CDED diet · Menu ideas

Paediatric weekly menu (Phase 2)

Weeks 7–12 · Examples requiring paediatric review and individualisation

Phase 2: professional review required

The selected reference is Levine 2019. These examples are not trial-validated recipes or ready-to-issue diet plans. Before use, the nutrition team must review and individualise foods, portions, introduction week, overall suitability and texture, especially for children or people with strictures.

Legumes: measurements from different versions of the diet must not be mixed. Adult lentil examples use one daily dry measure in the specified dish. Previous cooked or ambiguous amounts have been replaced; these are not equivalents. For paediatric examples, the individually prescribed amount must be written down before preparation. Do not apply half a dry cup as a universal Levine 2019 instruction. Soup volume does not measure its legume content. Individualise texture, especially with strictures.

Reference amounts and timing

Legumes: ½ cup per day measured dry, before soaking or cooking; always eat cooked. This is the combined daily reference, not an amount per dish or per type of legume. These are permitted, not mandatory foods. It is not equivalent to ½ cup cooked.

Wholegrain bread: 1 slice per day, preferably homemade, within the prescribed plan. Bread and legumes are placed from the start of Phase 2 (week 7), based on their inclusion in the weeks 7–12 list without a specific delay. Do not automatically add them to every meal.

Weeks 7–9: only additions specifically permitted for that period. From week 10: a wider range of fruit and vegetables in small amounts, retaining exclusions. This is not an unrestricted diet. A menu Monday does not identify the treatment week.

These references do not define grams per cup or slice, or a dry-to-cooked conversion. The team must specify the household measure and individual amount, especially for children or people with strictures; sieving does not guarantee a safe texture.

Provenance: operational detail cross-checked against a protocol published for adults in 2025, not efficacy results or an exact transcription of the Levine 2019 supplement. Cano-Mármol et al., 2025, Table 2.

Read the Phase 2 summary and sources

How to distribute Phase 2 portions

This example distributes one individual daily chicken portion. “½ of the daily portion” means sharing that same amount between lunch and dinner, not adding another portion. The fish day replaces chicken for that entire day; broth does not count as meat.

The treating team sets chicken and fish amounts as raw edible weight, without skin or bones. This new convention does not convert previous cooked weights into raw weights or establish nutritional equivalence.

Example base: 1 egg and 1 dessert banana at breakfast; 1 potato at lunch; 1 peeled apple and 1 dessert banana at snack; 1 potato and 1 egg at dinner. Do not add eggs to pancakes, fillings or patties outside that allocation. Individualise size, texture and amounts; these are not maxima or a universal paediatric or stricture plan.

Rice, noodles, oil and vegetables: agree amounts and weighing state with the treating team. Additional fruit, avocado or other extras require a written, accounted amount within the plan, not automatic additions. This distribution does not guarantee energy or protein adequacy; do not increase formula to compensate for differences between dishes.

Lentils: the single legume dish that day receives the whole specified daily preparation; no second portion is added to another meal. Adults use the dry reference in the example; paediatric plans must specify the individual prescribed amount. Do not convert it to cooked grams or increase the amount after sieving. The menus do not automatically add new foods at week 10: do not bring that expansion forward into weeks 7–9, and retain exclusions and reference amounts during weeks 10–12. Overall nutritional suitability must be reviewed for each plan.

Partial AI-generated illustrations: they may show only part of the meal. Written accompaniments also belong to the example even when absent from the image. Photos do not set amounts or certify a safe texture; follow the text and individual plan.

For recipes with broth: use strained homemade broth from cooking chicken breast in water, without stock cubes or commercial mixes. Do not add vegetables or other ingredients not specified in the recipe. Broth does not replace or increase the allocated chicken portion.

Individual paediatric plan: Confirm foods, quantities and PEN intake with the nutrition team.

Staged reintroduction: Review the introduction week and adapt texture for each child.

* Note: Dish images have been generated by Artificial Intelligence for illustrative purposes and may not correspond exactly to the ingredients or clinical descriptions.

Monday

Breakfast

Partial illustration · AI

Banana • Fully cooked egg

1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain) and 1 egg cooked until both white and yolk are fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking.

Lunch

Partial illustration · AI

Chicken strips • Zucchini purée • Potato

The whole individual daily chicken portion (fresh breast, raw edible weight). Smooth peeled zucchini purée. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. Cook chicken thoroughly before serving.

Snack

Partial illustration · AI

Peeled apple • Banana

1 peeled apple and 1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain).

Dinner

Partial illustration · AI

Rice • Sieved lentils • Egg

Rice and cooked, sieved lentils. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. 1 egg boiled, with both white and yolk fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking. Lentils for this day: use the whole individually prescribed amount here, measured dry before soaking or cooking. Cook thoroughly and adapt the texture; do not add another legume portion that day.

Tuesday

Breakfast

Partial illustration · AI

Banana • Fully cooked egg

1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain) and 1 egg cooked until both white and yolk are fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking.

Lunch

Partial illustration · AI

Fish balls • Rice

Individual fresh white fish portion (raw edible weight), replacing chicken for this entire day. Remove bones and cook fully. Rice with finely chopped spinach. Shape fish balls without breading or added egg. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions.

Snack

Partial illustration · AI

Peeled apple • Banana

1 peeled apple and 1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain).

Dinner

Partial illustration · AI

Mashed potato • Roasted zucchini

Soft roasted peeled zucchini. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. 1 egg boiled, with both white and yolk fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking.

Wednesday

Breakfast

Partial illustration · AI

Banana • Fully cooked egg

1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain) and 1 egg cooked until both white and yolk are fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking.

Lunch

Partial illustration · AI

Chicken nuggets • Sieved lentils

The whole individual daily chicken portion (fresh breast, raw edible weight). Sieved lentil paste and peeled tomato. Shape minced breast into nuggets without breading or added egg. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. Cook chicken thoroughly before serving. Lentils for this day: use the whole individually prescribed amount here, measured dry before soaking or cooking. Cook thoroughly and adapt the texture; do not add another legume portion that day.

Snack

Partial illustration · AI

Peeled apple • Banana

1 peeled apple and 1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain).

Dinner

Partial illustration · AI

Rice noodles • Scrambled egg

Soft rice noodles. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. 1 egg scrambled, with both white and yolk fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking.

Thursday

Breakfast

Partial illustration · AI

Banana • Fully cooked egg

1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain) and 1 egg cooked until both white and yolk are fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking.

Lunch

Partial illustration · AI

Chicken strips • Potato wedges • Zucchini purée

Snack

Partial illustration · AI

Peeled apple • Banana

1 peeled apple and 1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain).

Dinner

Partial illustration · AI

Rice balls • Lentil cream

Rice balls and sieved lentil cream, without egg in the balls. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. 1 egg boiled, with both white and yolk fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking. Lentils for this day: use the whole individually prescribed amount here, measured dry before soaking or cooking. Cook thoroughly and adapt the texture; do not add another legume portion that day.

Friday

Breakfast

Partial illustration · AI

Banana • Fully cooked egg

1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain) and 1 egg cooked until both white and yolk are fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking.

Lunch

Partial illustration · AI

Chicken balls • Zucchini purée • Rice

The whole individual daily chicken portion (fresh breast, raw edible weight). Smooth peeled zucchini purée and rice. Shape minced breast into balls without breading or added egg. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. Cook chicken thoroughly before serving.

Snack

Partial illustration · AI

Peeled apple • Banana

1 peeled apple and 1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain).

Dinner

Partial illustration · AI

Mashed potato • Boiled egg

Serve as purée and pieces adapted to chewing ability. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. 1 egg boiled, with both white and yolk fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking.

Saturday

Breakfast

Partial illustration · AI

Banana • Fully cooked egg

1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain) and 1 egg cooked until both white and yolk are fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking.

Lunch

Partial illustration · AI

Chicken patty • Boiled potato • Tomato

The whole individual daily chicken portion (fresh breast, raw edible weight). Peeled tomato. Shape minced breast into a patty without bread or added egg. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. Cook chicken thoroughly before serving.

Snack

Partial illustration · AI

Peeled apple • Banana

1 peeled apple and 1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain).

Dinner

Partial illustration · AI

Rice noodles • Lentil cream

Soft rice noodles and sieved lentil cream. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. 1 egg boiled, with both white and yolk fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking. Lentils for this day: use the whole individually prescribed amount here, measured dry before soaking or cooking. Cook thoroughly and adapt the texture; do not add another legume portion that day.

Sunday

Breakfast

Partial illustration · AI

Banana • Fully cooked egg

1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain) and 1 egg cooked until both white and yolk are fully set, with no liquid areas. Adapt size and texture after cooking.

Lunch

Partial illustration · AI

Chicken without a skewer • Mashed potato • Zucchini

The whole individual daily chicken portion (fresh breast, raw edible weight). Soft roasted peeled zucchini. Serve chicken without sticks or skewers. 1 peeled potato, boiled and refrigerated before use; it may be mashed and reheated following the storage instructions. Cook chicken thoroughly before serving.

Snack

Partial illustration · AI

Peeled apple • Banana

1 peeled apple and 1 ripe dessert banana (not plantain).

Dinner

Partial illustration · AI

Scrambled egg • Rice noodles

How to interpret portions and alternatives

These are meal ideas, not an individual energy plan. White rice is adjusted to the target and appetite; there is no universal portion weight. Distinguish protocol ranges, limits and individual instructions: a range is not an open-ended minimum. Recipe portions do not replace a whole-day assessment, especially for children.

In phases 1 and 2, fish dishes are alternatives for a single day per week, not instructions to repeat fish on every day where it appears. The team must select the meals for that day and adjust the chicken substitution; combining both in one dish does not justify extra fish days.

Distinguish dry or raw ingredient weight from cooked weight. Soup or purée volume does not specify how much of an ingredient it contains. Where a measure is missing, specify it when personalising the recipe rather than inferring it from the image.

Batch cooking: safe storage

Chicken, including minced chicken and fillings: use a food thermometer to check that the thickest part reaches at least 74 °C. The recipe timings are approximate; they do not replace this check.

Eggs: cook until both whites and yolks are fully set; omelettes and scrambled eggs should not remain liquid inside. If an adapted texture is needed, adjust it after cooking according to the treating team’s plan. A soft texture does not mean undercooked egg; this precaution is especially important with a weakened immune system.

Cool meals in small portions and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep the fridge between 0 and 5 °C. Eat leftovers within 48 hours or promptly freeze portions for later days; one cooking session does not mean a whole week of fridge storage.

Cooked rice: cool promptly, ideally within 1 hour; refrigerate and eat within 24 hours, or freeze after rapid cooling. Defrost in the fridge and, if reheating, reheat only once until steaming hot throughout. Do not leave it cooling in the pan.

For transport: pack already chilled meals in an insulated bag with ice packs and refrigerate on arrival. A bag alone does not guarantee six hours of safe storage.

This advice is for prepared food, not enteral formulas: follow the specific product instructions. Follow any stricter advice in its technical information or from the healthcare team.

Food hygiene sources: Cooking chicken · Chilling and freezing · Rice · Transport · Eggs (FDA) · Weakened immunity (CDC)

⚕ Clinical notice: Illustrative examples for paediatric review. Foods, portions, timing, overall suitability and texture require individualisation; they do not replace the team’s dietary prescription.

These are general sample menus. They must be individualised to each person’s needs, tolerance, age, disease phase and treatment. They do not replace advice from their doctor or dietitian.