Indian Diet Plan for COPD Patients
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD is an inflammatory lung condition that makes breathing difficult (1) Patients with COPD should have a healthy diet with right mix of nutrients to feel better and gain more energy for breathing and daily activities. Given below is a suggestive meal plan for patients with COPD. (2,4)
Dietary Recommendation: Eating a diet with “fewer Carbohydrates” and “more Fats” along with foods high in antioxidants help in easy breathing and reduce COPD related symptoms. (2)
Foods to eat |
Foods to avoid |
|---|---|
|
Foods high in proteins like dal, sprouts, low fat milk and milk products like curd, buttermilk and paneer, eggs, fish and chicken. |
Processed meat, cold cuts like sausage, salami, ready to cook nuggets and hotdogs. |
|
Complex Carbohydrates - Cereals like whole wheat, barley, oat, semi-polished rice, boiled rice, dalia, rava (suji), ragi , jowar, bajra, murmura , poha, corn (bhutta), makhana and quinoa. |
Products containing refined flour-like biscuits, baked items khari, toast, donuts, cakes, brownies, Instant pasta, instant noodles, .instant oats and soft drinks. |
|
Good fats like almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, flax seed, chia seed, watermelon seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, ghee, filtered ground nut oil, cold pressed oil – rice bran and kachi ghani mustard oil. |
Margarine, refined oil, dalda and hydrogenated fat (found in most the processed food). |
Fruits and Vegetables Safe to Consume |
Fruits and Vegetables Causing Gas to Restrict |
|---|---|
|
Papaya (Ripe) grape, lemon, pineapple, sweetlime (mosambi), orange, pomegranate, muskmelon, coconut, honeydew, banana (not over ripe). |
Apple, mango, pear, watermelon, litchi and plum. |
|
Spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers, beetroot, carrot, cucumber, brinjal, okra, potato, raw papaya, turnip, yam, gourd and pumpkin. |
Brinjal, onion, garlic, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. |
Additional Tips:
- Eat 5-6 small and frequent meals, instead of few large meals in a day to reduce stomach fullness and pressure on the lungs.
- Allow 3-4 hours digestion time for a large meal and 2-3 hours for smaller meal.
- Eat more food early in the morning, if you usually feel too tired to eat later in the day.
- Limit intake of simple carbohydrates like table sugar, chocolates, sugar syrup based mithai’s and cold drinks.
- Limit intake of foods that may cause gas or bloating as they can make breathing more difficult – Refer guide.
- Soak dal and pulses overnight to reduce the anti-nutritional factors (gas-making substance)
- Control intake of sodium (salt) in your diet to avoid water retention and difficulty in breathing. Avoid salty snacks like bhujia, namkeen, chips, instant soups, salad dressing and ketchups.
- Use herbs and spices in place of salt to lower sodium intake.
Note: Always consult your Dietician or Doctor for a personalized nutrition care plan best suited for your existing medical condition.
Disclaimer:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COPD. Accessed 1 st Nov 2022. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/copd/index.html
- American Lung Association. Nutrition and COPD. Accessed 31 st Oct 2022. Available at : https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/copd/living-with-copd/nutrition
- Barrett. J. How to institute the low-FODMAP diet. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 Mar;32 Suppl 1:8-10.
- Collins. P et.al. Nutritional support in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): an evidence update. J Thorac Dis 2019;11(Suppl 17):S2230-S2237.