Crohn's and colitis nutrition: personalised support in Australia

Personalised nutrition advice for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis is available from qualified naturopaths and nutritionists who work alongside your gastroenterologist.

At The Biome Collective, our degree-qualified team supports people with IBD online across Australia. We help you eat as widely as you can, correct nutrient deficiencies and manage ongoing gut symptoms. We work with your medical team and alongside any medications you're taking.

Book a free gut health assessment to find out how we can help.

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How nutrition fits into IBD care

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Medication may be prescribed by your gastroenterologist to help control the inflammation. Nutrition plays a supporting role, but an important one.

There's no single diet everyone with IBD should follow but a Mediterranean-style diet is a great starting point. The specifics of which dietary changes help the most depend on where your disease is located in the bowel, whether it's active, and what you tolerate.

Many people with IBD end up cutting out whole food groups to stay safe. That can lead to weight loss, muscle loss and nutrient deficiencies, so part of our job is helping you eat as broadly and confidently as possible.

Never stop or change your IBD medication without talking to your gastroenterologist.

Eating well in remission

For most people in remission, current guidance supports a Mediterranean-style diet:

Plenty of vegetables, fruit, legumes and wholegrains
Olive oil as your main fat
Fish and other lean proteins
Less ultra-processed food, salt and added sugar
Less red and processed meat, which may help reduce the risk of flares in ulcerative colitis

Fibre is typically safe and helpful for most people with IBD. The main exception is a narrowing of the bowel (a stricture). In that case we need to approach with more caution. Cooking, softening and chewing high-fibre foods thoroughly is usually advised, so we'll adapt textures rather than cut foods out.

Eating during a flare

During a flare, treating the inflammation comes first, so contact your gastroenterologist or IBD nurse. While symptoms settle, easier-to-digest foods for a short time can help. The goals are to keep eating as varied a diet as you can manage and to protect your weight.

Some people with Crohn's disease are offered exclusive enteral nutrition: a nutritional formula replaces all food, usually for about six weeks. It's the dietary therapy with the strongest evidence for treating active Crohn's disease. For mild to moderate Crohn's, a Crohn's disease exclusion diet with partial enteral nutrition may be considered. Both are supervised by your gastroenterologist and an IBD dietitian. If your team recommends one, we can support you around it.

When gut symptoms continue in remission

It's common to keep having bloating, pain or changed bowel habits even when your inflammation is well controlled. This is where we often help most.

A low FODMAP diet, done short term with careful reintroduction, has the best evidence for easing these ongoing symptoms. It doesn't treat inflammation itself.
Other causes are worth checking, including small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and bile acid diarrhoea, which are more common in Crohn's disease.

Nutrient deficiencies to watch for

Inflammation, reduced intake, surgery and some medications can all affect your nutrient levels. The ones we check most often are:

Iron: iron deficiency and anaemia are the most common deficiencies in IBD, and a common cause of fatigue.
Vitamin D: low levels are common, and they matter for bone health.
Folate: some IBD medications, including methotrexate and sulfasalazine, affect folate levels.
Vitamin B12: especially if your Crohn's affects the end of the small intestine (the ileum), or part of it has been removed.
Calcium: important for protecting bone health, especially after courses of steroids.

We work with your GP and IBD team on testing, and on correcting any deficiencies in a form you can tolerate.

How we support you

Understand your history. We look at where your disease is, your treatment, any surgery, and your recent blood tests and scans.
Assess how you're eating. We look at what you eat, what you avoid and why, and any signs of deficiency or weight loss.
Build your plan. We set out practical meals and textures for remission and flares, and a careful approach to any foods you're unsure about.
Check supplements safely. We review any supplements or herbal medicines you're taking or considering against your IBD medications.
Work with your team. We keep your care consistent with your gastroenterologist's and dietitian's advice, and refer back when something needs medical review.
Get medical help urgently if you have severe abdominal pain, a fever, frequent bloody diarrhoea, persistent vomiting or signs of dehydration. Contact your IBD team or go to an emergency department.

Crohn's and colitis nutrition FAQs

Where can I get personalised nutrition advice for Crohn's disease in Australia?

You can work with a qualified nutritionist or naturopath who works alongside your gastroenterologist. The Biome Collective offers this support online across Australia.

Is there a diet that cures Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis?

No. No diet has been shown to cure IBD, but diet plays a large role in your Crohn's disease treatment plan. Dietary interventions also support your medical treatment, help you stay well nourished and can ease ongoing symptoms.

What should I eat in remission?

Current guidance supports a Mediterranean-style diet: plenty of vegetables, fruit, legumes, wholegrains, olive oil and fish, with less ultra-processed food, salt and sugar. Your plan should still fit your own tolerances.

Should I avoid fibre if I have IBD?

For most people with IBD, fibre is safe and helpful. The main exception is a narrowing of the bowel (stricture), where cooking, softening and chewing high-fibre foods well is usually advised.

Can I stop my medication if my diet is helping?

Never stop or change IBD medication without talking to your gastroenterologist. Diet works alongside medication, not instead of it.

Do you replace my IBD dietitian?

No. We work alongside your IBD team, including your dietitian if you have one, and keep your care consistent with their advice.

Do you offer IBD nutrition consultations online?

Yes. All our consultations are online, and we see clients from all over Australia.

Living with Crohn's or colitis and want more support?

Book a free gut health assessment. We'll talk through your history, symptoms and your current care, match you with the right practitioner and explain which care option suits you best.

This page contains general information and isn't a substitute for individual medical advice.