IBS Meal Plan: Say Goodbye to IBS with Life-Changing 7-Day Diet Plan!

IBS Meal Plan if properly followed may be more effective than medications used to treat IBS. IBS or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder mainly characterized by frequent episodes of abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and inconsistent bowel habits such as diarrhea and constipation.

Although the symptoms of IBS differ among people, some people might feel constipated more frequently while others might get recurrent diarrhea. 

Moreover, IBS is an incurable disease and can only be managed by nutritional management. The key to managing IBS is detecting the trigger foods and avoiding them to avoid IBS symptoms.

IBS is of three types:

• IBS-C (IBS with predominant symptoms of constipation)
• IBS-D (IBS with predominant symptoms of diarrhea), and 
• IBS- M (IBS with mixed symptoms of constipation and diarrhea)

One of the key dietary interventions is to reduce or avoid the intake of gas-forming foods. These foods are rich in fermentable sugars and are called FODMAP foods. Hence, one should follow a Low-FODMAP Diet.

Low FODMAP Diet for IBS

FODMAP stands for,

• Fermentable
• Oligosaccharides
• Disaccharides
• Monosaccharides 
• And 
• Polyols. 

The FODMAP foods increase the amount of water in the intestine which leads to increased gas, bloating, cramps, and recurrent diarrhea.

A low FODMAP diet mainly focuses on avoiding foods with a high FODMAP content. Decreasing these foods can help to control IBS symptoms in the following ways:

Gut bacteria are good bacteria that help in the digestion and absorption of food. However, some of these gut bacteria ferment the carbohydrates and this process produces gas. When we limit such carbs, we ultimately avoid the triggers for bloating and gas.

Another fact is the water-pulling action of these carbohydrates which adds extra water to the colon leading to frequent episodes of diarrhea.

Food Choices for Low FODMAP Diet:

FODMAP diet does not cause IBS. IBS is caused by a variety of factors and one of the most important ones is the abnormal gut-brain axis. Hence, most patients with IBS have associated anxiety, depression, and visceral hypersensitivity, and fall into the category of what we call a “Type A Personality”.

A person who is always anxious, and worried about minor issues. Just like mental irritability, his gut is irritable too.

On top of that, FODMAP foods trigger IBS symptoms and that’s why IBS diets focus on avoiding these foods.

Moreover, most of the FODMAP foods are fruits, vegetables, and cereals therefore, you must follow the FODMAP diet guide stepwise to not cause any other deficiencies.

To start, stick with avoiding cereals such as wheat and rye, high fructose corn syrup, dairy products, and any type of artificial sweeteners.

If this still causes symptoms then continue to the next step and avoid chickpeas, legumes, and restricted fruits mentioned below in the table:

Here is a sample IBS Meal Plan of 1000 Kcal Day-Wise :

Here is a table summarizing the 7-day, 1000 kcal IBS Meal Plan:

Here is another IBS Meal Plan of 1500 Kcal Day-wise:

Here is a table summarizing the 7-day IBS Meal Plan of 1500 Kcal per day:

Low FODMAP Diet Recommendations

• Identify your trigger foods and then remove them from your diet.
• After following the Low FODMAP diet, try to reintroduce the skipped foods one at a time and see if those foods work for you.
• Avoid eating large portions of food.
• Avocados are high FODMAP but a 30g serving is safe to eat and works well with IBS.
• Optimize fiber in your daily diet from low-FODMAP fruits, vegetables, and seeds such as chia seeds.
• Reduce or completely avoid carbonated drinks as they lead to gas and bloating.
• Avoid the highest trigger foods such as coffee, fatty foods, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners.
• Exercise regularly.
• Eat regular meals.
• Reduce stress and maintain a healthy sleep schedule.

Tips for Eating Out:

Traveling and eating out can be difficult for those with IBS, but there are methods to make it simpler.

• When dining out, search for places that provide healthy selections or ask the server to make changes to your meal.
• Bring nutritious snacks ahead of time when traveling.
• Be aware of side dishes as they might contain trigger ingredients.
• Make sure you make gluten-free choices for burgers, pizza, and pasta.
• Rice and meat dishes are the safe zone just be aware of the side veggies.

Non-diet IBS Triggers:

Besides the dietary triggers, some non-diet triggers can also aggravate the symptoms such as:

• Sitting all-day
• Eating large food portions in one sitting
• Eating too fast without chewing properly
• Stressful conditions
• Skipping meals
• Straining on toilet
• Hormonal imbalance

“Download a PDF Version of the above IBS Meal Plan for better visibility”