Foods To Avoid
During a flare-up, foods that contain a lot of fiber tend to be difficult to digest for people with inflammatory bowel diseases and gut conditions like ulcerative colitis. Whole grain flour is high in fiber due to the lack of removal of the germ or bran. Eating food made from whole grain flour should be avoided, such as:
- Breads
- Pastas
- Noodles
- Cereals
- Macaroni
Use white bread and pasta made from enriched white flour during flare-ups, unless you are intolerant to gluten. Flour is made “enriched” by removing nutrients during the process of germ removal and bran extraction. Some other fibrous foods that contain a lot less fiber content should also be avoided. These included puffed rice, corn flakes, wheat butter, brown rice, and other whole-grain starches such as quinoa, buckwheat, wild rice, and oats.
These grains contain lower fibers – that can also irritate the gut and may trigger the symptoms. Doctors and dietitians also recommend avoiding these low fiber foods. Examples include plain barley, wheat berries, millet, spelt, and bulgur wheat.