What can I eat?? That’s the first question people ask when faced with implementing the IC diet. Things are bad enough…you’ve been told you have a disease that no one knows why you have it, no one knows the cause, no one knows if you will ever get better. Now you also need to watch everything.single.thing you eat??
This sucks.
People give up. They never give the diet a true chance.
So here is a list of IC safe staples you can order and keep your pantry stocked with. This list is focused on taking an elimination diet approach, otherwise, this list would go on and on and on and on.
Because the reality is, you are going to have some foods that work for you but don’t work for someone else with IC. After you try the basic IC diet, the elimination IC diet, for a few weeks (or until your flare is controlled), then you can start experimenting.
First, let’s review the usual offenders. Avoid these, especially when trying to control an IC flare:
- Coffee (regular), tea, soda, and citrus juices including cranberry juice
- Foods and drinks with artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin (Splenda also made my bladder burn, so watch out for it)
- Hot peppers and spicy food
- Certain high potassium foods, like bananas, tomatoes, chocolate (NOOOOOOO!!!!!!), and oranges
- Foods with monosodium glutamate MSG (not just Chinese food! All processed foods are suspicious. Look for sneaky code words like: modified food starch, yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable or plant protein, textured protein, and autolyzed yeast)
- Beer, Red Wine, White Wine, Champagne 😩
- Other sneaky preservatives in processed foods: Sulfites, Citric acid/Ascorbic acid, Nitrates, and BHT/TBHQ
Alright, enough focusing on what we CAN’T have. Let’s talk about eating!! We’ll call this the “No Flare Pantry Basics Plan”:
Nut butters
IC people listen: there is more to life than peanut butter. If it makes you flare, don’t dispair.😜 There are many other much more bladder friendly nut butters out there. Try one!
Find it online:
Cashew butter: Georgia Grinders Cashew Butter
Zinke Orchards Creamy Almond Butter
Organic Sunflower Seed Sunbutter
Grains
IC patients do well with most grains but if you already know you have a gluten intolerance, or even a suspicion that you do, then avoid the links to wheat, rye, barley, and couscous. You’re safest bets will be the rice, corn, and millet. Also, for those with severe gluten intolerance, be careful with oatmeal. There can be some cross-reactions.
Find it online:
Arrowhead Mills Organic Millet
Bobs Red Mill Hull Less Barley
Bobs Red Mill Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour
Condiments & Sauces
We need to cook. We need to season. Here are some bladder-friendly oils, seasonings, and sauces to add to your IC kitchen supplies.
Find it online:
Kirkland Signature Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Tourangelle Walnut | Hazelnut | Avocado Oil 3 Bottle Set
Natures Way Organic Coconut Oil
Coconut Aminos Sauce (substitute for Soy Sauce)
Tin Star Organic Grass Fed Ghee
Ginger People Organic Minced Ginger
Healthworks Organic Tumeric Seasoning
Butternut Mountain Farms Maple Syrup
Kai Stevia (absoloutely best brand of Stevia)
Protein
We need high quality, filling protein in our IC diets. Gotta make that healthy tissue and make sure our bodies stay strong. Here are some great protein choices to stock up on.
Find it online:
Wild Planet Sardines in Olive Oil (bpa-free)
Wild Yellowfin Tuna In Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (additive free)
100% Grass Fed Beef Bone Broth (yay for collagen)
Snacks
If you’re anything like me, snacks make up the bottom of the food pyramid. Though finding IC friendly snacks in a vending machine or 7-11 may seem impossible, there are actually a ton of choices that are surprisingly easy on your tender bladder.
Find it online:
One Potato Two Sweet Potato Chips (only 3 ingredients!)
Garden of Eatin Tortilla Corn ChipsGood Thins Sea Salt Rice Crackers
Dang Family Sticky Rice Chips Original Flavor
SkinnyPop Popcorn Orginial Flavor
Justin’s Almond Butter and Pretzels
GFB Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Bar (no soy or dairy)
Cherryvale Farms Banana Bread Mix (vegan)
Kodiak Cakes Oatmeal Blueberry Flavor
RXBAR Whole Food Protein Bar Apples & Cinnamon
I think this post proves the following: there is plenty to eat on an IC diet. Next time someone newly diagnosed with IC rants about the diet, send them here!
Want more ideas? Here is the most up-to-date IC friendly food list (2012). I hope you’re hungry!
**Disclaimer: NO information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition. See more information here By reading this website, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own health decisions. Do not take anything from any website, including this one, and try it without proper research and medical supervision.
