Foods That Don't Fight Back
What to eat at Whitney Dining & around campus when your gut has opinions.
Flare Mode for when things are rough ·
Calm Mode for building long-term anti-inflammatory resilience.
Not medical advice — always follow your GI or rheumatology team's specific guidance for your condition.
🔥 Flare Mode — UC · IBD · Crohn's
Bland & Low-Residue: What to Grab at Whitney
During a flare your gut needs rest. Go low-fiber, low-fat, easily digestible. Avoid raw vegetables, high-fat items, caffeine, and spicy food. Here's what's typically safe.
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Hydration first. During a flare you lose fluids fast. Whitney always has water, diluted juice, and Gatorade — prioritize these over coffee or soda, which worsen cramping.
Sample Day — Flare Mode
A Gentle Day at Whitney
All items below are typically available at Whitney. Eat small, frequent meals — easier on your gut than three large ones.
Breakfast
🌅
Soft Start
- Plain scrambled eggs (2)
- White toast — dry or light butter
- Plain oatmeal, no mix-ins
- 1 ripe banana from fruit station
- Water or diluted apple juice
Whitney Main Dining Room
Lunch
☀️
Easy Midday
- Chicken noodle broth soup
- Plain pasta, light marinara
- Plain white dinner roll
- Low-fat plain yogurt (small)
- Water — sip throughout
Whitney — Soup & Pasta stations
Snack
🕐
Between Classes
- Plain bagel (Einstein Bros)
- Small banana or applesauce
- Electrolyte water or Gatorade
Einstein Bros — Student Union
Dinner
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Rest & Recover
- Baked plain chicken breast
- White rice or plain pasta
- Clear vegetable or chicken broth
- Plain white roll
- Decaf herbal tea if available
Whitney — Grill & Comfort stations
✓ Generally OK during a flare
- Plain eggs — scrambled or hard-boiled
- White bread, plain bagels, white rice
- Oatmeal (plain, no toppings)
- Boiled or baked skinless chicken
- Broth-based soups
- Plain pasta, light sauce
- Bananas, applesauce
- Plain low-fat yogurt (if dairy tolerated)
- Water, diluted juice, electrolytes
✗ Skip during a flare
- Raw salads & raw vegetables
- Fried foods — wings, fries, pizza
- Spicy sauces and hot peppers
- Dairy (if lactose intolerant)
- Beans, lentils, cruciferous veggies
- Coffee, energy drinks, alcohol
- High-sugar desserts and pastries
- Whole grain & bran cereals
- Nuts & seeds
🛡️
A9 Eatery at Whitney is built specifically for students with dietary restrictions and allergies. During a flare, ask the staff what low-residue or plain options are available that day — they're there to help.
🌿 Calm Mode — Anti-inflammatory maintenance
Building Long-Term Resilience at Whitney
No active flare? This is your window to eat foods that actively reduce systemic inflammation — beneficial for RA, lupus, psoriatic arthritis, IBD in remission, and other autoimmune conditions. Think colorful, plant-forward, and omega-3-rich.
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Omega-3s are your best friend. Fatty fish (salmon, tuna) are the most potent dietary anti-inflammatories. Sushi Do in the Student Union has salmon rolls regularly — a surprisingly powerful campus option.
Sample Day — Calm Mode
An Anti-Inflammatory Day on Campus
These meals emphasize polyphenols, omega-3s, fiber, and probiotics — all accessible at Whitney or nearby campus dining spots.
Breakfast
🌅
Power Start
- Oatmeal with berries from yogurt bar
- Scrambled eggs (2) — protein hit
- Plain yogurt + blueberries
- Green tea or water with lemon
Whitney Main Dining Room
Lunch
☀️
Color-Loaded Bowl
- Big salad: spinach + mixed greens
- Chickpeas, peppers, cucumber, tomato
- Olive oil & vinegar dressing (light)
- Grilled chicken or hard-boiled egg
- Water or unsweetened iced tea
Whitney — Salad Bar
Snack
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Smart Pick-Up
- Salmon or tuna sushi roll (2–4 pcs)
- Or: bagel with avocado spread
- Green tea or sparkling water
Sushi Do or Einstein Bros — Student Union
Dinner
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Nourishing Close
- Grilled chicken or plant-based protein
- Sweet potato or roasted vegetables
- Bean-based side from veg station
- Dark green side salad
- Herbal or green tea
Whitney — Grill & Veg stations
✓ Anti-inflammatory superstars
- Fatty fish (salmon, tuna) — omega-3s
- Berries — polyphenols & antioxidants
- Dark leafy greens — folate, vitamin K
- Avocado — healthy monounsaturated fat
- Oats — beta-glucan lowers CRP
- Beans & legumes — fiber + plant protein
- Colorful veggies — diverse phytonutrients
- Plain yogurt — probiotics for gut flora
- Green tea — EGCG anti-inflammatory
↓ Limit even in remission
- Ultra-processed foods & fast food
- Refined sugars & pastries
- Fried foods — pro-inflammatory fats
- Red & processed meat in excess
- Alcohol — triggers systemic inflammation
- Artificial sweeteners (mixed evidence)
- Excessive caffeine
- White bread & refined carbs in excess
🎯
The Mediterranean pattern is your roadmap. Research consistently shows Mediterranean-style eating — olive oil, fish, legumes, vegetables, whole grains — reduces inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6) in autoimmune conditions. Whitney's salad bar + Sushi Do make this more doable on campus than you'd think.
Whitney & Campus — Where to Find It
Stations rotate daily. Always check dineoncampus.com/UWLACROSSE for today's live menu.
🏛️ Whitney Dining Center — Main Dining Room
🎓 Student Union Dining
☕ Coffee & Quick Stops