Part 3 of our 3-part series on Nutrition & IBD
You’ve learned which foods might aggravate your gut. You’ve browsed diets with names like SCD, FODMAP, and Mediterranean. Maybe you’ve even downloaded a meal plan or tried swapping out a few ingredients here and there. But here’s where things get real: how do you actually live this?
If you’ve been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, chances are you’ve already heard people say, “There’s no one-size-fits-all diet.” It’s true—but that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. It just means the right eating plan for you might look a little different than what works for someone else. And that’s okay.
This final installment of our IBD nutrition series is all about getting practical. You don’t need to overhaul your kitchen overnight. You don’t need to become a food detective. You just need a plan that fits your body, your lifestyle, and your sanity.
Step One: Keep It Simple (At First)
The internet loves extremes. But your gut? It might appreciate a more gentle approach.
Before you dive headfirst into an intense elimination diet or cut out entire food groups, start small. Try tracking what you eat for a few days—not with the goal of restriction, but just observation.
Pay attention to:
- How you feel after meals
- What symptoms pop up (bloating, urgency, cramping, fatigue)
- Patterns (Does that afternoon latte always precede a flare-up?)
Don’t stress over calories or macros. This is about learning your body’s signals, not micromanaging your plate.
Step Two: Identify Your Triggers
One person’s superfood is another person’s kryptonite. Seriously—some people with IBD can eat lentils without issue, while others are knocked flat by a spoonful.
Common culprits include:
- High-fiber raw veggies (especially during a flare)
- Spicy foods
- High-fat or greasy meals
- Dairy
- Sugar alcohols (those “sugar-free” sweets)
- Alcohol and caffeine
But remember: just because it’s a “common” trigger doesn’t mean it’s your trigger. Trial and error—done gently—is the name of the game here.
And if your list of no-go foods is growing faster than your list of safe ones? It might be time to call in a dietitian who understands IBD. (Yes, they exist. And yes, they can help you eat more, not less.)
Step Three: Build a Core Menu You Can Rely On
Let’s face it—flare days happen. And so do exhausted days. One of the best things you can do for yourself is create a short list of go-to meals that are easy to prep, make you feel good, and don’t require a Google search every time you cook.
These can be as simple as:
- Baked chicken, white rice, and cooked carrots
- Scrambled eggs with sourdough toast
- Oatmeal with almond butter and banana
- Smoothies made with low-fiber fruits like bananas or peeled apples
You’re not aiming for gourmet here. You’re building a safety net.
Step Four: Watch the Mental Game
Let’s talk about food fear.
It’s real, and it’s understandable. If you’ve ever had a meal send you racing to the bathroom (or worse, the ER), it’s no surprise you’d start to feel anxious around food. But avoiding too much—especially when you’re feeling well—can lead to malnutrition, weight loss, and a shrinking social life.
This is why working with your body, rather than fighting it or fearing it, is so important. Reintroducing foods when you’re in remission—even slowly—is part of keeping your gut (and your life) balanced.
Give yourself permission to enjoy meals again. That doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind; it means understanding that nutrition is about more than just symptom control. It’s also about pleasure, routine, nourishment, and connection.
Step Five: Know When to Ask for Help
You don’t need to be your own nutritionist, food scientist, and chef rolled into one. If diet changes are stressing you out, or you’re not sure what to eat anymore, that’s your cue: get professional support.
A GI dietitian can help you:
- Avoid unnecessary restrictions
- Identify nutritional gaps
- Build a realistic, sustainable food plan
- Navigate tricky moments like flares, travel, or new medications
And they can do all this without judgment—just real talk and real strategies that fit your life.
Final Thought: You’re Allowed to Be Flexible
We live in a world that likes rules and clean answers. But IBD doesn’t play by those rules. Your symptoms might not make sense on paper. Your “safe foods” might change from month to month. That’s not failure—it’s reality.
And the best diet for IBD? It’s the one that helps you live your life with fewer symptoms, less fear, and more energy. Sometimes that means quinoa and salmon. Other times it means mashed potatoes and a good nap.
You don’t have to follow a perfect plan. You just have to keep showing up for your body with curiosity, kindness, and flexibility.
Coming Full Circle
In this three-part series, we’ve explored how IBD affects digestion, reviewed the most buzzed-about diets in the IBD world, and now—wrapped it all up with practical strategies for finding what works.
No one has your exact body. No one knows your daily experience. But with the right information, some support, and a bit of trial and error, you can feel more confident and at ease with food again.
Your gut may be complicated—but your next meal doesn’t have to be.
