  11. Sick Day Diet for IBD. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. June 2022.
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Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES

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Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988. 

Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.

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Marygrace Taylor

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Marygrace Taylor is an award-winning freelance health and wellness writer with more than 15 years of experience covering topics including women’s health, nutrition, chronic conditions, and preventive medicine. Her work has appeared in top national outlets like Prevention, Parade, Women’s Health, and O, The Oprah Magazine.

She's also the coauthor of three books: Eat Clean, Stay Lean: The Diet, Prevention Mediterranean Table, and Allergy-Friendly Food for Families. She lives in Philadelphia.

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