The list of functions of the human pancreas includes the production of most digestive enzymes, without which the normal course of the vital processes of the gastrointestinal tract is impossible, as is the synthesis of insulin. When a malfunction occurs in the work of this organ, pancreatitis develops. This disease is inflammation of the pancreas, usually caused by stopping the normal excretion of enzymes.
Peculiarities of nutrition in acute and chronic pancreatitis
In the absence of pathologies in the body, enzymes enter the intestine, but due to pancreatitis, they remain inside this organ, gradually starting to corrode its inner shell. Quite often, patients with pancreatitis develop intoxication, as a result of which intestinal particles and residues of enzymes enter the bloodstream. The acute course of the disease usually ends with surgery if the therapy and diet do not give the desired results.
Chronic pancreatitis is usually caused by overeating, alcohol or drug abuse, the use of hormonal or estrogenic drugs, as well as existing diseases of the gallbladder and liver. With two types of this disease, gastroenterologists recommend adhering to a special diet for pancreatitis, which involves drawing up an approximate menu.
Acute pancreatitis: diet menu for the week
In order to normalize the state of the patient's body, the nutritionist prescribes a special nutritional therapy to eliminate swelling and inflammation of the pancreas. In addition to treatment with drugs, short-term fasting is also prescribed, thanks to which surgery can be avoided. In the process of fasting, gastric juice ceases to be produced, and the activity of enzymes also decreases, which will help the damaged organ recover in a few days.
In the first days of such a fast, it is recommended to drink medicinal mineral water without gas, diluted green tea or rosehip broth in small portions several times a day. Drinking helps prevent dehydration, but after finishing your fast, you need to gradually switch to eating. In the presence of acute pancreatitis, a strict diet is followed, the menu for the week should be drawn up by a specialist. The standard 5-day diet includes the following foods:
- dry bread or wheat flour loaf;
- liquid jelly or fruit drinks;
- slimy rice or oatmeal broth;
- liquid mashed potatoes without added oil;
- puree of cereals, such as oatmeal, rice, semolina or buckwheat;
- dry biscuits;
- bread or crackers.
After 6 days, other foods and drinks can be added to the pancreatitis menu. It can be black or green tea sweetened with a little sugar or honey with the addition of milk, beet juice with a little mineral water. The list of allowed meals includes:
- steamed protein omelette;
- curd soufflé;
- minced or minced meat;
- liquid and slimy soups;
- berry or apple mousse and jellies;
- steamed vegetable puree and oil-free puddings.
Sample menu for pancreatitis for a week
The diet for acute pancreatitis should be strict enough, so the patient should adhere to the menu compiled for him for a week. An example of such a diet is presented below, but the exact list of dishes must be agreed with the doctor.
1st day
- Breakfast. Liquid porridge from rice or semolina, a fruit, for example, an orange, pear or apple, a weak tea with the addition of honey.
- Late breakfast. Pumpkin puree, steamed fish or chopped chicken cutlets, rosehip broth.
- Lunch. Fish or beef broth, mashed potatoes, dried white bread, baked apple for dessert.
- Afternoon snack. A small portion of cottage cheese and weak tea with the addition of honey.
- Dinner. Steamed protein omelette, dry white bread, vegetable puree.
2nd day
- Breakfast. Milk oatmeal, jelly or tea (green or black).
- Late breakfast. Apple puree mixed with cottage cheese.
- Lunch. Puree soup made with broccoli or cauliflower, steamed chicken meatballs.
- Afternoon snack. Dry biscuits and green tea.
- Dinner. Rice or ricotta pudding, jelly or tea.
3rd day
- Breakfast. Liquid porridge made from rice, green tea with a dry biscuit.
- Late breakfast. Baked apple with honey or cottage cheese.
- Lunch. Vegetable soup made from cauliflower, potatoes, peas or carrots combined with meatballs, made with dried fruit.
- Afternoon snack. Cottage cheese puree and weak tea.
- Dinner. Lean fish, baked or steamed.
Common recipes
The sample menu may include special recipes recommended for pancreatic pancreatitis. In order to prevent the deterioration of the condition, each of the components of an individual dish must be coordinated with a doctor or nutritionist, who usually recommends preparing specific first and second courses, as well as special sweets.
Pumpkin and carrot puree
To prepare such a puree, you will need 400 grams of pumpkin and two carrots, they need to be peeled and cut into medium cubes. Then the vegetables are cooked in boiling water until they are soft enough. After the end of cooking, the water from the pot can be drained completely or partially to obtain a thinner mass. Using a blender, you need to turn the vegetables into a homogeneous mass and serve.
Fish soup
To prepare a liquid puree, you need to take half a kilo of any lean fish, for example cod, hake, zander or flounder, one and a half liters of water, a teaspoon of butter and 50 ml of milk. The fish fillets are cut into small pieces and boiled in water or vegetable broth until tender. Bring the preheated milk to the boil separately with the melted butter, pour the fish broth and add the fillets, then cook all together for a few minutes.
It is worth remembering that in the acute form of pancreatitis it is strictly forbidden to eat fatty and fried foods, foods that stimulate fermentation in the digestive tract, drinking alcohol, kvass, kefir and carbonated drinks.
Menu for inflammation of the pancreas
When it comes to the pancreatitis diet and exemplary menu, many gastroenterologists recommend adhering to the well-known diet No. 5, which is usually prescribed after the patient's condition has improved in the acute form of the disease. Foods allowed as part of the diet can be safely included in the diet after fasting. Typically, this diet is divided into two phases, each of which is different over time.
In the process of the first stage, you can only take pureed food for two weeks, after it is finished, the patient is transferred to the second less strict menu option, it lasts at least six to eight months. At the first stage, you can eat unsalted liquid dishes with a predominance of carbohydrates, drink fruit drinks, juices, rosehip decoction with the addition of honey or sugar. Fatty, fried or salty foods are strictly prohibited.
After the fifth day of the diet, calories should be gradually increased, but at the same time the fat intake should be limited. From the sixth to the ninth day of this diet, the total calorie content of the foods consumed per day must not exceed 1000 calories. After the tenth, the number of calories can be increased and the patient is transferred to the second dietary option for pancreatitis for a week.
Nutrition for the chronic form of the disease
Pancreatitis often becomes chronic, it is in this case that special diets for pancreatic pancreatitis are more relevant than ever, thanks to which it is possible to completely normalize the state of the gastrointestinal tract. Characteristic seizures periodically occur due to improper nutrition, especially if the list of dishes includes prohibited foods, including boiled eggs, sweets, chocolate, milk, soda and other similar foods. Symptoms of the disease are bloating, noticeable severity after the next meal, frequent vomiting. Quite often, chronic pancreatitis provokes the onset of diabetes mellitus, especially in cases where the patient did not go to the doctor in time and did not start taking special medications.
A dietician or gastroenterologist must necessarily develop a special menu for pancreatitis for a week, which includes light and quickly digestible food. It will be especially useful to drink mineral water without gas for two days, as well as a decoction of wild rose or weak weak tea. It is necessary to switch to a low-calorie diet as soon as possible, prepare meals with a minimum content of fat and carbohydrates. Food intake should be fractional, it is necessary to eat at least 5-6 times a day. The list of products that make up the menu for chronic pancreatitis must include:
- rusks of wheat (purchased or prepared yourself);
- liquid soups of vegetables or cereals;
- baked or boiled meat, including chicken, veal or rabbit;
- steamed lean fish;
- cottage cheese with a low percentage of fat;
- unsalted and low-fat cheeses;
- semi-liquid and liquid cereals;
- vegetable puree and stew;
- baked and grated fruit;
- light jellies, mousses and compotes.
Sample menu and list of forbidden dishes
The menu for chronic pancreatitis in adults and children must certainly be varied, despite the rather strict restrictions, while it is necessary to carefully monitor compliance with the daily routine and eat by the hour. Usually a weekly menu is drawn up by a specialist who also provides the patient with detailed instructions and advice, helps to choose suitable recipes for the dishes and talks about the properties of some products. It is worth paying attention to the approximate menu for pancreatitis, which you can focus on when drawing up your diet:
- Breakfast. Oatmeal with milk, rosehip decoction.
- Second breakfast. Steamed chicken or beef, weak tea.
- Lunch. Cream of carrots and pumpkin, steamed fish and tea.
- Afternoon snack. Cottage cheese for baby food.
- Dinner. Courgette stew with carrots, boiled chicken breast, dried fruit compote.
- Evening meal. A glass of low-fat kefir.
The pancreatic inflammation diet and rough menu involve severe restrictions, as many foods can overstimulate pancreatic secretion and gastric juice production. The list of prohibited products includes:
- fatty meats and fish, smoked meats, sausages and canned food;
- meat and fish broths, as well as mushroom soups;
- cabbage soup, borscht, okroshka;
- fatty dairy products;
- fried and hard-boiled eggs;
- all types of legumes, white cabbage, radishes, onions, garlic, spinach, sorrel, aubergines, peppers and mushrooms;
- bakery products based on butter and flour, sweets, chocolate;
- coffee, strong black tea, cocoa, carbonated drinks.
Recipes for chronic pancreatitis
Nutrition for pancreatic pancreatitis and the correct menu should be selected by a specialist, patients will have to master several new recipes that are ideal for normalizing the digestive tract.
Vegetable puree soup
To prepare it you need an unsweetened yellow or green pepper, 200 g of broccoli and cauliflower, 1 courgette. Cut the vegetables into cubes, add 1. 5 liters of water and cook until soft. Then it is necessary to drain the water and prepare the mashed potatoes with a blender.
Apple Pastila
To make a healthy marshmallow diet, you need 1 kg of apples, diced and peeled, put them in a saucepan, add water and cook. After they are boiled sufficiently, you need to remove the pan from the heat, drain the water and cool the apples. Then they are mashed with a blender, the resulting puree must be squeezed out, and the excess juice poured into a separate container. Then the juice is boiled separately in a saucepan until thickened, add 100 g of liquid honey there and cook until a syrup is obtained. After that, the juice is mixed with mashed potatoes, put the mass on a baking sheet and put in a preheated oven at 120 degrees to dry the marshmallow.
Doctor's recommendations
In most cases, a diet for pancreatitis and adherence to a strict menu for a week gives excellent results, since such a nutritional system has a very mild effect on the internal organs. According to doctors, according to the results of such diets, the work of the pancreas is stabilized, mainly due to a decrease in the concentration of gastric juice. Experts recommend completely eliminating alcohol during treatment and constantly adhering to a balanced and correct diet. In addition to improving the digestive tract, thanks to the menu with inflammation of the pancreas and light food, you can significantly reduce weight and improve the general condition of the body.