The diet during a crisis of diverticulitis should be made initially only with clear and easily digestible liquids, such as broths, soup, fruit juices, coconut water and gelatin.
In this first phase, it is necessary to calm the intestine and give only foods that form no or only a few stools, so that nothing irritates the part of the intestine affected by the disease. As the symptoms improve, the diet may evolve into pasty foods such as purees and hard-boiled eggs, until the consumption of natural, fiber-rich foods.
What to eat during the crisis
During the crisis phase, the diverticulitis diet should be low in fiber and only easily digestible foods, such as shelled fruits, strained fruit juice, cooked vegetables and chicken. Snacks should be made only with strained juices, boiled fruit or coconut water, and lunch and dinner should only have broths and light soups.
As the pain subsides and the intestine starts to work better, the diet should progress to having foods such as well-cooked white rice, mashed potatoes, pasta, white bread and non-fiber, filling-free cookies. At this stage, eggs, fish and dairy products can also be introduced, always observing digestion and whether or not gas production increases.
You need to be aware that fiber intake should be increased gradually so as not to cause gas or abdominal pain, starting with just one or two cooked fruits or vegetables a day, in addition to white bread and light cookies. After the crisis has passed and the pain symptoms no longer appear, you can start introducing whole grain breads and flours, and whole grains like oats and brown rice. Also learn what not to eat in Diverticulitis.
Menu during the Diverticulitis crisis
The following table shows an example with 3 days of diet to calm the intestine during a crisis of diverticulitis.
| Meal | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| Breakfast | Strained apple juice + 4 crackers | 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 peeled apple + 1 bowl of gelatin | 1 glass of fruit salad |
| Lunch dinner | Potato, carrot and pumpkin soup with shredded cooked chicken + 1 bowl of gelatin | Mashed potatoes + chicken cooked with vegetables | White rice + steamed vegetables + 1 small piece of cooked fish |
| Afternoon snack | Strained watermelon juice + 4 crackers | Coconut water + 2 scrambled eggs | 1 plain 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 the patient may need to feed through the vein, so that the intestine can recover more easily from inflammation.
See what foods to eat and what to avoid in diverticulitis:
