Eating a gluten-free diet isn’t a choice for me—it’s a necessity. In 2019, I found out I have ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine. The diagnosis reinforced something I’d known for a long time: Gluten doesn’t agree with me. While this isn’t the case for everyone with UC, avoiding it—along with certain other foods—helps minimize my symptoms, keeps me in remission, and protects my long-term health.
Unfortunately, that means dining can sometimes be bland at best. From ultra-crumbly bread to hard-as-a-rock baked goods, I’ve had my fair share of mediocre gluten-free meals. But life is too short to eat bad food! That’s why I’ve spent hours tinkering in the kitchen and putting my background as a registered dietitian to the test to develop gluten-free, UC-friendly dishes that are convenient, healthy, and satisfying.
UC trigger foods vary from person to person, but spicy foods, red meat, added sugar, nuts, seeds, and certain raw fruits and veggies are among the more common ones—so these dishes are light on those ingredients. With a bit of finesse and creativity, eating a UC-friendly diet can be delicious and nourishing—and these recipes are proof of that. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
