If this is your first holiday season with a diagnosis of IC, we’ve assembled some resources that we hope will help you enjoy the season, including new videos, articles, meal tips and many IC friendly recipes to play with. Surviving a holiday like Thanksgiving is all about pacing yourself, communicating clearly with your family and, of course, avoiding those things that we know can trigger IC flares.
When it comes to travelling, we encourage you to keep your car rides as short as possible or, better yet, bring the holidays to your home this year. This is the time of year when it’s perfectly okay to ask for help from family members and friends, particularly when it comes to cooking and the inevitable clean up afterwards! Think potluck!
Why oh why is there at least one family member who, rudely, doesn’t believe that IC is a real disease? We suggest that you put out our free IC Information Fact Sheets(download them here), the book the IC Survival Guide, a few of our IC Optimist magazines or even some of our Living With IC videos! When it comes up, calmly look that person in the face and say “Three to 8 million women in the USA suffer from this disease and 1 to 4 million men. Here are some reading materials that will help you understand what I’m struggling with.” Then change the topic. Don’t be defensive. Don’t be hurt. Remember, these individuals are just extremely naive or uninformed. It says far more about them than you if they bring it up in a hurtful way! I encourage you to calmly and firmly stand up for yourself!
I don’t know about you but I love eating a traditional turkey meal. I’ve never been a fancy food eater. I like my food simple, fresh and tasty so if I have to choose between a fancy, marinated meat and roast turkey, I’ll take the turkey any day. The same is true for stuffing and veggies. What could be better than mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes with butter! Yum!!! Luckily, the vast majority of traditional thanksgiving desserts are IC friendly, particularly my favorite pumpkin pie and whipped cream!
In any case, if you’re not sure about what you can or should eat for the holidays, much less drive to Grandma’s house, I hope that the resources below help you enjoy the holiday! Blessings to you and your family. – Jill O. ICN Founder
Living With IC Video Series – Thanksgiving & Holiday Episodes
The Living With IC video series has had more than 200,000 views on YouTube. We hope that these two new episodes provide you with some new ideas! You can find many more, including more tips on travelling, taking vacations and, of course, managing IC flares on our website! (https://www.ic-network.com/videos/)
 Facing The Holidays With New Diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis |
 IC Friendly Thanksgiving Menu Ideas |
Feature Articles
Here are some articles that you might find helpful!
- Quick Flavorful Soups For the Holiday Season – IC Diet Project
- Eating Well and Surviving The Holidays – Fresh Tastes by Bev
- Thanksgiving Dinner – Fresh Tastes by Bev
- Holiday Foods & Parties – Fresh Tastes by Bev
- Traditional Holiday Veggies Are IC Friendly – Fresh Tastes by Bev
Meal Tips
These recipes have been gathered from several resources including the ICN Fresh Tastes by Bev diet column, the ICN IC Chef Online Cookbook, recipes submitted by patients in the ICN Forum and a few of our favorite recipe websites (Victoria Magazine, The Food Network, Allrecipescom).
Please remember that the IC diet is extremely individual and if any of these recipes include an ingredient that you’ve been sensitive to in the past, we suggest that you avoid that recipe again.
Appetizers
Think fresh and healthy, such as carrot sticks, celery sticks, fresh breads and mild cheeses.
- Parmesan Puff Pastry – Food Network
- Brie En Croute – Food Network
- Feta Cheese Dip – ICN Forum
- Roasted Vegetable Dip – ICN Forum
- Hot Mushroom Turnovers
- Cheese Sticks
- Bacon Cheddar Puffs
Main Course: Roast Turkey, Chicken, Beef and Pork
- Traditional Roasted Turkey – allrecipes.com
- Nutmeg Rubbed Roast Beef – Bev (Recipes at bottom of article)
- Cornbread & Broccoli Stuffing – Bev (Recipes at bottom of article)
- Rice Pilaf Stuffing – Bev (Recipes at bottom of article)
*Please avoid brined (soaked in a salt bath) turkeys.
*Please avoid any hot, spicy or heavily salted sauces and marinades.
*Please avoid cranberry based sauces.
Veggies: Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Peas, Green Beans
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Roasted Fennel & Vegetables
- Maple Baked Sweet Potatoes– Bev (Recipes at bottom of article)
- Orange-Almond Yams – Bev (Recipes at bottom of article)
- Pan Seared Wild Mushrooms – Victoria Magazine
Breads: Fresh, home made breads and rolls are ideal!
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Homemade Yeast Rolls
- Cheddar Cheese Scones
- Potato Bread – Bev (Recipes at bottom of article)
- Pumpkin Muffins – Bev
- Yankee Cornbread – Bev (Recipes at bottom of article)
Dessert: Fruit and pumpkin desserts are perfect.
- Cobblestone Apple Crisp
- Italian Cream Cake
- Sweet Potato Cheesecake
- Eggnog Pumpkin Pie
- Quick Peppermint Ice Cream – Simply Delicious IC Diet Project
- Sichuan Baked Pears – Simply Delicious IC Diet Project
- Horchata & White Hot Chocolate – Simply Delicious IC Diet Project
- Caramel Pie
- Caramel Pear Pie
- Apple Meringue Pie – Bev (Recipes at bottom of article)
- Light Pumpkin Cheesecake – Bev (Recipes at bottom of article)
- Holiday Fruitcakes – Bev (Recipes at bottom of article)
- Carrot Cake – Carole
- Pumpkin Cake Roll – Carole
- Pear Tarte Tartin – Victoria Magazine
- Food Network Thanksgiving Desserts
*Apple desserts should be made with lower acid, sweeter apples such as Gala or Fuji apples.