Sweets in pancreatitis: which can and which can not?

Inflammation of the pancreas requires a special approach to nutrition. On the one hand, it is necessary to provide the body with everything it needs for its full functioning, on the other hand, to select products that are not capable of harming the organ. Such a balance forces one to find a constant compromise between “I want” and “I can”. Sometimes it is difficult to give up your favorite products in favor of your health. Those with a sweet tooth are worried about the question of what sweets can and cannot be eaten with pancreatitis? [ 1 ]

Ice cream for pancreatitis

When studying nutritional recommendations, a patient with pancreatitis will certainly come across the rule of not eating too cold or hot food. Regardless of the stage of the disease: exacerbation or remission, ice cream is contraindicated for a number of reasons:

• cold food can provoke a spasm of the pancreatic and bile ducts, which will lead to an outbreak of the disease;
• it is a fatty and high-calorie product that requires increased production of food enzymes for breakdown, which is an additional burden on the organ;
• it is sweet, which indicates a sufficient sugar content; sugar itself is allowed in small amounts during a stable period of pancreatitis, but a product that is too sweet requires increased secretion of insulin, which is difficult for a damaged gland;
• it contains preservatives, flavorings, various flavor additives and components (nuts, chocolate, fruits, condensed milk) that are not suitable for inflammation.

Marshmallow for pancreatitis

Fortunately, not all sweets are prohibited for pancreatitis. An example of this is marshmallow. And all because it is made from egg whites, pectin, vitamins and minerals, agar-agar.

There are many varieties of this delicacy: white, pink with added fruit fillings, in chocolate glaze. To avoid harmful additives (manufacturers do not always use the declared healthy ingredient), it is best to choose white.

In the acute stage of the disease and the next 2 months, you should completely give it up. Then allow yourself half a marshmallow with unsweetened tea. If there is no negative response from the pancreas, then eat 1-2 pieces daily.

Casserole for pancreatitis

Any baked products are much healthier than fried and tastier than boiled. In this case, a cottage cheese casserole can combine taste and health: simple, with apples, carrots and others; with rice and pumpkin or those that your imagination can come up with.

The only condition in the first case is that the cottage cheese is low-fat, there is a little sugar, and only egg whites are used. To obtain an airy effect, the whites are whipped with sugar, combined with the main mass of well-ground cottage cheese, a pinch of salt and 1-2 spoons of semolina pre-soaked in sour cream are added. The top can be decorated with fruits or berries.

Jam for pancreatitis

Jam is a way of preserving berries and fruits for the winter, but it is prepared with the addition of sugar, which is undesirable for a sick pancreas. In acute forms, it is completely excluded, and during periods of stable remission, you can allow yourself to add a little to tea, yogurt, kefir, dilute fruit drinks, cook kissels.

The absence of diabetes allows you to occasionally put a spoon in your mouth, but you should only give preference to the product from fruits permitted for pancreatitis. These include apples, apricots, currants, cherries, plums, strawberries, peaches.

The best jam is homemade, in which the hostess tried to preserve as many vitamins and minerals as possible, which means she did not overcook it and destroy all the useful things.

Pies for pancreatitis

Most pie recipes involve making them with yeast, which is the main obstacle when the pancreas is sick. Various components are always added to the dough: fats, sugar, eggs, which makes them high-calorie and harmful to the organ. Any fresh baked goods are unacceptable for diet table No. 5, prescribed for pancreatitis.

Preservatives, dyes, and flavors are added to store-bought products, which is also not suitable for patients. Therefore, the most suitable are rusks from a loaf, dried by hand, biscuit cookies "Maria", "Zoologicheskoe".

If there are no complaints for a long time, you can allow yourself oatmeal cookies (oatmeal contains enzymes similar to those produced by the gland itself), dried biscuits, cottage cheese biscuits, meringues, but no more than 50g per day.

Candy for pancreatitis

Can sweets be harmful for pancreatitis? To know for sure, you need to understand what they are made of. They contain sugar, most varieties use solid fats, palm oil, dyes, thickeners, flavors, maybe dry milk, lactose, cognac, liqueurs, nuts, chocolate.

Each component separately speaks against them. Candies are high in calories, contain a large amount of carbohydrates, which is associated with an increased load on the pancreas, are highly allergenic, and can provoke dysbacteriosis and cause flatulence.

Even during long periods of calm without exacerbations, consumption of this delicacy should be minimized as much as possible, and the safest varieties among them are candies for diabetics, soufflé "Bird's milk", jelly, "Korovka".

Caramel, toffee, and lollipops are considered unsuitable for this disease.

Halva for pancreatitis

Halva is not a dietary product at all, as it is prepared from roasted kernels of oil nuts or seeds with the addition of caramel mass, to which a large amount of molasses is added to maintain the plasticity of the product.

For healthy people, this confectionery product is an excellent source of energy, due to polyunsaturated fatty acids it prevents the development of atherosclerosis, and due to potassium and magnesium it is useful for the muscular, cardiac, reproductive and nervous systems.

During acute periods of pancreatitis, halva is strictly taboo, and only after several months of absence of symptoms can you carefully try no more than 20-30g per day, and not every day.

Condensed milk for pancreatitis

Condensed milk is a concentrated dairy product with a high sugar content. In addition, in the absence of proper government control over the quality of products, natural milk is often replaced with vegetable fats during production.

Condensed milk for pancreatitis is a dangerous product that can cause an exacerbation. If the pancreas has returned to normal and does not bother for a long time, then occasionally you can treat yourself to a spoonful of the delicacy, if you are sure of the manufacturer.

Marmalade for pancreatitis

Natural marmalade is prepared on the basis of berry and fruit juices. Although a significant part of the useful components is boiled during its preparation, something remains, including pectins, which have a beneficial effect on the digestive system. They promote intestinal peristalsis, cleanse the body of toxins and waste, and reduce cholesterol.

Agar-agar, obtained from algae, or gelatin (from cartilage or animal bones) are used for thickening. Flavorings and colorings can be used to reduce the cost of the product. Therefore, marmalade for patients with inflammation of the pancreas is positioned as relatively safe.

It is not used in a strict diet. Stable remission allows this sweetness and you need to start with one piece, but not exceed four per day.

The quality of any product is reflected in the price towards its increase, therefore, you need to choose a product based on it, preferably packaged, the packaging of which contains a printed composition, light in color without dyes. The best option is to cook yourself, using recipes from the Internet or cookbooks.

Chewing gum for pancreatitis

The process of chewing stimulates the production of pancreatic and gastric juices. In essence, the digestive reflex is deceived: the body is tuned to the intake of food, but there is none. In this case, the pancreas "eats" its own cells.

On the other hand, chewing gum contains sweeteners, not always natural flavors, antioxidants, which have a negative effect on the organ.

The only possible conclusion is: do not use. Advice for big fans is to give up completely during exacerbations of the pathology and limit to a minimum in other, calm periods.

Pastila for pancreatitis

This type of dessert will not harm the organ in any way, except during acute periods, if you prepare it yourself, especially from green apples.

The recipe is very simple: cut the fruit into slices without peeling it (it contains the most useful nutrients), put it in a saucepan, add a little water so that it does not burn, and simmer. Drain the resulting juice, peel each piece by hand or with a sieve, add sugar (don't get carried away), and blend it into a homogeneous mass. Prepare a baking sheet, put parchment paper greased with vegetable oil on it, and spread the resulting puree on it in a thin layer. Dry the pastila in the oven, preheated to 130 ⁰ C, for an hour and a half, while the door should be slightly open (put a non-flammable object underneath).

Corn sticks for pancreatitis

Corn grits, from which corn sticks are made, contain a lot of fiber, which is unfavorable for the gland. Although the sticks themselves are light and airy, they use sugar or powdered sugar, salt, vegetable oil, and to expand the range, various other additives (chocolate glaze, spices), flavor enhancers.

In case of chronic pancreatitis with a long absence of attacks, you can allow yourself a small portion, but not dry, but add it to yoghurts, fermented baked milk, wash it down with tea. And for breakfast, it is still better to give preference to rice and oat flakes.

Fructose for pancreatitis

With such a negative role of sugar on the diseased organ, the question arises, isn't it better to use sugar substitutes in nutrition? Doctors agree with this statement, especially when it comes to natural ones, they are sweeter than sugar, so they are needed less to get the usual sensations.

One of these is fructose, which is found in honey, berries and fruits. Its intake into the body is not accompanied by the release of insulin, unlike glucose. However, it can only be consumed during the waning of the disease.

Jelly for pancreatitis

Jelly can be not only a tasty, but also a healthy dessert if you use products that are not prohibited for pancreatitis, such as apples, plums, peaches. Gelated fruit slices without a lot of sugar will give pleasure and will not harm, provided that there is no acute process.

Making jelly at home allows you to minimize substances that can harm the pancreas. However, gelling agents, although useful for joints, cartilage, connective tissue, are not very desirable for pancreatitis, especially against the background of gallstones, so you should not get too carried away.

Meringue for pancreatitis

To prepare meringue, egg whites are used, combined with sugar. If you cook it at home, you can eliminate all risks for the pancreas: do not sweeten it too much, do not mix in harmful additives. Only in this case, the dessert becomes conditionally permitted during a chronic illness, remote by a sufficient time distance from the outbreak of pathology.