Hi ! 

Every month we explore the who, what, where, when and why of an important topic so by the end of the month, you’ll have more information and confidence to make meaningful changes to eat and live better with IBD.

This month’s theme: Root vegetables

OK, root vegetables might not sound exciting… But we promise they are! 

For us, root vegetables are autumn essentials, especially as the crisp November air sweeps the Northeast. And we think they should be on your radar, too! 

Fortunately, there’s no shortage of root vegetables this time of year. You should be able to spot their vivid colors and interesting shapes at farmers’ markets and grocery stores — multicolored carrots, white and purple-topped turnips, red and golden beets, parsnips, rutabagas, radishes, horseradish and celery root.  

Root veggies don’t get their rightful praise. They’re beautiful, satiating, tasty and tolerated by most people with IBD — even while following a low-fiber diet. Colleen frequently recommends them to her patients. Overlooking these wonderful roots or banishing them to the back of your fridge is a mistake! 

For these reasons and more, this month’s theme is root vegetables.

What are root vegetables? 

According to Wikipedia: “Root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans as food.” Depending on where you look, you’ll find different lists for what qualifies as a root veggie. We’re not botanists, so we won’t overcomplicate this. For this month, we will focus on our favorite fall “true root” vegetables:

• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Turnips
• Rutabaga
• Beets

Fiber, Root Veggies & IBD

When you signed up for this newsletter, we asked you to share your #1 struggle as it relates to food and your health. The most popular answers had to do with vegetables — “getting enough vegetables”, “eating vegetables on a low-residue/low-fiber diet”, or something to that nature. 

We get it. Living with IBD often means limiting or avoiding vegetables. Frequently they’re listed as top food triggers for IBD symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, constipation and diarrhea. That’s because many vegetables, especially raw vegetables and those with thick skins, stalks and/or seeds are high in roughage. They can irritate the intestinal tract, worsen symptoms and increase risk for bowel obstruction in at-risk individuals.

However did you know that lots of people with IBD fare well with most cooked root vegetables? That’s because they’re best served roasted, mashed or pureed. Soft and liquid foods are low roughage. When you think about fiber, think in terms of “roughage”. What is the texture of the food when you swallow it? If the food is soft or liquid, it’s low roughage. If it’s tough and coarse, it’s high roughage. These foods practically melt in your mouth.

For more on why fiber is important for IBD, see the Wellness By Food Guide to a Low Fiber Diet for Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis.

Coming up later in the month

Over the next few weeks we’ll share nutritional highlights, prep tips, favorite recipes, and other information about our favorite fall root veggies so you can enjoy and tolerate them as part of your IBD-friendly diet. 

As always, send us your questions and feedback! 

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Did you know that smoothies are one of the simplest and tastiest ways for people with inflammatory bowel disease to consume wholesome foods, including fruits, vegetables and other high-fiber foods, like nuts and seeds EVEN while following a “low-fiber” diet.

Learn everything you ever wanted to know in our book Smoothies to the Rescue!  

Check it out

Do you have a question about these topics, or something else? Just reply with your question to this email and it may appear in an upcoming newsletter.

In good health,

Colleen, Bertina & Scott

This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is in no way intended as medical counseling or medical advice. Results may vary