Nutritional resources

Managing the nutrition aspects of cystic fibrosis can be a challenge. Administering enzymes and vitamins, planning meals and snacks, adding calories and working around work, school and exercise often requires focused effort. Consequently, we have provided practical information in these pages.

Our nutritionists publish a bi-monthly nutrition newsletter that is intended to meet both children's and adults' needs. "Nutrition in Bite-Sized Pieces" focuses on CF nutrition in detail, providing background information and practical suggestions including sample menus, comparison charts and graphs, and tips.

"Recipe Corner" is also created by our CF nutritionists and published bi-monthly. CF team members contribute recipes that demonstrate one of the many nutrition strategies designed to help meet CF needs. Each recipe is analyzed for calories, protein and nutrient content, and is accompanied by a personal narrative from the contributing author.

To provide extra nutrition for optimal weight gain, tubefeeding is a healthy option for some individuals with CF. In "Supporting Nutrition: Understanding Tubefeeding" (download the brochure here - in PDF format), four of our patients and their parents write about their experiences with tubefeeding: a parent of a toddler, a teenage boy who chose nasogastric tubefeeding, a teenage girl with a gastrostomy tube, and an adult patient who uses gastrostomy tubefeeding. The brochure also includes frequently asked questions, tips for the tubefeeding novice, photos of a gastrostomy tube and nasogastric tube in place, and "before" and "after" pictures and growth charts—a comprehensive resource for anyone considering tubefeeding.

"Nutrition in Bite-Sized Pieces" past issues

• Fuel Efficiency: Increase Your Diet's Mileage (Nutrient dense, high calorie meal planning—in PDF format)
• CF Nutrition at Work and School: Make It Count! (Tips to maximize nutrition when busy at work and school—in PDF format)
• Absorption Connection: Are You Getting the Most Out of What You Eat? (All about the proper use of pancreatic enzymes—in PDF format)
• Dairy Products: Foundation for a Nutrient Rich Diet (Why dairy foods are a nutrition bargain, and tips on working it into your diet—in PDF format)
• Get the Facts: Learn to Read Food Labels (How food labels can help you make the best choices—in PDF format)
• How to Grow When You're Always on the Go: Planning Around Exercise (How to replace the calories you burn with exercise and activity—in PDF format)
• Lessons From Popeye: Eat More Spinach! (This nutrient rich vegetable can be a great addition to anyone's diet—in PDF format)
• Oh, Nuts! Yet Another Nutrition Bargain for the Family (The nutritional value of nuts goes beyond calories and fat—in PDF format)
• CF 101: Fluids and Salt (Plenty of fluids and high calorie salty snacks are needed in the summer—in PDF format)
• Oh, My Gourd! (Winter vegetables such as squash, sweet potato and pumpkin, are packed with nutrients helpful in CF)
• Will It All Work Out In the End?! (Individuals with CF may experience constipation or distal intestinal obstruction syndrome)

"Recipe Corner" past issues

• Rice Verde (Adding spinach to a rice recipe increases the nutrient density—in PDF format)
• Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings (A high calorie recipe and family favorite—in PDF format)
• Waldorf Salad (How to use low calorie healthy ingredients and make a nutrient dense, high calorie dish—in PDF format)
• Aunt Dorothy's Brownies (Building more nutrition into a high calorie favorite—in PDF format)
• Pasta for Everybody (How to modify a recipe to meet different needs in the family—in PDF format)
• Smothered Pork Chops (An easy, high calorie recipe for meat lovers—in PDF format)
• Mormor & Papa's Cashew Brittle (A delicious treat made nutritious by adding lots of cashews—in PDF format)
• Homemade Sports Drink (Make your own sports drink for just pennies—in PDF format)
• Pumpkin Pancakes, Mashed Maple Sweet Potato, Stuffed Squash and Pumpkin Bread with Caramel Sauce (Recipes brimming with nutrition)
• Apple Cake (A delicious way to enjoy apples in the fall)

See also

• Cystic Fibrosis Center
• Growing up at Children's Memorial (video)
• Institute for Fetal Health
• Overview of Cystic Fibrosis Center
• Pulmonary medicine

Related stories

• Making every day count: Living with cystic fibrosis
• Understanding the genetics of cystic fibrosis

Related glossary terms

• cystic fibrosis