Irritable Bowel Diet: Allowed And Forbidden Foods

The diet for irritable bowel syndrome should be easily digestible, avoiding the consumption of stimulating and irritating foods of the gastrointestinal mucosa, such as coffee and spicy foods, foods rich in fat and sugars, and regulating the consumption of fibers.

This diet varies from person to person because food tolerance and the symptoms present are not the same for everyone, as there may be intermittent periods of abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea and bloating. For this reason, it is important to see a nutritionist for an evaluation and to indicate an individualized and adapted food plan.

In addition, it is also recommended that the person writes down daily what they eat, this will help to identify which of the foods consumed could cause symptoms and discomfort, since many times the symptoms are associated with the ingestion of specific foods. See what are the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Allowed foods

Foods that may help prevent crises and can be included in the diet are:

Fruits such as papaya, melon, strawberry, lemon, tangerine, orange or grapes;

White or orange vegetables such as chayota, carrots, squash, zucchini, cucumber or lettuce;

White meats such as skinless chicken or turkey;

Fish of any kind, prepared grilled, baked or steamed;

Probiotic foods such as plain yogurt or kefir;

Eggs;

Skimmed milk and lactose-free white cheeses (if for any reason you feel discomfort when ingesting these types of products you should avoid them);

Almond, oat or coconut vegetable drinks;

Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, pistachios;

Teas with digestive and soothing properties, such as chamomile, linden or lemon balm (lemon balm), to be taken without sugar;

Oatmeal, almond or coconut flour to prepare bread, cakes, cookies and homemade pancakes;

Quinoa, buckwheat and sorghum.

In addition, you should also drink between 1.5 to 3 L of liquids per day, including water, soups, natural juices and teas, this will keep the stool hydrated to avoid constipation or dehydration in case of diarrhea.

It is important to mention that these foods may vary in case the person suffers from gluten intolerance, allergy or sensitivity to any food or lactose intolerance.

Other nutritional recommendations

To alleviate the discomfort caused by irritable bowel syndrome it is important to maintain some strategies such as: eating several meals a day in small amounts, chewing food well, avoiding skipping meals and regular physical activity to promote bowel movements.

In addition to this, fruit consumption should be limited to 3 servings per day and 2 servings of vegetables, as well as avoiding excessive consumption of resistant fibers, these are fibers that are not completely digested by the body, which causes them to ferment and increase the production of intestinal gas.

Food should be cooked simply and with few condiments, preferring the use of aromatic herbs to flavor meals.

Foods of moderate consumption

The consumption of foods rich in fiber should be moderate, varying from one person to another, depending on the symptoms present and the tolerance that this one has to them.

There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Most plant foods contain a mixture of both types, although some foods contain a greater proportion of one type of fiber than the other. In cases of irritable bowel, ideally the greater proportion should be soluble fibers, because they tend to produce less intestinal gas.

For this reason, the following foods should be consumed in moderation or avoided if possible:

Whole grains, rye, whole grain products, pasta;

Green bananas and corn;

Legumes such as lentils, beans, chickpeas, asparagus and peas;

Vegetables such as brussels sprouts, broccoli, onions and garlic.

This type of fiber could be beneficial in case the person has constipation, and should not be consumed in excess, however, if on the contrary, the person has diarrhea should not be ingested.

Foods to avoid

In the diet for irritable bowel syndrome it is important to avoid foods that are stimulants such as coffee, chocolate, energy drinks, black tea and green tea; the intake of alcoholic beverages and food that contain artificial sweeteners; condiments such as pepper, spicy, bouillon cubes and sauces; and foods with high fat and sugar content, such as fried foods, sausages, red meat cuts with lots of fat, yellow cheeses, cream cheese, frozen foods such as nuggets, pizzas or lasagna, fast foods, stuffed cookies, processed cakes, among others.

These foods cause the mucosa of the intestine to become irritated and inflamed, causing the onset or aggravating symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation, intestinal gas, cramping and abdominal pain.

Sample menu for irritable bowel

The table below shows a sample 3-day menu for managing irritable bowel syndrome:

1 homemade pancake prepared with almond flour

The amounts indicated in the menu and the foods mentioned vary from person to person, because the disease may present in milder degrees in some people, or on the contrary more severe in others.

It is important to go to a nutritionist to indicate a nutritional plan adapted to your needs, in addition to follow up on the diet until you discover which foods you can include, which ones you should consume in small quantities or infrequently and which ones you should definitely avoid, one way to follow this is to follow the steps of a FODMAP diet.

See what is the treatment for this syndrome.

What is a FODMAP diet?

To know the foods you should avoid, usually the nutritionist or doctor indicates the realization of the FODMAP diet. In this diet, some foods are classified into several groups, such as those containing fructose, lactose, oligosaccharides and polyols.

These foods are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and rapidly fermented by bacteria, so when restricted from the diet, they help relieve irritable bowel symptoms.

You start by restricting them for a period between 6 to 8 weeks, then gradually you can introduce them by group and observe the reaction generated by the body. This will help the person to identify and classify the foods that can be consumed, those that should be consumed infrequently and those that should be avoided, expanding the diet a little more.

See in more detail how the FODMAP diet works.