Pancreatitis Diet Food List – Foods To Eat and Foods To Avoid

By | June 18, 2022

pancreatitis diet food listIf you are looking for a pancreatitis diet food list, a list of foods usually safe to eat and foods to avoid when you have pancreatitis, you have found the right article. So keep reading because …

You have found the pancreatitis “HOW TO” site that teaches common sense strategies for pancreas healing. Strategies that when put into action, will help heal your inflamed pancreas. Afterward you’ll feel good again and stay well.

And these strategies can be found all through this site not just this article. That is what you want right?

Who Needs A Pancreatitis Diet Food List?

A pancreatitis diet food list is extremely important in order to avoid the suffering one can be made to endure from a chronic pancreatitis flare or worse an acute pancreatitis attack for simply eating foods that trigger the event. IF your pancreas were undamaged normal food would not be a trigger.

IF this is your first visit to this site please note I have done my best to make this site easy to navigate with all links opening in a different window so you never leave the page you are currently reading. Please take a moment to read the TOS and …

Then visit THIS PANCREATITIS PAGE. Scroll down until you see “5 Powerful, Must Know Pieces Of Knowledge For Beating Pancreatitis” and read it. Then visit and read the other posts as well. Doing so will give you a leg up. Anyway …

Pancreatitis Diet Food List Knowledge Is Power

pancreatitis-knowledgeKnowing what foods are usually safe to eat will help you avoid pain, nausea and vomiting while also helping you to heal the damage that has been done by acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreas inflammation (chronic pancreatitis).

The reason correct knowledge is so powerful is that new discoveries are being made all the time. I had a Word from the Lord several years ago that the pancreas is able to regenerate cells and guess what?

Here is a fairly recent article (3-4 years old) that proves this “Word of Knowledge” I received from the Lord is true! I mean how exciting is that? The CREATOR of all life says it’s possible and science is discovering that it is in fact possible for the pancreas to regenerate damaged cells so …

Is Diet The KEY To Pancreas Cell Regeneration? 

The KEY to pancreas healing is a pancreatitis diet food list

Resolving the pancreas inflammation by eating anti-inflammatory foods, that are low in fat, yet nutrient dense is one of the most imperative courses of action you can take. I believe several necessary steps need to be taken but this article will cover foods and your personal pancreatitis diet food list. 

I will soon give you pancreatitis diet food list examples; foods to eat and foods to avoid when trying to recover and heal from pancreatitis. I don’t mean to bore you with details that may seem unimportant. They aren’t. It is extremely important to understand what a proper pancreatitis diet will do and why you should want to adhere to one.

So, if it’s important to you to stop the pain, nausea and vomiting and heal your pancreas, keep reading and learning.

If you have just suffered a mild acute pancreatitis attack, your doctor has found the cause and has rectified that cause, it is entirely possible (an 80% chance according to medical stats) that you will heal completely and never have another problem BUT …

Unfortunately doctors and dieticians are not the best sources for learning what is safe to eat and what isn’t. They should be the best sources and you’d think they would be yet, I’ve heard some interesting stories from patients who have visited my sites over the years I have been sharing what I know.

Imagine being in the hospital with acute pancreatitis, drugged up and NPO (nothing by mouth). You’re this way for maybe 5-7 days. Then you are told things are fine and you’ll be going home the next day. That evening they bring you dinner to see if you tolerate food.

roasted salmon in butter - pancreatitis diet food listRemember, you have been without food for 5-7 days and they bring you roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, a vegetable, bread and butter.

Or maybe it’s baked salmon swimming in lemon butter, baked potato with butter, sour cream and a nice salad smothered in dressing.

You’re feeling better, maybe even hungry so, you eat that food and …

Within a few minutes to a couple of hours you are vomiting what you ate because even though you were feeling better, no longer needing pain or nausea medications, your pancreas was still NOT happy and healed so …

Rebellion occurs.

Pancreas pain nausea vomitingOR worse you find yourself again in massive pain and vomiting. Your nightmare is beginning all over. Another round of acute pancreatitis. This could all have been avoided with a more conservative approach to introducing solid food back into your diet.

By introducing something easy to digest like vegetable juice or vegetable broth (no meat broth) for one to three days to determine how you tolerate normal feeding again versus no food. But that is just my thinking which I have found via my own experience is correct however …

Most would consider the only test subject, myself, a very small clinical trial. 🙂 

The good news is since I have been beating the drum about proper pancreatitis diet foods I have seen medical sites change their thinking from totally dangerous high fat foods too much safer meal recommendations. It’s like they visit MY site and then put my info on their site but just a tad different so it isn’t outright plagiarism.

For those who are healing after acute pancreatitis or those who want to relieve the symptoms, even heal their pancreas from the damage of chronic pancreatitis this is very good to see. So, some are learning and that is a good thing.

There are two basic enemies (things you can put in your mouth and swallow) for those who suffer with pancreatitis.

One is alcohol (do NOT drink alcohol or consume it in food or medications); The other is fat.

Food is not your friend when you have unresolved pancreas inflammation or have sustained enough pancreas damage to cause chronic pancreatitis. What you put in your mouth and swallow is extremely important so let’s take a look at what is usually safe to eat.

Your Pancreatitis Diet Food List

pancreatitis diet food listThis list will contain foods that are usually safe for most people who have sustained pancreas damage. BUT nothing is perfect. IF it isn’t on the list it isn’t safe to eat.

Like I said earlier food is not your friend when you have pancreatitis. This is a fact you need to keep in mind at all times.

If the food you are thinking of eating is NOT on this safe list I would suggest you avoid it. I would also suggest doing a food diary starting with the proper prep (fast and cleanse).

Keep in mind you can make the following usually safe foods unsafe by preparing them incorrectly. Adding unsafe foods or ingredients (FATS) to them will make them unsafe.

Safe Foods For Your Pancreatitis Diet

you can heal your pancreas with a proper dietFor the average person with an undamaged pancreas, most foods are safe. For those who have sustained damage via acute or chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer this is no longer the case. 

After pancreas damage there are TWO new mantras, catchphrases or jingles we should learn and those are:

1) “Food Is Not My Friend.”

2) “Eat to live instead of living to eat.”

With those in mind we are going to look FIRST at foods that are usually safe for a damaged pancreas. Keep in mind that if your pancreas is still highly inflamed almost any food can and often will cause problems.

NOTE: I DID NOT say that any food will cause problems all the time or that everyone is different. Your pancreas, unless congenitally different, as in pancreas divisum, is the same as mine.

pancreas damageThe only other difference is damage and damage can and often does make a lot of difference. The more extensive the damage the less foods you may be able to tolerate and …

Inflammation causes more damage.

This is EXACTLY why it is best to resolve any inflammation ASAP by:

  1. fasting (no food, just water for hydration) to rest the pancreas.
  2. Using anti-inflammatory medication (Ibuprofen or aspirin) 
  3. Supplements grape seed extract, curcumin and vitamin C

The fast, in conjunction with proper medication and supplements, will resolve the inflammation quite quickly unless there are complications such as pseudocysts, calcification, pancreas divisum or another condition that may impede healing. With complications healing will take longer.

The first category of safe foods comes under the group heading of vegetables. This group has various sub-groups. These sub-groups are mine not scientifically based. They are NOT all-inclusive.

pancreatitis diet food list for healing

Vegetables are excellent for most people with pancreatitis

Group one: “leafy greens” which consist of: 

  1. Lettuce – all types (iceberg, romaine, red leaf etc etc etc)
  2. Spinach
  3. Kale
  4. Turnip greens
  5. Beet greens
  6. Mustard greens
  7. Collared greens
  8. Watercress
  9. Swiss chard
  10. Dandelion greens
cruciferous vegetables are excellent for those who have pancreatitis

cruciferous vegetables are excellent for those who have pancreatitis

Group Two: Cruciferous and Other Vegetables

  1. Cabbage
  2. Broccoli
  3. Cauliflower (oh not green? pretend it is lol)
  4. Bok choy
  5. Brussels’ sprouts
  6. Sweet green pepper (red, yellow, orange etc)
  7. Cucumber
  8. Squash (some are green lol)
  9. Celery
  10. Artichoke
  11. Asparagus
root vegetables and tubers are excellent food choices

Homegrown root vegetables – Beet, Carrots, potatoes and turnips etc are great food choices

Group Three: Tubers or ROOT Vegetables

  1. Carrots
  2. Potatoes (white, sweet, yams, etc)
  3. Onions
  4. Radish
  5. Turnips
  6. Parsnips
  7. Rutabagas
  8. Garlic
  9. Kohlrabi
  10. Celery root
  11. Beets

The above vegetables all have one thing in common, They are highly ant-inflammatory, full of inflammation fighting polyphenols and nutrient dense. Some like broccoli, Brussel’s sprouts, cabbage, kale and cauliflower are full of sulforaphane which kills cancer cells. They also offer protein content. There are a lot more vegetables. This is not a complete list.

I’m blessed by God. I can eat raw vegetables. Some people with a lot of pancreas damage can not tolerate raw vegetables but are able to eat them cooked. Remember damage makes the difference and that’s why it’s imperative to test, test, test!

legumes-beans-peas-lentils high protein

Legumes are excellent for most people with pancreatitis

Group Four: Legumes

  1. Beans (ALL kinds EXCEPT soybeans, garbanzo and peanuts). Yes peanuts are in the legume family. Soybeans, garbanzo beans aka chickpeas and peanuts all have too much fat for many people. You’ll also need to avoid or be cautious of soy milk, soy cheese, etc and hummus which is made from chickpeas (garbanzo beans). 
  2. Peas (all)
  3. Lentils (all)
grains are excellent for most people with pancreatitis

grains are excellent for most people with pancreatitis

Group Five: Grains

As far as I know ALL grains are fine as long as you do not cook them in a manner that makes them unsafe. Again, it is easy to make safe food unsafe simply by combining safe foods with those that are not safe. The following list of grains is not a complete list.

  1. Wheat
  2. Barley
  3. Rye
  4. Bulgar
  5. Rice (All)
  6. Corn
  7. Oats
  8. Pseudo Grains such as quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, etc
fruits are nutrient dense food

Most fruits are excellent choices for those with pancreatitis. Coconut, olives and avocado need to be avoided or eaten in very small quantities

Group Six: Fruit

All fruit except avocado, coconut and some weird fruits you may never see are fine to eat. Avocado and coconut have way too much fat for most people with a damaged pancreas. Grapefruit is excellent BUT can cause serious interactions with many drugs. So ask your doctor and pharmacist if eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice is safe for you. The following are suggestions for fruit to enjoy:

  1. Apples
  2. Bananas
  3. Berries (ALL)
  4. Oranges
  5. Grapes
  6. Pears
  7. Pineapple
  8. Mango
  9. Papaya
  10. Melons (ALL)

Remember just like the vegetable groups above these are all safe foods but you can make them unsafe by adding things like whipped cream, booze, vanilla extract (use vanilla BEAN instead, FRESH vanilla bean that is NOT processed). Another thing to watch for is fruit that is too ripe. When fruit become too ripe the sugar turns to alcohol and of course that is how peach brandy, etc is made.

Group Seven: Animal Protein

AVOID Juicy high fat steak Most animal protein, especially red meat, pork, goose and duck contain too much fat.

AVOID them!

FAT and ALCOHOL are the two major villains to avoid.

Yes you do need some fat in your diet for your body to accomplish several things such as absorbing fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) but it doesn’t take nearly as much as a doctor or nutritionist is going to tell you.

According to them I should have likely been dead years ago but here I am enjoying life 42 years after diagnosis.

I’m not as damaged as most in my support group so if fat makes me sick what is it going to do to you if your pancreas is far more damaged than mine?

Instead look for your protein fix in legumes, Skinless Turkey and Chicken (white meat), fish and seafood. You can still have your tuna sandwich simply avoid mayo and use canned white albacore tuna (canned in water not oil) mixed with onion, celery, garlic, salt, pepper and honey mustard. The white albacore tuna has 29 grams of protein and 1 gram of fat. Tasty, high protein without the fat. By the way most people should avoid salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, whitefish and other oily, cold water fish. If you try them test small amounts to see how you tolerate them.

Unless You WANT To Be Sick AVOID These HIGH FAT Foods!

High Fat Fast Food

High Fat Junk food

Here’s the list of foods I know you should avoid like the plague. And it’s not just high fat junk food. Foods HIGH in fat are BAD, even if you’ve been told or think otherwise. I don’t care if your doctor says they are fine, they aren’t.

I chatted with one doctor in a support group who was waiting patiently for her surgery to remove her pancreas. She had no clue how to heal herself. And when I asked her what her diet was like she told me diet didn’t make a difference. Now …

I’m healed, she’s sick BUT because I don’t have an M.D./O.D. she wouldn’t listen and blew me off. Just another pompous, stupid doctor. The world is full of them. I’ve met two who really knew anything about pancreatitis.

I see people post in support groups, mine included, about their food choices and the majority make me cringe.

I see people spout that they enjoyed their steak with trimming and suffered no problem yet they are always in the ER department, admitted to the hospital and popping narcotics at home for pain relief. Ya right! No problems! 

Chocolate-Sweet-Rolls will make your pancreas scream in anger

Chocolate Sweet Rolls and similar foods will make your pancreas scream in anger

Sometimes even a brick upside their head doesn’t wake people up. Let’s get to that list of foods to avoid. This is off the top of my head and not a complete list.

  1. Red Meat
  2. Pork
  3. Goose
  4. Duck
  5. Mayo
  6. Butter/margarine
  7. Cheese 
  8. Milk
  9. Egg yolks
  10. Baked goods (pies, cakes, cookies, candies, sweet rolls, donuts etc)
  11. Chocolate
  12. Gravy/sauces
  13. Dark meat on the turkey and chicken (twice the fat as white meat)

fat-inflammation-pancreatitisI know my diet isn’t easy. It isn’t easy to personalize via testing and it isn’t easy to continually adhere to. Unless you enjoy being sick, visiting the ER department and possibly dying due to complication of acute pancreatitis you might want to consider making a prudent lifestyle change.

And if you think your diet may be difficult I’m also a Celiac which means I have a lot less choices than you. IF I can do it you can do it. It all boils down to this: Do you enjoy being sick or would you like to heal and feel decent again?

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7 thoughts on “Pancreatitis Diet Food List – Foods To Eat and Foods To Avoid

  1. Norbert

    About grape seed extract (sorry if I post this comment here, a little OT): is it more useful than pycnogenol _for pancreatitis_ or they’re both extremely beneficial?

    Reply
    1. The Health Guy Post author

      Hi Norbert … great question! Both are extremely beneficial and when used in combo they are killer good. Maritime pine bark {pycnogenol) and grape seed extractcan be found together but those formulas are usually expensive so I don’t mention them but the combo is awesome especially paired with vitamin C which enhances and prolongs the effects of both.

      Reply
  2. Lorinda

    Hello, I have been trying to get in touch with you… I am getting desperate!! I have been reading and trying to study all I can, Praying I will Live and not Die and declare the works of the Lord!! You are SURELY A BLESSING TO MILLIONS!! I am having a little trouble trying to concentrate due to my little one, he has severe autism and is nonverbal, we lost his mommy in auto accident, Please pray for us both!! My GI doc telling me “everyone needs a little fat” keeps going through my head. Geeze, what you said about doctors is SO TRUE. This should not be the case, but, I am Grateful to God we have YOU!! I am currently drinking fruit for one meal and boiled potatoes carrots and snap peas for the other. I am leary of enzymes, I need your HELP with when and how to use them and what kind or brand that is safe? I am afriad, I raise my little one alone, but, God is with us. I just want to continue to do so. I think I have suffered with this for years, and now they call it chronic pancreatitis. You are a light at the end of the dark tunnel, I hope I can reach you at some point. When I drink the berries, pineapple, grapes, blueberries and bannas my stomach hurts. I am only taking the Grape Seed NOW supplements and Turmeric Curcumin. That is all I am taking right now, I need your advice as to other supplements I can take. I found a list online that says we can take many other supplements, but, I do not trust it. I do not trust my physician, but, I trust you. I know I need to add enzymes, I am wondering if you could tell me which one is good, that will not make me sick? Also, I noticed that we can have Garlic? Can we just dice it up and swallow it with honey? I am sorry to bombard you with all my questions, but, myself and my little one have been to the ER more than I care to admit, it’s not easy taking him to ER with me, but it is a have to, it’s just us. I am anxious to hear what other supplements I might be able to take and until then, I am waiting for YOU. We should be paying YOU instead of a doctor who knows little to nothing about our condition. PRAYERS FOR ALL HERE AND ESPECIALLY YOU FOR BEING AN ANSWER TO OUR MANY PRAYERS!! MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU IN HIS MIGHTY CARE!!

    Reply
  3. Lorinda

    Thank you for your response, but no!! I did not get your response!! I will go to the support group, I am so grateful to you for all you do!! I am so thrilled to have received your response!!!!! I haven’t found it yet but, I will not stop until I do!! I am sorry if I have caused you any inconvenience!! It is my Prayer that I will CRUSH IT, BEAT IT, JUST LIKE YOU HAVE!! I am literally crying because I didn’t think I would ever actually get to talk to you or ask questions. You have NO idea what this means to me. I raise my little Grandbaby and want to LIVE as long as God allows to continue caring for him. He has severe autism, he cannot talk, and I’m it…. all he has. GOD BLESS YOU FOR HELPING OTHERS, I LITERALLY DO NOT KNOW HOW YOU KEEP UP!! AND I AM NO STRANGER TO HARD WORK, I AM DEDICATED TO MY LITTLE, MY JOB AND MORE… GOD BLESS YOU!!

    Reply
  4. Charles Iuli

    You can eat Hawaiian taro poi worry free with only 2 ingredients water and poi it’s a bland starchy paste that can be jazzed up with berries bananas goes well with grilled chicken also with raw and canned tuna all in all you can make it whatever you want it to be it also has healing properties rich in vitamins and has a low glycemic index also is easily digestible baby’s who are diagnosed with failure to thrive are given this it’s naturally hypoallergenic contains natural probiotics and is cancer fighting

    Reply

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