My Favorite Nourishing IBS-Friendly Foods

In the past year, I’ve been on a mission to nourish my body the best I can without upsetting my IBS-D. While I still struggle to eat during flares, I have found a couple of foods that I’m able to consume often, even when I don’t feel my best.

These foods work well for me and my IBS-D. While we’re all different and they might not necessarily work for you, I hope that this list at least gives you some ideas!

Favorite IBS-safe food

Beef liver

Apparently, beef liver is considered to be nature’s multivitamin – or at least so I’ve heard. But instead of taking it in capsule or powder form like many holistic health Instagram influencers seem to do, I absolutely love eating actual beef liver.

It super cheap, at least here in France. Nobody eats organ meats anymore, and 2 pieces of liver usually cost just a little over a Euro here. It’s not fatty, it contains tons of nutrients and I actually love the taste.

Seafood

I love everything ranging from fish to shrimp to oysters (although I prefer them cooked). Seafood is a great source of protein and I personally find it quite easy to digest. We usually keep some type of frozen fish in our freezer and throw it in the pan for a quick and easy dinner that goes well with white rice.

Beets

Since beets are so colorful, I always assumed that I couldn’t have them. In my head, an IBS-friendly diet had to be bland, even in color. Everything changed when my dad made a traditional Russian beet salad for a special occasion some time ago and I decided to try it. Lo and behold, I was fine! Since then, we’ve been buying cooked and packaged beets at the supermarket and just add them to every meal that lacks vegetables.

Carrots

When I first started having IBS symptoms, my doctor recommended I eat white rice with carrots to slow down my digestion. Ever since then, I’ve always considered carrots to be a safe food and the only vegetable I would ever eat in larger quantities. I always cook my carrots though. If I eat something like a raw carrot salad, I do keep to smaller quantities.

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut, like most fermented foods, is supposedly good for your gut health. Only I’ve been convinced for years and years and I would not be able to digest any cabbage derivative, and so I stayed far away from it. It turns out, however, that Sauerkraut isn’t a problem for me at all. I’m careful not to eat too much of it, but I love adding a little bit of Sauerkraut to almost any meal now.

Bananas

I don’t know what I would do without bananas. I eat them every single day. In the morning, I often mix 2 bananas with unsweetened cocoa powder and some rice or coconut milk to make a smoothie. If I don’t feel like doing that, I eat bananas for an afternoon snack. I always eat rather unripe bananas as I find them easiest to digest, but that might be different for everyone.

Chicken stock

My mom always used to make chicken stock when I was little, especially during the winter and sick season. Recently, I started doing the same and I’ve realized that stock is a great way to stay nourished and hydrated, even when my IBS is acting up a bit.

It’s extremely easy to make, too. Whenever we have chicken, I now always keep the bones and throw them in an instant pot with water, some spices, carrots and onions. The carrots and onions are optional. My children love chicken stock as well, even my 1-year-old eats a whole bowl of it! It’s a great way to stay hydrated, too, which is something I always struggle with.

What are your favorite nourishing IBS-friendly foods?