If you have listened to my 8 Key Steps for Natural Healing of Crohns, Colitis, Diverticulitis & IBS talk on YouTube, then you may have heard me mention using traditional congee rice porridge with bone broth to provide bowel rest. If you cannot afford to go on an elemental diet, cannot pay for the targeted healing supplements for IBD or IBS, or you prefer to stick with whole foods (and your system can tolerate them), I’ve also written about using common foods to heal Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) like rice pudding.
You can also find numerous recipes within my book, Listen To Your Gut, which are categorized according to which of The Healing Diets they’re compatible with. Here is a rice pudding recipe of mine, which is in line with my Minimize Gas & Bloating Diet, the Maintenance Diet, and the Reduce Diarrhea Diet.
This recipe is:
- super easy
- quick
- comforting
- vegan & dairy-free
- requires little to no prep-time
- can be used to provide some bowel rest when needed
- you may already have all the ingredients in your home!
In case you have my other book, The IBD Remission Diet, you should know that the Reduce Diarrhea Diet recipes should also be suitable to use within 2-3 weeks of finishing the Diet (depending on how quickly you’re reintroducing foods).
As I have mentioned in other my recipes, it’s best if you can use certified organic ingredients.
Here is a creamier, sweeter version of the congee recipe that is also dairy-free and vegan!
CREAMY RICE PUDDING (DAIRY-FREE)
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 3/4 cup haiga or white rice (preferably basmati or jasmine)*
- 1 quart (4 cups) nut milk, or coconut milk, oat or rice milk
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or 1/8 tsp white powdered stevia extract)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
‘Indian style’: To make this rice pudding ‘Indian style’, add 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom powder when you add the cinnamon. I find cardamom is well-tolerated.
Directions:
- Bring the water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Add the rice and simmer, uncovered, for 5
minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. - Drain the rice and return it to the pot with the rice or almond milk, maple syrup (or stevia),
and raisins. - Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring
often, until the pudding is thick and creamy. Stir in the cinnamon and vanilla (and cardamom). - Serve warm, or chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
This serves 4 – 6.
*I recommend white or haiga rice because until the digestive tract is quite healed, brown rice is not tolerated as well. Haiga-mai has had the rice bran removed, but the rice germ is left intact.
As always, I’d love to hear from you if you decide to try this rice pudding recipe. Please feel free to comment and share your experiences below!
If you’d like to share your pictures with us, please email us at service@listentoyourgut.com.
Hi. Made this for my adult son who has been home for a week after 2 1/2 weeks in the hospital with severe UC (worst part besides the gut pain was ‘sh$&@ing jet fuel’ as he referred to it, resulting in him not eating for 6-7 weeks. Tried to get him to do your enemas but he said he hurt too much). Almost waited too long to go to hospital as he was malnourished and ended up getting 7 units of blood during his stay and now trying to get edema out of his feet and lower legs, along with liver issues, etc. (If you have any ideas PLEASE contact me mwillmer60@gmail.com) I just received your book ‘The IBD Remission Diet’ so looking for more info there. Anyway, he LOVES the rice and says it sits well.
Making it for a 2nd time now. I use Jasmine rice. Have not used raisins or cardamom. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your and others experiences. This was his 2nd flare in 2019. Was in hospital 12 days in April and your elemental diet of Absorb Plus got him through wonderfully then and he was doing well. Need to find out what his trigger is!!
Hi Mona! Many LTYG readers use their time on a full elemental diet to simultaneously derive the benefits of having a foundational clearance of all allergenic foods (since the diet is restricted to basic, pre-digested nutrients). At the end of 6 weeks, they gradually begin to reintroduce normal foods, one at a time, leaving 1-3 days in between each new food to note any reactions.
The Coca Pulse Test can also be a useful tool during food reintroductions; it is not conclusive, but it can be helpful. More instructions can be found in The IBD Remission Diet book, which you mentioned you just bought!
Why the first step of cooking the rice in water and then tossing it?
Thank you.
It gives the rice a better texture than if you just cook it from the beginning in nut milk. You could try it both ways and see which you prefer.
I really loved your blog, its full of very interesting information and tips. I really thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
I would like to ask if it is correct to use honey instead of pure maple syrup or white powdered stevia. I really prefer it. Also I don’t like vanilla, so is it a problem if I won’t use it?
Hi Anna! Thanks for writing in. You can try honey if your body tolerates it, and can skip the vanilla if you don’t like the taste. =)