Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Arthritis Ireland
Talk to us: 01 661 8188 / 0818 252 846
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Linkedin
Helpline Donate Refer a patient Become a member
  • Twitter
Menu
  • About us
    • Why we exist
    • News
    • Who we are
      • Our team
      • Our board
      • Membership
    • Governance
    • Finances
    • Strategic plan
    • Our policies
      • Complaints policy
      • Cookie policy
      • Privacy policy
    • Job opportunities
    • Become a member of Arthritis Ireland
  • About arthritis
    • Conditions
    • Booklets
    • Medications
      • Drugs A-Z
      • Biosimilars
    • Physical activity
    • Pregnancy and arthritis
    • Work and arthritis
    • Patient stories
    • Inflammation Nation podcast
      • Inflammation Nation Podcast - Season 1
      • Inflammation Nation Podcast - Season 2
    • National Arthritis Week 2022
  • Get help
    • Get Support
      • Helpline & online supports
    • Newly diagnosed
    • Getting the most from your medical appointments
    • Covid-19 (coronavirus)
    • Mental health and arthritis
    • Coping with Emotions
    • Complementary therapies
    • Healthcare team
    • Take Control with Exercise
    • Healthy eating
    • Volunteer
    • Medical Cards
  • In your area
    • Our branches
    • Activites in your area
      • Clare
      • Cork
      • Donegal
      • Dublin
      • Galway
      • Kerry
      • Kildare
      • Kilkenny
      • Laois
      • Limerick
      • Longford
      • Louth
      • Mayo
      • Sligo
      • Tipperary
      • Waterford
      • Westmeath
      • Wexford
  • Support us
    • Summer Raffle 2022
    • Donate
    • Fundraise
      • Ways to fundraise
      • Create a fundraising page
      • Stories
    • In Memory Donations
    • Leave a legacy
    • Corporate partnerships
      • Business Champions
    • Become a Friend
    • Best Practice in Fundraising
  • Courses
    • Behind the Pain online
    • About the course Living Well with Arthritis
    • Living Well with Arthritis schedule
    • Be Active with Arthritis
  • Research
    • Research we are funding
    • Arthritis Research Coalition Biobank
    • Working on a cure
    • Research priorities
    • HRCI-HRB Joint Funding Scheme
  • Shop
  • EULAR Edgar Stene Prize
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  1. Get help
  2. Healthy eating

Healthy eating

What to eat when living with arthritis?

What being overweight means when living with arthritis

Controlling your diet

Healthy eating guidelines

Healthy eating

There is no set arthritis diet but eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight can make a big difference to your overall well-being and your arthritis. As well as ensuring that your body has all the essential nutrients to function, eating healthily may help reduce the symptoms of arthritis both directly and by reducing the stress on your joints through weight loss. If you are underweight, a balanced diet should help you overcome exhaustion and gain healthy weight. Download our Healthy Eating and Arthritis information booklet here.

What to eat when living with arthritis?

There is a lot of confusing and conflicting information on arthritis diet, and whether or not particular foods are helpful or harmful. Although certain foods might have more of an effect on your arthritis than others, the most important thing is to have a balanced diet to ensure you get all the nutrients your body needs. The basic idea is to eat less fat, less sugar, more fruit and vegetables, more oily fish and plenty of calcium and iron-rich foods.

You will probably find that everyone wants to give you advice on what to eat and what not to eat. Remember that everyone reacts differently to specific foods and that you have to work out for yourself what suits you best.

Back to top

Being overweight

Carrying excess weight is a common problem for people with arthritis. Certain drugs, such as steroids, can lead to weight gain, and others, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), can lead to stomach problems, making dietary choices harder. Some people may find that being unable to exercise or prepare fresh food means that they put on weight easily. Others get trapped in a similar cycle during a flare-up, but one in which they are too tired to eat and consequently lose weight, becoming even more exhausted.

Eating a balanced diet is key to maintaining a healthy weight. Controlling your weight is often the most effective thing you can do to reduce the symptoms of arthritis. Even a small weight loss can reduce strain on the hips, back, knees and feet if you are too heavy. And making sure you are not underweight should help to give your body the necessary strength and nutrition to get through a flare-up and to fight disease.

A healthy body weight is achieved by balancing the energy intake in our diet with the energy we use through activity. However, every individual has unique nutritional requirements, depending on your age, gender, body size and level of activity. A guideline daily intake is 2,000 kilocalories (known as kcal) for an active woman and 2,500 kilocalories for an active man. If you need to gain weight, eating slightly larger quantities of the healthier foods is the best approach so that you are taking in more calories. Rather than simply eating more fried foods and chocolate (which won't help your overall health in the long run). Try things such as having an extra slice of toast at breakfast, or an extra helping of pasta or rice.

Back to top

Controlling your diet

Lots of foods, particularly processed foods, contain hidden fat, sugar and salt. Preparing your own food allows you to control what you are eating. If you have difficulties cooking from scratch but need to lose weight, choose the low fat versions of ready meals from the supermarket, checking the calorie and salt content on the back of the packaging. You should always consult your doctor or nurse before embarking on a weight loss programme as it is important to lose weight in the correct way - crash diets can harm your body.

Back to top

Healthy eating guidelines

Eating a healthy diet is about getting a variety of food from different food groups. In general, a healthy diet is one that is:

  • high in fruit and vegetables
  • high in starch and fibre
  • low in fatty foods and salt
  • low in added sugars.

A balanced diet contains carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, and fibre. Carbohydrates provide us with energy. Protein is essential for growth and repair of the body. Vitamins and minerals play a major part in the healthy functioning of our bodies. Although it is healthy not to consume too much fat, our bodies do need some fat. It provides us with energy and also helps us to absorb certain vitamins. Fibre helps with bowel health (especially important for those who have slower bowel movements as a result of not being able to exercise or taking certain medications).

There are five main food groups. The diagram below shows the proportion of your diet they should make up. You do not need to have this balance at every meal, but you should aim to achieve this over the day or the week;

  • breads, cereals and potatoes
  • fruits and vegetables
  • meat, Fish and alternatives
  • milk and dairy foods
  • fatty and sugary foods

Back to top

For more information check out our healthy eating and arthritis information booklet or contact the Arthritis Ireland helpline on 0818 252 846 [email protected] 

Sign-up for Arthritis Ireland news and updates  Donate

Published: 22nd October, 2019

Updated: 28th June, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Latest

  • Vhi Women's Mini Marathon 2023

    Vhi Women's Mini Marathon 2023

    Support Arthritis Ireland at the Vhi Women's Mini Marathon 2023. Click here to find out how you can support us.

  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

    Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

    Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the name given to several forms of arthritis in children and teenagers under 16. It is an auto-immune condition, and while it principally affects the joints, it may also affect other organs including the eyes.

  • Aqua Aerobics Drogheda

    Aqua Aerobics Drogheda

    Aqua Aerobics every Wednesday beginning 8th of March 8pm

  • Activator Poles Walking Class

    Free 6 week activator poles walking classes. Kilkock GAA club every Friday 10am beginning 3rd March 2023 for 6 weeks.

Most read

  • Stop the Pain. Start the Cure.

    Stop the Pain. Start the Cure.

    How to leave a legacy or gift in your will to Arthritis Ireland

  • Osteoarthritis

    Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common of all types of arthritis. It usually develops gradually, over several years, and affects a number of different joints. The cause is unknown, but it does appear more in females than males.

  • Living Well with Arthritis

    Living Well with Arthritis

    Reduce your pain and reclaim your life from arthritis by signing up for one of our in-person or online self-management courses.

  • Covid-19 (coronavirus)

    Covid-19 (coronavirus)

    Important information about Covid-19 (coronavirus) for people living with arthritis

  • Rheumatoid arthritis

    Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a very common type of inflammatory disease. The body’s natural defences (the immune system) attacks certain parts of the body instead of protecting it. This auto-immune reaction occurs mainly in the joints, but can affect vital organs too.

  • Fibromyalgia

    Fibromyalgia is a syndrome associated with widespread pain and fatigue. There are no outward signs of the condition but fibromyalgia symptoms include severe pain, fatigue and stiffness.

  • Inflammation Nation Podcast - Season 2

    Inflammation Nation Podcast - Season 2

  • Newly diagnosed

    Newly diagnosed

    Being diagnosed with any type of arthritis can be a scary and confusing time for people. You will most likely have many questions about your condition and how it will affect you.

  • Amitriptyline

    Amitriptyline (Amitriptyline Hydrochloride, Astilin) belongs to a group of drugs called tricyclic antidepressants. Although they are still used to treat anxiety and depression, they are also now widely used at lower doses to help block the chronic (long-term) pain of some rheumatic conditions.

  • Job opportunities

    Job opportunities

    Fundraising Manager

Tag cloud

#powerof10 appeal arthritis Arthritis Ireland christmas Corporate power of 10 RA Vhi Women's mini marathon virtual challenge
Helpline and online supports

Helpline and online supports

Our helpline and online support is a confidential service that can provide you with support on a whole range of issues. Read more

Published: 22nd October, 2019

Updated: 20th February, 2023

Author:

EULAR Edgar Stene Prize

EULAR Edgar Stene Prize

The EULAR Edgar Stene Prize 2022 will be awarded to the best essay submitted by a person with arthritis writing about how treating their condition has influenced their hopes for the future. Read more

Published: 13th August, 2021

Updated: 9th January, 2023

Author: Stephen Lee

Support Our Work

Support Our Work

Donate to Arthritis Ireland and help us to continue providing supports and services to people with arthritis.

Bank transfers can be made to: Arthritis Ireland, AIB Bank, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, IBAN: IE37 AIBK 9310 6300 1641 11, BIC: AIBKIE2D Read more

Donate Fundraise

Published: 15th August, 2021

Updated: 15th July, 2022

Author:

Comments: 1

Living Well with Arthritis

Living Well with Arthritis

Reduce your pain and reclaim your life from arthritis by signing up for one of our in-person or online self-management courses. Read more

Published: 13th January, 2022

Updated: 23rd March, 2023

Author: Brian Lynch

Getting the most from your medical appointments

Getting the most from your medical appointments

It is important to know the right questions to ask your doctor, how to discuss your symptoms with them and how to follow-up on your appointments. Read more

Published: 13th June, 2022

Updated: 24th August, 2022

Author: Peter Boyd

Newly diagnosed

Newly diagnosed

Being diagnosed with any type of arthritis can be a scary and confusing time for people. You will most likely have many questions about your condition and how it will affect you. Read more

Published: 23rd August, 2022

Updated: 24th August, 2022

Author:

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the name given to several forms of arthritis in children and teenagers under 16. It is an auto-immune condition, and while it principally affects the joints, it may also affect other organs including the eyes. Read more

Published: 16th March, 2023

Author: Peter Boyd

Arthritis Ireland
1 Clanwilliam Square
Grand Canal Quay
Dublin 2
D02 DH77

Talk to us:
01 661 8188 / 0818 252 846

Helpline

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Linkedin

RCN: 20011123; CHY: 6297; CRO: 78931

  • Contact us
  • Jobs
  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookie policy
  • Complaints policy

Sign up for our newsletter

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address (e.g. [email protected])




The development of this website was supported by the following companies, however, it was created without any input from them. The content and views expressed on the website are those of Arthritis Ireland, not of the sponsors.

MSD logo

Manage Cookie Preferences