Pancreatitis Diet Food List (Printable)

Pancreatitis Diet Food List

A strong functional pancreas not only generates insulin, which the system uses to manage blood glucose levels, but it also generates enzymes that assist your body in digesting and utilizing the food you eat.

An inflamed pancreas has a more difficult time digesting fat and cannot absorb as much nourishment as the body needs.

Studies show that approximately 5% of the world’s population has chronic pancreatitis.

The studies further show that approximately 15% of people who have at one time or another experienced acute pancreatitis will most likely have another episode in the future.

If you have recurrent attacks of pancreatitis and continued pain, your healthcare provider may have you experiment with your daily fat intake to see if your symptoms improve.

Approximately 80% of pancreatitis cases are caused by alcohol abuse.

Even though the diet does not cause pancreatitis directly, it can lead to certain conditions associated with the illness, such as gallstones and increased lipid levels.

Pancreatitis Diet and Its Benefits

Pancreatitis Diet Food List – Pancreatitis Diet and Its Benefits

One of the ways to manage pancreatitis is by changing to a pancreatitis diet. The diet helps to prevent chronic attacks and manage the symptoms.

You can commit to the diet for a short or longer period. A pancreatitis diet consists of nutrient-rich foods high in protein and low in fats.

When you follow a pancreatitis diet, you support a body part already operating inadequately.

A good diet is important since a pancreas that fails or has difficulties contributing to insulin regulation can lead to diabetes, among other health issues.

The nutrient-rich pancreatitis diet also helps to prevent malnutrition. If the body lacks essential vitamins, it will experience some health complications.

Poor night vision, for example, occurs due to vitamin A deficiency, while a shortage of vitamin D could lead to osteoporosis.

How Does The Pancreatitis Diet Work?

Some patients feel the need to return to their regular diet after slight improvement, but the danger is a recurrence of the symptoms.

Over time, modifying your eating habits if you suffer from recurrent pancreatitis could keep you hydrated, nourished, and protected.

Your dietary preferences and needs might influence your choice of the pancreatitis diet plan, but generally, there are two management ways of doing it.

If you are experiencing acute pancreatitis symptoms, a restricted diet of easily digestible foods may be beneficial.

If the pancreatitis episode is acute, you might need a restricted pancreatitis diet drawn up by your physician.

Pancreatitis Diet Food List

Each incidence of pancreatitis is different, and so is the appropriate pancreatitis diet plan for every individual suffering from the condition.

However, the following pancreatitis diet food list is standard for acute, chronic, and symptomatic pancreatitis.

Proteins

Proteins

Pancreatitis patients must consume a high protein diet to achieve their objectives. Eat lower-fat animal and plant-based protein sources to include in your pancreatitis diet. The following proteins should appear on your list.

• Whitefish and seafood-cos, haddock
• Canned fish
• Lean cuts of skinless turkey and chicken
• Egg whites

Vegetables

Pancreatitis Diet Food List – Vegetables

According to MedicineNet, vegetables play a huge role in fighting and preventing pancreatitis.

Studies show that 44% of pancreatitis patients who take over four vegetable servings daily have lower chances of developing acute pancreatitis than patients who eat just one vegetable serving a day. The best veggies for a pancreatitis diet include

• Cabbage
• Kale
• Spinach
• Reishi mushroom
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Bok Choy
• Celery
• Sweet potatoes

Grains and Legumes

Grains and Legumes

Grains and legumes are rich in fiber and protein, the two most important nutrients for a pancreatitis patient. Most of the legumes and grains are also low in fat and soluble.

However, you should avoid insoluble greens when picking up your food items for your pancreatitis food list. The ideal grains and legumes are:

• Beans
• Lentils
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Tofu
• Rolled oats
• Couscous
• Steel-cut oats
• Bran
• Farina
• Grits
• Tempeh

Fruits

Fruits are an important part of any diet. They are rich in essential vitamins, fiber, and minerals that every pancreatitis patient needs for recovery or illness management.

Furthermore, they also help prevent many other health issues such as heart diseases, inflammation, cancer, and diabetes, by building a stronger immune system. They are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, and they are high in fiber.

The best fruits to include in your list are:

• Berries
• Red Grapes
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Tangerines
• Apples

Dairy

Milk and other dairy products are great protein sources, but some of them might not be ideal for a pancreatitis patient. If you need to include milk in your diet list, choose the following dairy products:

• Low-fat dairy products
• Soymilk
• Rice milk
• Almond milk
• Greek yogurt
• Cottage cheese

Spices, Herbs, and Condiments

Even with pancreatitis, you can still enjoy favorable food using herbs, spices, and condiments. However, you should avoid dressings rich in fat and sugar, among others.

The herbs, spices, and condiments recommended for a pancreatitis diet are:

• Tarragon
• Basil
• Mint
• Fenugreek
• Capsaicin
• Curcumin
• Asafetida
• Ginger
• Cumin
• Turmeric
• Cinnamon
• Garlic
• Parsley
• Oregano
• Olive leaves
• Licorice root
• Tomato-based sauces

Oils

Essential oils play a huge role as natural remedies for treating various health issues. Pancreatitis patients can also improve their health by incorporating essentials into their diet.

Some oils such as coconut and palm, are high in MCTs (medium-chain triglyceride), which are easily digested by the system and are good for pancreatitis patients.  The ideal oils are:

• Fenugreek oil
• Citrus-based oils
• Frankincense oil
• A blend of vetiver, cypress, and basil oils
• Coriander oil
• Coconut oil
• Palm oil

Drinks

Staying hydrated when you are recovering or managing pancreatitis is very crucial. However, there are drinks and beverages you can include in your diet. The recommended ones are:

• Plain water
• Non-carbonated and sugar-free fruit juice
• Vegetable juice
• Herbal tea
• Decaffeinated coffee
• Fat-free soups and broth
• Nutritional supplement drinks

Snacks

You can also snack on healthy bitings in between meals. However, you should limit the snacks to low-sugar and low-fat bitings. Some of the ones you can include in your diet list are:

• Crackers
• Spelt pretzels
• Air-popped popcorn with no butter or oil
• Sugar-free ice pops
• Low sugar tea biscuits
• Ginger snaps

There you have the full list of the foods you can include in your pancreatitis diet. As with all diet plans, the pancreatitis diet has some foods that you should avoid completely or limit your intake.

Foods to Avoid or Limit

• Alcoholic drinks
• Whole fat milk
• Croissants
• Muffins
• Bagels
• Biscuits
• Doughnuts
• Pastries
• Cakes
• Pies
• Candy
• Cookies
• Brownies
• Shellfish
• Dried fish
• Butter
• Margarine
• Lard
• Ghee
• Vegetable oil
• Cream cheese
• Cheese sauce
• Organ meat
• High-fat meat
• Processed meat products
• Fried fast foods
• Eggs with yolk
• Whole milk ice creams, Milkshakes, pudding, custard, smoothies
• Duck
• Goose
• Lamb
• Coffee
• Nut butter
• Jellies
• Jams
• Preserves
• White corn flour products
• Olives
• Refried beans
• Energy drinks
• Soda

When you go shopping for food items, ensure to check the labels to ascertain that the products do not contain any ingredients that could do more than good to your health.

Final Words

Pancreatitis is a serious, painful, and expensive illness. Eating the wrong foods can make it even more serious.

However, with the correct pancreatitis diet, you can manage the illness and even help to cure it.

All you need to do is be very committed and avoid any foods that negatively affect your health. Click at the bottom of this article for a downloadable pancreatitis diet food list.

Here is the Printable Pancreatitis Diet Food List (PDF)

Here is the List of Printable Foods to Avoid During the Pancreatitis Diet (PDF)

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