The Best Vegetables to Eat for Ulcerative Colitis

Vegetables are packed with nutrition, but they can be hard to incorporate into your diet when you have ulcerative colitis (UC), because certain kinds can irritate the gut — especially during a flare. Still, that doesn’t mean you need to avoid them completely.

Vegetables not only provide essential nutrients but can also contain prebiotics, a type of fiber that helps boost the growth of healthy gut bacteria, says Ryan Warren Mancini, RDN, who specializes in nutrition and counseling for people with gastrointestinal (GI) conditions in private practice in New York.

That said, not all veggies are created equal, and you may tolerate certain cooking methods more than others, particularly when you’re experiencing symptoms.

While every gut is different, many people with UC find they can tolerate a wide range of vegetables when their symptoms are in remission (or they haven’t recently had GI surgery), says Arielle Leben, RD, a member of the inflammatory bowel disease center clinical care team at NYU Langone Health in New York. These may include:

• Shredded carrots
• Butternut squash
• Acorn squash
• Zucchini
• Summer squash
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Green beans
• Asparagus tips

Not all of this produce is right for everyone, and you might find that you can tolerate certain vegetables when you’re symptom-free but not during a flare. UC diets aren’t one size fits all, and vary from person to person, Mancini says.

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage

Depending on how they affect you, you may find that you need to limit them, steer clear of them during flares, or cut them out of your diet completely.

Salads don’t have to be entirely off-limits, Mancini and Leben say. If you find that raw vegetables work for you when you’re not experiencing symptoms, go ahead and enjoy them in quantities you can tolerate.

• Peel them. Vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, turnips, squash, and potatoes have insoluble fiber in their skin, and removing it makes them less irritating to the gut, say Mancini and Leben.
• Cook them until soft. Methods that make veggies tender without the need for too much added fat tend to be best. (Greasy foods can often trigger symptoms.)

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   Try baking, roasting, steaming, or lightly sautéing, Leben says.
• Mash or puree them, if needed. Particularly during a flare, purees and very soft textures can be easier to digest. “Texture changes can help break down fibrous foods and improve tolerance,” says Leben. Try mashing soft-cooked veggies or blending them into soups or smoothies, Mancini says.

The Takeaway

• Vegetables are worth eating if you have ulcerative colitis (UC) because they contain important nutrients.
• It’s important to find options that work with your gut and don’t trigger UC symptoms.
• Soft-textured vegetables that are higher in soluble fiber and lower in insoluble fiber are often more easily tolerated, especially during a flare.

Additional reporting by Abby McCoy.