4 Summer Treats for People With IBD

Monitoring food closely is a year-round activity for those with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. But summer can be especially tricky.

That’s because summertime tends to involve more events, potlucks, and travel. The food choices in these situations may be challenging for people with IBD, says Adiana Castro, RDN, a registered dietitian specializing in gut health, and owner of Compass Nutrition in New York City.

The social pressure to try new foods or “live a little” by indulging in sugary desserts is another factor, she says. Instead of being a time of community and celebration, summer can turn into irregular eating patterns, a breadth of trigger foods, and anxious moments.

That’s why having reliable, IBD-friendly treats on hand — especially if they can come with you to a cookout — can help you enjoy the summer, with less stress. Here are some to consider.

1. Dairy-Free Frozen Treats

Even if you aren’t lactose intolerant, many frozen treats may contain sugar alcohols like sorbitol and xylitol, which may promote bloating, gas, or diarrhea, Castro says. Some dairy-free options, she says, include:

• Frozen bananas that are sliced and pureed until they have a soft-serve ice cream consistency
• Lactose-free “ice cream” made of oat, coconut, soy, cashew, or lactose free milk
• Fruit-based popsicles or sorbet

“Lower fat and lactose-free options tend to be more gentle on the stomach,” says Castro. “They also reduce digestive load during the summer when someone’s tolerance may already be affected by heat and dehydration.”

2. Fancy Mocktails

Many summer events often involve alcoholic beverages, including craft beers, wine, and cocktails. This can make it easy to overindulge, says Rudolph Bedford, MD, a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

“Although you might be feeling a sense of celebration and want an alcoholic drink to go along with that, this really is an area where you need to be vigilant, because it can raise the risk of [a flare],” says Dr. Bedford. That doesn’t mean you need to skip alcohol altogether, but it’s helpful to pay attention to how much you’re drinking and how it’s affecting you.

One way to cut back is by creating a few mocktail options that look like fancy drinks but don’t include alcohol. Drinking mocktails instead of cocktails, especially if they have healthy ingredients, can promote hydration, says Castro. That’s crucial in the summer for everyone, including those with IBD, she says.

Some helpful ingredients for those with IBD include any herbs or fruits that you know you can tolerate well, says Castro. Some other examples of ingredients that might work for you, she says, include:

• Nonalcoholic liqueur or mixers
• Coconut water
• Herbs like basil, rosemary, and mint
• Cranberry juice
• Tonic water
• Chilled espresso
• Nondairy milks

3. Cooked or Grilled Fruit

Because of that, it’s helpful to have fruit that’s peeled and cooked. Here are several options, according to Castro:

• Fruit skewers that are grilled and can include strawberries, pineapple, halved apricots, and mango wedges
• Baked apples that are cored and peeled, then sprinkled with cinnamon
• Roasted berries, which can be put over lactose-free ice cream
• Grilled peaches, halved and brushed with avocado oil, then put directly on the grill until they’re soft and slightly charred

“These types of treats can help you enjoy fruit in the summer without uncomfortable digestive symptoms that tend to happen with raw fruits when you have IBD,” says Castro.

4. Small Bites of Regular Desserts

If you’re traveling and eating at a restaurant, you might not have your own summer treat options handy. In this case, consider taking just a few bites of a delicious-looking dessert, instead of consuming a full serving, says Bedford.

“Not everyone has the same triggers, so one person with IBD may have symptoms from a sugary treat, while another person with the same condition may not have a problem,” he says. “Taking a little sample can help you find out if there’s an issue.”

If you have a food allergy or severe lactose intolerance, one bite can kick off an immune response or gastrointestinal reaction. But if a food is just considered a trigger because it’s high in fiber, fat or sugar, a very small portion is unlikely to cause symptoms unless you’re in a flare, he says.