Looking for dishes that won't upset your gastrointestinal tract? If you have ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory condition of the large intestine, that's not always easy. Try the following recipes for wholesome, homey dishes that won't worsen your symptoms…

For women with ulcerative colitis, planning meals can be a difficult chore. This inflammatory condition, which causes sores in the large intestine, can bring on abdominal discomfort, bleeding and diarrhea. It usually occurs in people ages 15 through 30, although older people also can be affected, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC).

Foods don't cause ulcerative colitis, but many patients find that eating certain ingredients can exacerbate the condition. Dietary recommendations for the disease include having frequent small meals instead of large ones and avoiding carbonated beverages, hot spices and high-fiber foods, the NDDIC says.

But different patients are sensitive to different foods, and there's a long list of items that may or may not worsen symptoms.

"There really isn't any research to prove which foods are helpful or harmful to women with ulcerative colitis," says David Jacob Kaufman, D.O.,^[1] an internist and gastroenterologist affiliated with Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Irvine, Calif. "What bothers one woman may not bother another."

Here are some foods that may exacerbate symptoms in patients:

Alcohol and caffeine
Milk and dairy products (because many people who have UC are also lactose-intolerant)
Whole grains
Legumes (beans and peas)
Dried fruits
Berries or anything with small seeds
Nuts
Raw vegetables
Fibrous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage
Corn and mushrooms, which can be difficult to digest
Foods containing sulfates (as preservatives)
Fatty meats
Acidic foods, including citrus
Spicy peppers and hot sauce
Whole herbs and spices (some patients substitute finely chopped or powdered spices)
Products containing sorbitol and other sugar alcohols, used to sweeten sugarless products

Despite these potential restrictions, a healthy diet is important, because ulcerative colitis can lead to nutritional deficiencies, Dr. Kaufman says. You may have to discover through trial and error if some foods increase gastrointestinal distress.

So how can you prepare wholesome meals while avoiding foods that could aggravate ulcerative colitis? Try the following recipes, which are free of dairy, citrus, grains and other ingredients that could prompt a flare-up of symptoms.

Items that you might be sensitive to are marked as optional. (Of course, if any of the other ingredients cause problems for you, leave them out.)