Top 3 Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Foods for UC

Looking for the top three anti-inflammatory foods you can focus on? A big part of your treatment plan, meals can help manage your ulcerative colitis (UC). Although no foods cause UC, some can aggravate the lining of your stomach to trigger a flare or make symptoms worse. Other foods like fatty fish can soothe your gut, promote healing, and lower inflammation if eaten regularly.

Find out how to prepare fish, fruit, and oats ahead of time to make mealtimes a little faster.

Cold water fatty fish are especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids which help lower inflammation in your body. Fatty fish can include:

• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Tuna
• Herring
• Sardines

Less irritation in your GI tract means lower UC disease activity. If you’re in remission, a diet rich in omega-3 can also help you stay there.

Follow these steps to cook fish:

• Keep fish cold until preparing – refrigerate up to two days or freeze if longer.
• Thaw frozen fish completely before cooking.
• Cook to an internal temperature of 145 F.

To save cooked leftovers, cool completely before refrigerating and store in an airtight container. Eat within three to four days. 

Day 1 Dinner: Spice-rubbed salmon (paprika, thyme, salt, light brown sugar)

Day 2 Lunch: Salmon cakes with rice and wild rice

Day 3 Dinner: Smoked tuna over linguine with crème fraîche, lemon juice, and dill

Studies suggest that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables is tied to less UC activity, but the type matters. Fruits high in insoluble fiber – raw apples with the peels on – can be hard to digest. Instead, remove the skin or stick with soft fruits such as:

• Bananas
• Applesauce
• Soft melons
• Peeled papaya
• Peeled ripe peaches

Wash your fruits before eating, and peel, seed, and remove the pit, if needed. Cooked fruits are not only softer, but easier to digest. To help the insoluble fiber in the fruits pass through your system more smoothly, you can try to:

• Boil them
• Blend them into smoothies raw

Day 1 Breakfast: Ginger blueberry banana turmeric smoothie 
Tip: Add avocado for a creamier texture and more calories.

Day 2 Lunch: Spinach salad with roasted pears, blue cheese, and vinaigrette

Day 3 Dinner: Fruity peach-stuffed pork fillet with rosemary and mixed fruit side salad

High in prebiotics and soluble fiber, oats can help the good bacteria grow in your gut. The good bacteria can also support:

• Healthy mucus to protect your gut lining
• Your bowel movements
• Lower levels of inflammatory bacteria

Although rolled or instant oats might be easier to digest, steel-cut oats have the most insoluble fiber. That’s because they’re whole oats chopped into pieces with steel blades – the least processed kind. If you decide to eat steel-cut oats, be sure to:

• Cook them longer.
• Simmer for at least an hour on low heat.
• Add plenty of liquid.

These tips can make steel-cut oats gentler on your stomach and less likely to irritate your UC.

Day 1 Dinner: Mushroom oat risotto

Day 2 Breakfast: Almond butter chocolate overnight oats

Day 3 Dinner: Butternut squash tomato curry oat groats