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If you or someone you love has COPD, you might be concerned about diet and nutrition. What kinds of foods should you eat to stay healthy, and what should you avoid?
Eating right and sticking to a healthy diet is one of the best things anyone can do to feel good and keep their body healthy, with or without a chronic disease. In reality, however, eating well is difficult to do on a daily basis.
Even though just about everybody knows how important good nutrition is, many people still don't practice a healthy diet. This is sometimes due to a lack of time and motivation, but can also be a result of simply not knowing what kinds of foods are actually good for you and not.
If you have COPD, it's especially important to understand what a proper diet looks like and how to incorporate healthy foods into your everyday life. That's why, in this post, we're going to tell you about a wide variety of healthy foods you can eat to help you feel better and stay healthy with COPD.
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Living with a disease like COPD can make everyday tasks like eating more complicated. Many people with COPD even have to eat special, high-calorie diets to make up for the strain that the disease puts on their bodies.
COPD forces you to pay extra attention to many aspects of your health, including diet and nutrition. If you don't get all the vitamins and nutrients you need, you can experience increased COPD symptoms and accelerate how quickly your disease gets worse.
When you are struggling to manage a chronic disease like COPD, it's important to make every meal count by choosing foods that are wholesome and nutrient-dense. Eating healthy meals full of lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats is key for maintaining a healthy weight and keeping your body strong.
You should also know that that what's not in certain foods is sometimes just as important as what is. Unhealthy foods with empty calories don't do you any good, and in the worst cases can contribute to weight gain, heart disease, and other health problems. That's why you should avoid processed foods and anything packed with sugar, simple carbs, and unhealthy fats.
Even among foods considered “healthy,” some are better than others at supplying your body with the nutrients it needs. There are many fruits, veggies, meats, and dairy products that are particularly rich in important vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and other things your body needs to stay healthy with COPD.
It's much easier to make healthy decisions when you know what's good for you and have a lot of options to choose from. That's why we're providing you with the following list of 21 healthy foods for COPD to help you get started.
While you don't have to get every single item on this list, you should still eat a varied diet of healthy foods from different fruit, vegetable, dairy, and grain categories. This list will introduce you to the nutrient content and health benefits of a wide variety of foods so you can better understand how to meet all your nutritional needs.
Before we get to the list, there are a few special factors you should take into consideration when planning a healthy diet for COPD. Certain foods, large meals, and weight gain can actually make your symptoms worse, so you have to pay extra special attention to what you eat.
First of all, people with COPD should avoid eating foods that are known to cause inflammation. That's because inflammation puts strain on your body and takes energy away from your lungs, where it's most needed.
Foods that can cause inflammation include high-sugar foods like soda and sweets as well as processed meats like sausage. Besides being inflammatory, these foods are hard on your body and don't contain the nutrients your body needs to effectively manage your COPD.
Instead, you should eat healthy produce like leafy greens and fruits and veggies with lots of vitamin C and vitamin A. This helps your body get the nutrients it needs to prevent and manage inflammation and can improve how well your lungs function.
Maintaining a healthy weight is also a top health priority if you have COPD. Both being underweight or being overweight can hurt your lung function and make it more difficult to breathe.
If you are underweight, you're likely to have worsened symptoms like weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Weight loss and malnutrition can also weaken your immune system, break down your muscles, and increase your chances for infection, exacerbations, and death.
Excess weight is particularly dangerous for people with COPD, because it can quickly start a downward spiral of physical decline. Being overweight makes it more difficult to stay active, puts extra weight and strain on your chest that makes it difficult to breathe, and also increases the amount of oxygen your body needs to function.
Research shows that people who have COPD experienced increased oxidative stress in their lungs and elsewhere in their bodies. This means that they have an excess of inflammatory compounds, called oxidants, that can cause irritation, tissue damage, and other complications.
Every person's body produces antioxidants, which are molecules that neutralize oxidants and prevent them from doing harm. Most healthy people are able to produce enough anti-oxidants to keep the oxidants in check, but people with COPD often don't.
Research shows that people with COPD have an excess amount of oxidants that throws off their body's delicate oxidant/antioxidant balance. When this happens and the balance tips in favor of oxidants, it causes oxidative stress.
That's why some doctors recommend that people with COPD counteract their elevated oxidant levels by increasing their dietary antioxidant intake. There are many fruits, vegetables, and other foods that are rich in antioxidants, and it's thought that eating more of these foods can help your body restore a proper oxidant/antioxidant balance.
Some of the most common antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, and manganese, which are abundant in a variety of fruits and vegetables. However, research on antioxidants in foods is still ongoing, and researchers don't yet know if eating antioxidant-rich foods is a reliable way to combat oxidative stress.
If you have COPD, you should avoid simple carbohydrates at all costs. Not only are simple carbs empty calories, but having too many carbohydrates in your diet can actually make your COPD symptoms worse.
To understand how carbohydrates affect COPD, you have to first understand how your lungs process carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a waste product that is made from all kinds of metabolic processes in your body, including when you digest food.
When foods are broken down, the carbon waste products go into your blood and are carried to your lungs. When you breathe, the carbon waste is expelled from your body via carbon dioxide in your breath when you exhale.
Carbohydrates, in particular, tend to produce a lot of carbon waste compared to other nutrients, like fat and protein. This means that carbs increase the burden on your lungs to expel the carbon dioxide waste. which can lead to increased COPD symptoms like breathlessness and wheezing.
This is why most doctors recommend that people with COPD eat a diet that's high in fats and low in carbohydrates. This reduces strain on the lungs, reduce COPD symptoms, and make it easier to breathe and exercise.
Doctors often recommend that people with COPD forego traditional mealtimes and instead eat 4-5 smaller meals spaced throughout the day. That's because, when you eat larger meals, it can put pressure on your lungs and diaphragm and make it more difficult to breathe.
Smaller meals are easier to digest and are less likely to cause bloating, indigestion, and breathing discomfort. It also helps you control your portion sizes and eat a wide variety of healthy foods every day.
Many people with COPD have to eat extra calories every day to make up for the extra energy that their respiratory muscles use to breathe. If your doctor puts you on a high-calorie diet, it's important to fill in those extra calories with healthy, nutrient-packed foods.
Many of the highest-calorie foods are also the least nutritious; think of ice cream, soda, potato chips, and other processed snacks, for example. Instead of eating junk foods with empty calories, choose nutrient-dense, high-calorie foods like nuts and dairy. That way you can get enough calories and maintain a healthy weight while also limiting the amount of salt, sugar, and simple carbs in your diet.
Depending on your unique physiology and the severity of your disease, you might have special dietary needs and restrictions. That's why, as one final consideration before we get to the list of healthy foods you should eat for COPD, we want to emphasize the importance of talking to you doctor about diet and nutrition.
Your regular doctor or a dietitian can often give you valuable, individualized advice that you can't get anywhere else. They can also help you put together a personalized nutrition plan to help set you on the right track.
As long as you don't have special dietary restrictions, you can use all the foods on this list to make a wide variety of healthy meals. So, without further delay, here's 21 healthy foods you can eat as part of a healthy diet for COPD.
Research shows that, when you have COPD, eating too many carbohydrates increases the strain on your respiratory system and makes it more difficult to breathe. While a certain amount of carbohydrates are necessary for a balanced diet, you should eat them in moderation and choose whole foods packed with complex carbohydrates like whole grains and wheat pastas.
Researchers recommend that people with COPD get about 25% of their calories from carbohydrates.
Quinoa, buckwheat, and barley, are among a group of whole grains often known as “ancient grains.” Ancient grains are different from modern grains in the sense that they have changed very little over the past several hundreds of years.
Ancient whole-grains are especially rich in fiber, protein, and vitamins, and also tend to be more calorie-dense than modern whole grains. For example, one cup of spelt has about 7.5 grams of fiber and 10.7 grams of protein, while a cup of brown rice only has about 3.5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.
Quinoa, black rice, and other ancient grains are easy to prepare and great for digestion. They also contain high amounts of magnesium, which is extremely important for lung function and may even help prevent COPD exacerbations.
What's more, quinoa and buckwheat are naturally gluten-free, which makes them a great option for people with Celiac disease or other gluten intolerances. If you're looking to add healthy carbohydrates to your diet, the ancient grains are a great place to start.
Here are some examples of healthy ancient grains:
Whole grains like wheat breads and wheat pastas are an important part of any healthy diet, but they can be particularly important for people with COPD. A diet rich in whole grain foods can reduce inflammation, improve digestion, help you maintain a healthy weight, and even reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Breads, rolls, crackers, tortillas, and pastas can all be healthy sources of carbohydrates when eaten in moderation. However, you should always opt for nutritious, whole-grain versions of these foods instead of the less-healthy, processed white grains.
White breads and pastas have been stripped of much of their nutritional value and are full of simple carbohydrates that can raise your blood sugar and leave you feeling less satisfied after meals. Whole-grain carbohydrates, on the other hand, fill you up and provide energy for much longer because they take more time to digest.
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Like other whole grains, oats are a great source of healthy carbohydrates and fiber for people with COPD. A diet that includes regular helpings of oats can reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
One of the best things about oats is their high amounts of soluble fiber, which is known to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. It also contains a lot of short-chain fatty acids, which improve digestion and are known to have potent anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
Healthy fats are perhaps the most important nutrients you should seek out if you have COPD. Most doctors recommend eating a low-carb, high-fat diet because it can improve COPD symptoms and reduce the amount of strain that eating puts on your respiratory system.
A high-fat diet allows your body to get the extra sustenance it needs to breathe without upsetting your nutrient balance. However, it's till important to watch your fat intake so it doesn't become excessive, especially if you are at risk for heart disease.
Most doctors recommend that people with COPD get about 55% of their calories from fat.
While it's important to eat a lot of healthy fats when you have COPD, it's just as important to choose the right kinds. You should try to use unsaturated fats, like vegetable oils, which are considered much healthier than saturated animal fats like butter and lard.
Plant-based fats like olive oil and vegetable oil have been associated with a variety of health benefits, including lowered cholesterol and a reduced risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. When cooking on the stove or adding any fats to your meals, try to use plant-based, unsaturated fats as much as possible.
But how do you tell saturated and unsaturated fats apart? A good rule of thumb is that unsaturated fats (like vegetable oils) are liquid at room temperature, while saturated fats (like butter) are not.
Olive oil, in particular, tastes great on meats, breads, in marinades, and in dressings. Try mixing olive oil with your favorite vinegar and spices to make a delicious homemade salad dressing that's full of healthy, unsaturated fat.
Here are some examples of healthy vegetable oils:
Cold water fish are a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3's are a particularly healthy type of fat which is known to improve lung function, prevent heart disease, and reduce your risk for infection and inflammation. Salmon, tuna, trout, cod, and anchovies are just a few examples of cold water fish that are high in omega-3.
When picking out fresh fish at the store, you should opt for wild-caught varieties, which tend to be cleaner and higher in omega-3's. Farm-raised fish are often fattier, less nutritious, and sometimes grown in dirty environments.
However, one thing you should watch out for when adding extra fish in your diet is eating too much mercury. Fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon are known for having higher levels of mercury, and it's important to follow US guidelines and only eat high-mercury fish in moderation.
Here are some examples of healthy cold water fish:
Nuts are high in calories, but they are also chock full of healthy protein and unsaturated fats. Nuts also tend to be high in fiber, vitamin E, and plant sterols, which can reduce blood cholesterol levels.
Nuts are known for containing heart-healthy nutrients that can help protect your arteries and reduce your risk for heart disease. This makes them a great option for people with COPD who are at a higher risk for cardiovascular complications.
Nuts are also a great choice if you are underweight or want to prevent COPD-related weight and muscle loss. They are nutritious and delicious to eat raw and take little or no preparation, but they still contain enough calories and protein to help you stay strong and maintain a healthy BMI.
Nuts are perfect for satisfying hunger in-between meals and they're exceptionally easy to pack up and take with you for an extra snack when you leave the house. They're also a great addition to meals; try adding some extra nuts to salads, rice, meat dishes, and baked goods for an extra dose of healthy fat and protein.
Here are some examples of healthy nuts:
Lots of lean, healthy protein is important in any diet, but it should be a special priority for anyone with COPD. People who suffer from the disease often have difficulty getting enough protein, which can cause their bodies to break down their own muscles and become weak.
Doctors recommend choosing lean sources of protein like fish, eggs, and dairy instead of red and processed meats like bacon and ground beef. Most people need about 1.5 grams of protein for every 2.2 pounds of body weight, and doctors recommend that people with COPD get about 20% of their calories from protein.
Beans and legumes are great sources of protein because they are lean, nutritious, and absolutely packed with fiber. They are also a good source of complex carbohydrates and contain a lot of zinc, which research shows may improve COPD symptoms and increase levels of beneficial antioxidants.
Beans and legumes are also one of the most inexpensive sources of healthy protein, especially if you buy dried beans and cook them yourself. However, canned varieties are also notoriously cheap and they're a great choice if you need to conserve time and energy.
A single ½ cup serving of beans contains about 8 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and at least 300 milligrams of potassium. Beans make a hearty and flavorful addition to just about any meal, and they're especially delicious in rice dishes, soups, and salads.
Here are some examples of healthy legumes:
Chicken is lean, inexpensive, and one of the best healthy sources of protein. Chicken is a great daily staple because it's nutritious, extremely versatile, and relatively easy to prepare.
To keep your chicken lean and healthy, choose white meat instead of dark meat and remove the skin, which is the fattiest part. It's also best to cook your chicken by grilling it or baking it in the oven, that way you can avoid adding extra fats as you have to when preparing it by pan-frying or deep-frying.
Try eating grilled or baked chicken along with rice, pastas, soups, and veggies. There are endless ways to prepare and flavor chicken, so get creative and try different dishes so you never get tired of this great protein source.
Here are some examples of lean meats:
Nut butters like peanut butter and almond butter are full of healthy fat and protein. Nut butters are also calorie-dense and are a great, healthy way to fulfill your daily requirements if your doctor has you on a high calorie diet.
Peanut and almond butters are perfect for people with COPD who have limited energy and mobility. Nut butters are pre-made, easy to prepare, easy to chew, and also wonderfully nutritious.
Tofu isn't just for vegetarians and Asian dishes; it's a great source of protein and a versatile food that can be delicious in a wide variety of meals. One serving of tofu has ten grams of protein and more than ten percent of your daily magnesium.
This makes tofu a great option for people with COPD, for whom getting enough protein and magnesium is particularly important. Magnesium might even help improve COPD symptoms by strengthening breathing muscles and preventing exacerbations.
Tofu is a great alternative to other meats and proteins, and is relatively easy to prepare. It tastes great when seasoned with vinegar, soy, or citrus-based marinades, tossed in cornstarch, and then pan-seared on the stove.
It's particularly important for people with COPD to get enough protein to keep their bodies strong and prevent their muscles from wasting. If you experience weakness, loss of muscle mass, or have difficulty getting enough protein in your everyday diet, you can make up the difference with protein powder.
You can add protein powders to milk, yogurt, smoothies, and other liquids as an easy way to supplement your daily protein intake. You can even get flavored varieties, like chocolate and french vanilla, that can significantly improve their taste and make them more palatable.
All balanced diets should include hearty helpings of fruits and veggies every day. They're rich in fiber, antioxidants, and a wide variety of other essential vitamins and nutrients.
Both fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables have similar nutrient levels, so there's no reason (besides taste) to avoid buying frozen produce. Frozen fruits and veggies tend to be cheaper, they don't go bad nearly as quickly as fresh produce does, and you'll hardly be able to tell the difference when you add them to soups, sauces, and smoothies.
Dark green leafy vegetables are packed with antioxidants, carotenoids, and other nutrients that are great for your lungs and overall health. Adults with COPD should eat at least 1.5 to 2 cups of dark, leafy, green veggies every week as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Dark, leafy greens are also rich in magnesium, which is important for keeping your muscles strong. Research also shows that magnesium is important for your lungs and breathing muscles, which makes magnesium-rich foods a great choice for people with COPD.
Examples of dark, leafy greens include: spinach, leaf lettuce, romaine, kale, swiss chard, and collard greens. In many cases, cooking leafy greens makes them easier to digest and allows your body to absorb even more of their beneficial nutrients.
A diet rich in dark leafy greens can also reduce your risk for certain breast, skin, colorectal, and lung cancers. That's mainly due to their high levels of antioxidants, fiber, and carotenoids, which are known for their anti-cancer properties.
Here are some examples of healthy dark leafy greens:
Cruciferous veggies contain a key group of nutrients called glucosinolates, which researchers believe might have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and even cancer-inhibiting effects. They are also high in folate, carotenoids, and vitamins C, E, and K.
According to research done by the CDC, cruciferous vegetables are particularly packed with nutrients compared to other fruits and vegetables. In fact, watercress topped their list as the most nutrient-dense of all the fruits and veggies you can eat.
Here are some examples of healthy cruciferous veggies:
Citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges are great for your lungs because they have lots of vitamin C and vitamin B6. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant and might help reduce respiratory symptoms like breathlessness and wheezing.
Vitamin C may also act as a bronchodilator and make it easier for air to flow through your lungs and airways. Just 100 grams of oranges or lemons (which equals about one small orange or one and a half lemons) contains a whopping 53 milligrams of vitamin C; that's 88 percent of the daily recommended value!
Both oranges and clementines are easy to peel and delicious on their own, or you can add them to yogurt, homemade smoothies, or fruit salads. Lemons and limes are great for cooking and are a delicious addition to marinades, soups, sauces, and dressings.
Apples are a delicious, nutritious fruit that is particularly rich in fiber, flavanoids, and B-complex vitamins. They are also a great source of the antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin K, which may increase your resistance to infections and inflammation.
Remember to eat whole, fresh apples, which contain lots of fiber and are relatively low in sugar compared to apple juices and concentrates. You shouldn't peel your apples, either; the majority of an apple's healthy nutrients are contained in the skin, so make sure you eat the peel as well as its sweet, crunchy flesh.
Carrots are a nutritious veggie full of lots of flavenoids, carotenoids, and inflammation-fighting antioxidants. They are also a great source of vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin B6.
Carrots are healthy for your brain and eyes, and might even play a role in lowering blood pressure. Some studies show that diets high in carotenoid-containing foods like carrots may protect against heart disease and stroke.
The great thing about carrots is that they're cheap, plentiful, and incredibly easy to prepare, so they won't tax your time or energy. Baby carrots are also inexpensive, and require literally no prep work at all!
Garlic and onions are aromatic vegetables known for their anti-inflammatory properties. They are also packed with vitamin C, potassium, copper, and vitamins B1 and B6.
Research shows that a diet that includes healthy helpings of garlic and onions can help stave off bacteria and fungi, largely due to a compound they contain called allicin which can reduce the risk of illness and infection. Allacin's disease-fighting properties along with their great nutritional value makes garlic and onions a great choice for people who have COPD.
Onions and garlic are a staple in the kitchen and add a delicious, complex flavor to almost any dish. Try adding them to salads, sauces, sandwiches, stir fries, and meat and potato dishes.
However, it's important to know that having too much garlic and onion in your diet can actually cause indigestion, especially if you have GERD. Make sure to eat onions and garlic (or any food, for that matter) in moderation, and keep an eye out for any ill effects.
Fresh, pre-chopped fruits from the supermarket can be expensive, and prepping your fruits and veggies can sap your energy and make you feel breathless. That's why dried fruits and veggies are a great option for people with COPD who don't have the time or energy to prepare fresh produce.
Most supermarkets carry packaged dried fruits, but you can usually get them much cheaper in bulk. However, some dried fruits and veggies contain tons of added sugar and salt, so make sure to check the label before you buy and opt for low-salt and low-sugar varieties.
Dried fruits and vegetables do have slightly lowered levels of nutrients compared to fresh ones, but they still give you just as much fiber. While not the ideal source of fruits and veggies, dried varieties still give you most of their nutritional benefits without requiring you to do any extra prep work.
You might have heard that chocolate is good for you, and that can be true if you eat low-sugar, dark chocolates in moderation. Dark chocolate is high in iron, copper, manganese, and magnesium, as well as beneficial antioxidants.
A 100-gram bar of 70% cocoa chocolate has nearly 60 percent of your daily magnesium, which is very important for preserving lung function and preventing exacerbations. They also contain flavanols, which might reduce blood pressure and improve overall circulation in the lungs, heart, and other organs.
Milk is a great source of calcium, protein, Vitamin D, and is also a healthy source of fat. Doctors recommend that people with COPD drink 2% milk instead of whole or skim, that way they can get the nutrient benefits of milk along with a good amount of nutritious fat (but not too much).
If you are on a high-calorie diet, drinking a few servings of milk throughout the day can be a great way to meet your daily calorie and nutrient requirements. If you get tired of drinking milk on its own, try adding it to fruit smoothies or substitute full-fat yogurt instead.
It's important if you have COPD to drink about 2-3 liters of water per day to prevent dehydration. If you let yourself get dehydrated, it can dry out and thicken the mucus in your lungs and airways.
Thickened mucus obstructs your airways and makes it difficult to breathe, worsening COPD symptoms like shortness of breath and wheezing. Staying hydrated helps keep your mucus thin and flowing and keeps your airways clear.
Water is also an important safeguard against heat exhaustion and fatigue during the summer. Not drinking enough water can sap your energy and leave you feeling weak and tired, and if you're outside in the heat it can be dangerous.
Almost as important as knowing what foods you should eat when you have COPD is knowing what foods you should avoid. Here is a short list of problematic foods that you should cut out of your diet if you have COPD:
Similar to sulfites, having too many nitrates in your diet can cause worsened COPD symptoms and exacerbations. They are commonly found in cured and processed foods such as hot dogs, bacon, ham, and deli meats, and you should limit your intake of these foods as much as possible.
Now that you have a huge list of healthy foods and meals for COPD, all that's left is to actually put your knowledge into practice. Knowing what to eat is the first step, but making good nutrition a part of your daily life is the biggest challenge.
Taking the time to make whole, nutritious meals is essential for a healthy diet, but it can be difficult when you suffer from the symptoms of COPD. Many people with COPD struggle with breathlessness, fatigue, and have trouble finding the energy to prepare food every day.
However, you can significantly cut down the amount of time and effort you have to spend on your meals if you plan ahead and work smart. If you plan out your meals every week and make large batches, you'll reap the benefits of a healthy diet while spending less time and energy on shopping, prepping, and cooking.