As with the other IBD Sirens, salad is a tempting treat that is ultimately a bad idea during a flare. This is another fun counterintuitive Crohn’s diet thing. You always think of a salad as being healthy, right? It isn’t. Even for a healthy person, raw fruits and vegetables are difficult to digest and often cause gas. They are particularly dangerous during a flare though, since roughage and skins can cause blockage, which results in discomfort at best and infection at worst.
So how do you get your fruits and veggies in during a flare? Either cook them carefully or blend them into a juice. Both can still cause issues however. Cooked veggies are easier to digest, but you still need to watch out for skins, seeds, and fibrous bits. So, mashed potatoes are ok, but mashed potatoes with skins are not. Blending or juicing will prevent some of the risks, but you still need to be cautious about skins and seeds. As with all foods during a flare, you have to be careful and responsible.