Eating well with IBS
Foods to watch with IBS
Updated
This is general guidance, not medical advice. IBS triggers vary from person to person, so talk to your GP or a registered dietitian before changing your diet.
Use the table as a starting point rather than a ban list: not everyone reacts to all of these foods, and portion size matters too. A food diary, as in Eating well with IBS, helps you spot your own triggers.
| Often a trigger | Gentler swaps |
|---|---|
| Lots of onion and garlic | A clove or two, spring onions or leek, garlic-infused oil, chives, a pinch of asafoetida |
| Beans and lentils in big portions | Tinned, rinsed beans and lentils in moderate portions, firm tofu, tempeh |
| Lots of wheat bread, pasta and cereal | Oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, spelt sourdough, gluten-free pasta |
| Milk, soft cheese and ice cream | Lactose-free milk and yoghurt, hard cheeses such as cheddar and parmesan |
| Apples, pears, mango, watermelon, stone fruit, dried fruit | Firm bananas, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, in small portions |
| Mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus | Carrot, courgette, green beans, spinach, parsnip, aubergine |
| Honey, agave and high-fructose syrups | Maple syrup or a little ordinary sugar |
| Sugar-free sweets and gum (sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol) | Small amounts of the ordinary kind; check labels marked sugar-free |
| Fizzy drinks, alcohol, lots of coffee | Water, and ginger, fennel or chamomile tea |
| For reflux: tomato, citrus, chilli, chocolate, mint, very fatty food | Fresh herbs, ginger, sweet spices, lean meat and fish |
The swaps in the recipes
Every IBS-friendly recipe uses swaps from the right-hand column. A few examples, with prep plus cooking time:
- Pork, Leek & Cannellini Casserole: leek instead of onion, one rinsed tin of beans and lactose-free milk. 1 hr, 22 blocks.
- Paprika Pork Stroganoff: sweet paprika, courgette and no mushrooms. 40 min, 22 blocks.
- Ginger Tofu & Vegetable Braise: firm tofu for protein, and maple syrup rather than honey. 40 min, 24 blocks.
- Ginger Beef & Pak Choi: ginger and tamari in place of chilli and tomato. 2 hr, 24 blocks.
- Turkey, Spinach & Quinoa Stew: quinoa instead of wheat. 50 min, 26 blocks.
- Tarragon Chicken & Courgette: courgette, green beans and carrot with a lactose-free creamy sauce. 50 min, 24 blocks.
About the low-FODMAP diet
FODMAPs are a group of carbohydrates that some guts find hard to absorb; most of the foods in the left-hand column are high in them. A low-FODMAP diet cuts them right down for a few weeks, then brings them back one group at a time to find your own triggers.
It helps many people, but it is restrictive, so it is best done with a dietitian. Ask your GP for a referral. The IBS-friendly recipes here are low-FODMAP-friendly, but they have not been lab-tested.