In Imperfect, and still OK - Nutrition is Trial and Error, Marta reflected on partnering with pediatric IBD patients and their families to find a balance between following dietary "best practices" and holding space for kids and teens to learn and develop their own food autonomy through trial and error. In this follow-up post, Marta expands on how teens can still be OK even when their diet isn't "perfect," and gives some tools and techniques to build and reinforce balanced eating habits that can be sustained for a lifetime.

In this two-post series, ICN Registered Dietitian, Marta, reflects on working with patients with IBD and their families around establishing a balance between following dietary "best practices" while holding some space for kids and teens to learn and develop their own food autonomy through trial and error.

In this post, ICN Registered Dietitians provide an overview of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), including information on what ARFID is (and is not), how it is diagnosed and treated, how prevalent it is and what better recognition of ARFID might mean for the pediatric IBD population. In collaboration with the ICN Social Workers & Psychologists group, ICN RDs share tips on what to do if you are concerned about ARFID.

The Mediterranean Diet (MED) can be helpful for pediatric patients with IBD. It is a way of eating based on traditional cuisines from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The MED has health benefits and can be used for the entire family. In this post ICN Registered Dietitians share an overview of the Mediterranean Diet, list common MED foods and limitations, provide sample menus and a popular MED recipe, and address potential concerns about increasing dietary fiber.

The American Heart Association recommends 25 to 38 grams of dietary fiber from food sources each day to help achieve a healthful diet pattern¹. However, the most recently publicly available National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data suggests Americans consume an average of 16 grams of fiber daily².

Not long ago, a low fiber diet was often recommended for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). It was once thought that consuming foods high in fiber could worsen IBD symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain; for this reason patients were told to avoid high fiber foods. However, recent investigation into the role of fiber in IBD has provided evidence that dietary fiber is beneficial for patients with IBD and should be consumed in adequate amounts.

🍌 What does the evidence say about the role of fiber in IBD?

My name is Maddie and I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease when I was 13 years old. I’ve been a part of the ICN network for almost 8 years, and I transitioned from my role as PAC Co-Chair a year ago. Now I have the opportunity to share my passion project with the ICN community! Introducing: EATS for IBD™

Some people enjoy the tradition of setting a New Year’s resolution. While adding healthy, balanced snacks into your diet sounds like a good goal for most of us, these small meals can help young people with IBD meet their nutritional needs. If solid food is currently part of your/your child's eating plan this list of snack and smoothie recipes, and dietary exceptions may be useful to you.

For all children and teens, bone health is important. The amount of bone tissue in the body is known as bone mass. It keeps growing throughout puberty. By age 20, bones have reached their maximum strength. Ninety percent of bone growth happens before age 20.

Children and teens with IBD may be at risk for low bone density (LBD). Low bone density makes bones weaker. Patients with height delay and patients with low BMI (body mass index) may be at higher risk. Long-term use of corticosteroids is also a risk factor for LBD. Malabsorption of nutrients and active disease contribute to the risk of LBD. Low bone density may lead to osteoporosis and fractures. Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones and can lead to bones becoming thinner and less dense.

Bone density and improving bone health is something to talk to your IBD care team about. Here are some things to consider:

February 6-10, 2023 is Feeding Tube Awareness Week! I think it’s very clever to have something like this because it seems like most people are ashamed or feel insecure when having a feeding tube; it shouldn’t be like that. A feeding tube isn’t an embarrassing thing to have. We should be grateful to have such a thing when we need it, so we don’t get even more sick.

Maddie is joined by pediatric gastroenterologist David Suskind, MD and IBD-specialized dietitian Kim Braly, RD for a podcast about diet, nutrition, the gut microbiome, and how it all relates to Inflammatory Bowel Disease.