Don't forget, we are all different with what our bodies can tolerate. I will also depend on what "stage" you are at with your disease. I know there are certain times when i can't eat anything, and especially not a vegetable or fruit.
Your blender can be your best friend. I also have a food processor which i use for meat (we will be discussing meat, in my next blog) My juicer is my other savior when I'm flaring. It may seem like a lot of work, but it will be worth it!! i use a hand blender, no mess and so easy to clean.
My favorite way of getting my veggies is through soup. Depending on how sick i am, will determine what kinds i can eat.For example, if I'm flaring bad, i will not be able to tolerated any soup, unless its clear broth, or pureed soup. Pureed soups are a great way of getting what you need. They are also comforting and soothing for a sick tummy. pureed: Carrot soup, Pumpkin soup, squash soup, parsnip soup, sweet potato soup, and the best part is, you can mix and match any and all of them to make a pureed "veggie soup". I have been known to add spinach to my soups for iron, but adding it just before its time to be pureed. then i know i have not cooked out all the nutrients. I always pull the stems out of the spinach, and i only use baby spinach. its less fibrous, and easier to puree and digest. (you would be surprised at how dishes you can hide spinach in! (parents, i hope your paying attention--trust me-they will never know!
Guidelines to making your pureed veggies soups
The easiest and simplest pureed soup directions i can give you: dice up your veggies of choice and put in a pot. saute them for a few minutes, in a little olive oil. Add enough chicken or veggie stock just to cover the veg. Simmer until the veg is cooked. Use your hand blender to puree the soup. If its too thick, you can thin it out with a little more veggie or chicken stock. season w salt and pepper. i like to add a little honey or maple syrup to my--carrot, squash, parsnip or sweet potato soups. Also cinnamon is natural anti-inflammatory, so use it wherever you can!! ginger is great in carrot soup and can be used as a natural anti-nausea remedy. All of these soups are freezer friendly and I always have some on hand in my freezer, in case i am too weak/tired and sick to cook.
Another quick and easy way of getting some fast and easy veggies is baby food. Keep a few jars in your cupboard. I found the carrots and yams to be my favorite! add a little chicken stock to it and you've got yourself a little bowl of healthy soup! I ate this in the hospital for a few days when they put me on a "puree" diet. Everything the hospital provided was a nasty looking grey or brown color. Was not even sure what it was! so i had a friend bring me a few jars of organic baby food. Worked great!!
Use your blender to puree different vegetables into your pasta sauces or sauces in general. for example, carrots, spinach, onions, cauliflower (easy on the cauliflower--too much can make a person gassy), mushrooms, bell peppers (please see the "safety first salad blog" to learn how to remove the skin off your bell peppers--so they are safe and digestible) zucchini, parsnips, onion, peeled eggplant and more! Use the same method as the pureed soup, but your going to want it a bit thicker, so use less stock. (or you can use tomato juice instead of the stock --if you can tolerate it!) Use these sauces over your favorite noodles, as a pasta dish. I have also used it to make a lasagna. it was delicious! still getting all the nutrients, the veggies are still in there, they are just pureed. Also great to eat over a chicken breast, healthy and delicious. you can eat the purred vegeatbles as a side dish with your meal. The blender does the work, that your intestines are supposed to do, but can't because they are inflamed.
When I'm NOT feeling too sick or flaring too bad, or having excessive amounts of bathroom trips, there are a few veggies and fruits that i can eat, as long as they are prepared correctly. Remember, just because they are safe for ME, doesnt mean they will be for you, or for your child. But, wouldn't hurt too much to try. When you are trying something new, always start with small amounts and work your way up. Here is a list of fruit and veggies that are safe for my tummy:
Veggies
Asparagus - Stems cut off, and well steamed/cooked
Green beans - well steamed/cooked (sometimes they don't agree with me)
Carrots - well steamed/cooked (sometimes they don't agree with me unless pureed)
Green or yellow zucchini - well steamed/cooked
Mushrooms - every once in a while they don't agree with me
Parsnips - treated the same way as carrots
Potato - (cooked obviously, sweet potato too! yum:)
Broccoli Stems only - They have to be peeled down far enough. You will know you have peeled far enough when you see the color change--its a pale greenish white color. I have never had a problem eating this! refer to the picture below to see what i mean. I don't eat the tree part, only the peeled stems.
Fruits
Canned Peaches - They must be the "no sugar added" and NOT in a sugar syrup
Canned Pears - They must be the "no sugar added" and NOT in a sugar syrup
Cantaloupe
Honeydew
Banana
Juicing is another way of getting fruit and veggies into your bodies I have a Juiceman juicer. It was around $300.00. Although i have nothing else to compare it too, as its the first one i have owned or used, it was/is- in my opinion, worth every penny!
My favorite juice to make is Apple/Carrot juice. so good. There are many great juice recipes available online. My favorite wat to do it, is using NO recipe at all! Like everything, juice should be drunk in moderation. Start with small sips, and work your way up. Adding spinach to juices is GREAT. You cannot taste it, but i does make the juice a yucky color. You can even add it to fruit juice in small amounts. Kids wont even know its there. You can make juice in large batches and freeze it too. Even small amounts in an ice cube tray, and then once they are frozen, pop them out and wrap them. That way, when you are not feeling well, you will have some ready to go! Now that brings me to my latest fruit and veggie project!
Popsicles. These are definately the funnest way to get your nutrients! I was tired of paying $8.00 per box of "real fruit" popsicles. So, i decided to make my own! I bought some popsicle tuperware at my local dollar store and they work great! you just need to run some warm water over the outside to edject the delicious treats! I made Orange Pinapple w blackberry (too many seeds--NOT recomended) BUT, i will definately make the orange pineapple again! i Made Blueberry ones the next day. i found some REAL blueberry juice (all natural, no sugar added and NOT from concentrate) on sale for $4.00 for just over a litre! great deal! I made a batch with just that, and they were great. (bet you could hide LOADS of spinach in there parents!!) Tomorrow, i plan to puree some fresh mango into some of that blueberry juice, and make Mango Blueberry popsicles! I bet they will be delicious. NO SUGAR at all!! (except the natural stuff). Also papya and pineapple are known to have healing and anti-inflamatory properties! Not only delicious, but home remedies as well! Popsicles are great for kids, and ANYONE, at any age. Here is a picture of the blueberry ones i made yesturday.
~Sara