Optimising your diet to benefit your asthma

This patient information leaflet is for those with asthma who would like to follow a healthy diet. Asthma is a long term breathing condition caused by inflammation of the airways. Emphasis is placed on healthy eating and alleviating your symptoms of asthma. In general, such a diet will be high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, lean meat, fish and seafood.

Reducing inflammation in the airways may improve your asthma symptoms. We know that a diet low in fibre and antioxidants such as vitamin E and C, combined with a high saturated fat diet (an unhealthy type of fat) can lead to increased inflammation in your body. The following information will help you consider which food groups you should try to eat more of and which food groups you should aim to reduce.

Eat more fruit

Eating two portions of fruit per day has been associated with well controlled asthma.

What is a portion?

• Typically 80g is one portion.
• One medium banana, orange, pear or apple or a similar sized fruit
• Half a grapefruit or avocado
• A slice of large fruit such as melon or pineapple
• Two satsumas, plums or similar sized fruit
• Small handful of grapes
• Two handfuls of blueberries or raspberries
• One heaped tablespoon of dried fruit, such as sultanas, currants or cranberries, or three heaped tablespoons of fruit salad (fresh / tinned in fruit juice)

Tips

• Incorporate into breakfast. For instance, add some berries into your porridge.
• Try to choose a piece of fruit as your snack rather than a packet of crisps.
• Tinned (not in syrup) or frozen fruit also counts.
• Choose fruit instead of a pudding / dessert.

Eat more vegetables

Eating five or more portions of vegetables per day has been associated with well controlled asthma.

What is a portion?

Typically 80g is one portion.

• Three heaped tablespoons of vegetables (raw, cooked, frozen or tinned)
• Three heaped tablespoons of any ‘pulse’ – beans, peas or lentils (however much you eat, pulses only count as one of your five a day)
• One cereal bowl of lettuce, watercress or spinach

Tips

• Try different cooking methods. If you don’t like something boiled try having it steamed, baked, stir fried or air fried.
• Try different seasonings: herbs, spices, soy sauce, tabasco / pepper sauce.
• Try making your own soup; if using shop bought, check the amount of sugar / salt
• When buying ready meals or canned items, opt for low sugar / salt versions.
• Beans and pulses count as one portion.
• Tinned / frozen versions also count.
• Keep raw veggie sticks (cucumber, carrot or celery) / mini veg as a snack.
• Include side salads with meals
• You can microwave vegetables for convenience.

A comprehensive portion guide for fruit and vegetables can be found via on the NHS website. (opens in a new tab)

Eat more beans and pulses

These are an affordable and versatile source of fibre and protein. A high fibre intake is associated with improved asthma control. They are also low in fat and calories as well as rich in vitamins and minerals.

Some examples:

• Chick peas
• Kidney beans
• Cannellini beans
• Butter beans
• Lentils
• Black eyed beans
• Borlotti beans
• Haricot beans (of baked beans fame)

How to get more into your diet:

• Add to soups, casseroles, salads, curry, dips, wraps, cottage pie and pasta.
• Reduce the meat and replace with beans or lentils. Halve the beef mince in a dish and replace with lentils.
• Add mashed or pureed butter beans to mashed potato.
• Try using hummus instead of butter in sandwiches.
• For ease you can buy tinned beans and pulses.

Low glycaemic index (GI)

There are many types of carbohydrates in the diet, but they all behave differently in your body. Carbohydrate foods are foods containing either starch or sugars. Sugars can be naturally occurring or added to our food. Starchy foods include rice, pasta, potatoes, noodles and bread. ‘Natural sugars’ include those in fruit and milk. Foods such as doughnuts, cookies, biscuits and cakes are foods high in ‘added sugars’. Every time you have a sugary or starchy food or drink, blood glucose levels in your body rise (see image to the right). Also, all carbohydrate and sugary foods will also be a source of energy / calories. Excess carbohydrates may cause weight gain.

Carbohydrates are digested and absorbed at different rates. Some are digested and absorbed into your bloodstream slower than others. We recognise that slower absorbed carbohydrate foods tend to be the healthiest (although this is not always the case).

The GI is a ranking of how quickly these foods or drinks make blood glucose levels rise after eating them. If a carbohydrate is digested quickly it can cause a sharp rise in your blood glucose levels – this is called a high GI food or drink. Low GI foods and drinks are more slowly digested and will make your blood glucose levels rise slower.

Have more

• Wholegrain bread, ‘granary’ or ‘seeded’. Freezing bread first can help lower the GI.
• Beans and pulses e.g. haricot beans; kidney beans; chick peas, lentils.
• Fruit in appropriate portion sizes (see fruit section above): apples, grapes, cherries, apricots, peaches, banana, most berries.
• Porridge oats. ‘Jumbo’ or ‘rolled oats’ (avoid processed oats that are finely milled).
• ‘Ancient grains’ e.g. buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, spelt.
• Wholegrain cereals e.g. all bran, muesli (no added sugar).
• Basmati rice (stick to the packet stated portion size).
• Most types of pasta. Try protein or fibre enriched pasta, lentil pasta, spelt pasta, pea pasta, buckwheat pasta or wholewheat pasta.
• Sweet potato instead of potato

Have less

• White bread.
• White flour based foods: cakes, biscuits, crackers, battered or bread-crumbed foods, pizza and pastries (white pasta is ok as this is still low GI)
• Low fibre sugary cereals such as cornflakes, rice puffs, sweetened muesli
• Fried crisps, chips, potato waffles and hash browns
• Processed snacks such as Bombay mix
• Sugar sweetened drinks and ‘energy drinks’
• Syrups such as: honey, maple syrup
• Sugary spreads: chocolate spread, jams and conserves
• Sweet sugary desserts

Snack ideas

• A single portion of fruit
• Crispbreads or oatcakes
• Yoghurt – low sugar
• Handful of popcorn
• Vegetable sticks with hummus
• A slice of wholegrain toast with one tablespoon of peanut butter
• Tablespoon of nuts and / or seeds
• Olives
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sugar free jelly

What to avoid or reduce

The following foods and drinks should be taken less regularly or not at all.

• Processed and cured meat such as bacon, sausages, ham, corned beef, luncheon meat, parma ham, salami, frankfurters, chorizo and pancetta. Aim for no more than 150g per week, which is equivalent to two standard sized sausages.
• Fast food. Eat as a treat occasionally. Generally, you should consider a healthier menu choice.
• Convenience food. Where possible, opt for a home cooked meal.

Supplementation

Currently there is not strong enough evidence to suggest that anybody should take any specific nutritional supplements to manage their asthma. This includes vitamin C, D or E and fish oil supplements.

Physical activity and exercise

Some studies have shown that increased physical activity and exercise in combination with healthy eating (in particular low glycaemic index and high protein) is most effective in managing asthma symptoms.

Additional patient information leaflets

• My food diary
• Goal setting
• Dealing with cravings
• Healthy snack ideas
• ‘Food labels made easy’ (Diabetes UK) (opens in a new tab)
• British Dietetic Association: Healthy packed lunches (opens in a new tab)
• British Dietetic Association: Healthy snacks (opens in a new tab)
• British Dietetic Association: Fruit and vegetables (opens in a new tab)
• British Dietetic Association: Eat well spend less (opens in a new tab)