Food suggestions to eat with your CFTR modulator
It is important that you take your CFTR modulator with a meal or snack that contains fat. Aim to eat a minimum of 5 to 10 g of fat when you take a CFTR modulator. Fat helps with the absorption of the medication.
| Food | Amount of fat |
|---|---|
| English muffin with 1½ tbsp of peanut butter | 12 g |
| Guacamole (60 g) with carrot sticks | 12 g |
| ¼ cup shredded cheese on a tortilla with 1 tbsp of guacamole | 14 g |
| 1 package regular oatmeal with 2 tbsp of chopped walnuts and ¼ cup of 2% milk | 11 g |
| 2 tbsp of peanut butter with a banana | 16 g |
| 1 hardboiled egg | 5 g |
| 10 large black olives | 5-6 g |
| ¼ cup hummus with raw veggies | 12 g |
| ¼ cup hummus and a pita | 12 g |
| 3 slices of bacon | 10 g |
| 2 string cheese | 10 g |
| 1 cup (250 mL) 3.25% milk | 9 g |
| 1 cup (250 mL) 2% milk | 5 g |
| ¼ of an avocado | 7 g |
| 15 almonds | 9 g |
| 18 cashews | 13 g |
| 35 pistachios | 9 g |
| 2 tbsp of chocolate and hazelnut spread (e.g., Nutella) | 11 g |
| Oats, quinoa and dried fruit snack (e.g., Aussie Bites) | 7 g |
| Cheese, dried fruit and nut snack pack (e.g., Sargento Balanced Breaks) | 10-15 g |
| Nut bar (e.g., Kind, Taste of Nature) | 12-17 g |
| Milk chocolate fun size bar: 2 to 4 bars | 6-10 g |
Changes to diet and lifestyle when taking CFTR modulators
When taking a CFTR modulator you may need to make some changes to your diet. Talk to your CF dietitian to get suggestions on what diet changes are healthy for you. Some changes that might be suggested include:
- Decreasing and/or stopping your nutrition shake (e.g., Ensure, Boost, Pediasure and Scandishake) unless used as a meal replacement or for fat content when taking your modulator.
- Decreasing the number of snacks you eat daily.
- Increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables.
- Switching sugar-containing drinks (e.g., juice, pop and blended iced coffee/chocolate drinks) to water.
- Keeping electrolyte drinks if needed for sodium during sports or exercise but decreasing the calorie and/or sugar content.
- Changing to lower-fat dairy products such as 1% or 2% milk.
- Discontinuing high-calorie additives such as butter, sauces, dips, spreads, margarine, cheese and sour cream.
- Decreasing the frequency of meals and snacks; for example, change to three meals and one snack per day.
- Reducing the amount of sugar you eat. Do this by having fewer desserts each week and fewer sugar-containing drinks and snacks.
To help with possible constipation:
- Increase your fluid intake by 50% more than what you are currently drinking. For example, if you are drinking 1500 mL (6 cups) per day then increase this to 2300 mL (9 cups) per day.
- Increase your fibre intake by choosing foods such as whole grain bread and cereal, or bran buds (2 to 4 tbsp) on their own or mixed with your favorite cereal or legumes.
You also need to be able to recognize when your sodium levels are low and know when you need more salt. Symptoms can include:
- nausea or vomiting
- headache, confusion, or fatigue
- low blood pressure
- loss of energy
- muscle weakness, twitching or cramps
- seizures or coma
- restlessness or bad temper
Vitamin supplements
In addition to better nutrient digestion and absorption, you may also have improved fat-soluble vitamin absorption. A decrease in the vitamin supplements that you take may be recommended by your dietitian or health-care team. Your vitamin levels are checked regularly during the first year of taking Trikafta.
Physical activity
It is important to continue with physical activity or to increase physical activity levels to help with building strong bones and muscles. As well, exercise can help with mucus clearance although it is not a replacement for performing your airway clearance therapies.
