The diet during a crisis of diverticulitis should be done initially only with clear liquids and easily digested, such as broths, soup, fruit juices, coconut water and gelatins.
In this first phase it is necessary to calm the intestine and give only foods that form no or only few stools, so that nothing irritates the part of the intestine affected by the disease. As the symptoms improve, the diet can progress to pasty foods such as purees and boiled eggs, until you get to the consumption of natural, high-fiber foods.
What to eat during the crisis
During the crisis phase, the diet for diverticulitis should have few fibers and only easily digestible foods, such as shelled fruits, fruit juice, cooked vegetables and chicken. Snacks should be made only with boiled juices, boiled fruit or coconut water, and lunch and dinner should have only mild soups and soups.
As the pain subsides and the intestines work better, the diet must progress to foods such as well-cooked white rice, mashed potatoes, noodles, white bread, and no-frosting cookies without filling. At this stage it is also possible to introduce eggs, fish and dairy products, always observing the digestion and whether or not the increase of gas production occurs.
You should be aware that fiber intake should be increased gradually so as not to cause gas or abdominal pain, starting with only one or two cooked fruits or vegetables per day, as well as white bread and light dumplings. After the crisis has passed and the pain symptoms do not arise any more, you can begin to introduce whole-grain breads and flours, and whole grains such as oats and brown rice. Also learn What not to eat at Diverticulitis.
Menu during the Diverticulitis crisis
The following table shows an example with a 3-day diet to soothe the bowel during a diverticulitis crisis.
| Meal | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| Breakfast | Squeezed apple juice + 4 salt water biscuits | Melon juice + 1 slice of white bread with curd | 1 glass of skim milk + 1 slice of white bread with ricotta |
| Morning snack | Coconut water + 1 cooked pear | 1 apple without peel + 1 cup of gelatin | 1 glass of fruit salad |
| Lunch dinner | Potato, carrot and pumpkin soup with shredded cooked chicken + 1 cup of gelatin | Mashed potatoes + boiled chicken with vegetables | White rice + steamed vegetables + 1 small serving of cooked fish |
| Afternoon snack | Juice of watermelon coado + 4 biscuits of water and salt | Coconut water + 2 scrambled eggs | 1 natural yogurt + 4 salt water crackers |
It is also important to remember that in some cases the diverticulitis crisis leads to hospitalization, where the diet will be prescribed by the nutritionist, and it may be necessary for the patient to feed through the vein, so that the intestine can recover more easily from the inflammation.
See which foods to eat and which ones to avoid in diverticulitis:
