Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDiet PhasesFoods to EatFoods to AvoidSummary
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Diet Phases
Foods to Eat
Foods to Avoid
Summary
The IBD-AID diet reduces inflammation and balances gut bacteria to manage IBD. It limits certain carbs like lactose, wheat, and refined sugars, and promotesprebiotic and probiotic foodsand healthy fats. It also involves eating softer food textures during flare-ups to ease digestion.
The IBD-AID diet has three phases. Phase 1 includes soft or pureed foods like soups and yogurt during flares. Phase 2 adds more cooked vegetables, fish, and lean meats. Phase 3 allows for a wider variety, including raw veggies, fruits, and nuts as symptoms improve.
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IBD-AID Diet Phases
The diet is divided into three phases, each of which focuses on foods that are easier or harder to digest depending on your current symptoms. The phases are:
Some stomach discomfort is normal when trying new foods, but the IBD-AID diet shouldn’t worsen your symptoms. If it does, contact your healthcare provider or dietitian for individualized advice.
Best Foods for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
IBD-AID focuses on avoiding foods that trigger inflammation and optimizing your diet with foods that help fight inflammation and improve gut health.
Use this list as a guide for what to eat each day, regardless of phase:
Some of the best foods to eat for inflammatory bowel disease are as follows.
TypeOptionsProbioticsPlain yogurt, aged cheeses, fermented veggies, kefir, miso, pickles, raw honey, fermented cabbage, kimchi, tempehPrebiotics and soluble fiberOat groats, steel-cut oats, bananas, ground flax seed, chia, hemp seed, garlic, onions, chicory root, artichokes, leeks, asparagus, yuccaHealthy fatsOlive oil, avocado, fatty fish like salmon and sardines, nuts and nut butters, coconut oilVegetablesCooked carrots, cooked zucchini, cooked spinach, cooked pumpkin, cooked and peeled sweet potatoes, cooked butternut squash, cooked peas, beetsFruitsCooked and peeled apples, cooked and peeled pears, cantaloupe, blueberries, cooked and peeled peaches, mangoLean proteinSkinless chicken breast, skinless turkey, fatty fish, lean beef, eggs, tofu, beans and lentilsWhat’s best for someone else might not be best for you. The foods mentioned above are generally considered gentle on the stomach and easy-to-digest. But, if you find that your body does not tolerate a certain food well, switch it out for something else.You may find it helpful to plan out an assortment of breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu options for each phase of the IBD-AID diet. It can also help to plan meals out with a dietician, or join an IBD-AID support group to learn and share recipe ideas.Worst Foods for IBDThe worst foods for individuals with IBD can differ because each person’s gut reacts differently to various foods.Generally speaking, there are a handful of foods to avoid when following the IBD-AID diet:Trans fats:Often found in store-bought baked goods and anything that contains “partially hydrogenated oil"Irritating food additives:Such as carrageenan, maltodextrin, polysorbate 80, and carbosymethylcelluloseRefined sugars:Including table sugar (sucrose), highfructosecorn syrup, and corn syrupGrains:With the exception of oats, which can be helpful for people with IBDFast food and processed foods:Including chips, frozen meals, and sugary cerealsDairy:Milk and fresh cheeses are best avoided, but aged cheeses are typically okayAre Salads Bad for IBD?Some people may experience discomfort when they eat raw salads due to the high fiber content salads can contain. For this reason, it is often recommended to avoid raw veggies during IBD flares and opt for cooked veggies instead.SummaryThe IBD-AID diet emphasizes avoiding pro-inflammatory foods like refined carbohydrates, sugars, and fatty foods. These foods can trigger gut inflammation and flares in people with IBD. Conversely, eating plenty of probiotics, prebiotics, cooked vegetables, and some fruits may help reduce inflammation and flares. If you are not sure what foods to eat for your condition, consider working with a qualified dietitian to create a personalized diet plan.
What’s best for someone else might not be best for you. The foods mentioned above are generally considered gentle on the stomach and easy-to-digest. But, if you find that your body does not tolerate a certain food well, switch it out for something else.
You may find it helpful to plan out an assortment of breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu options for each phase of the IBD-AID diet. It can also help to plan meals out with a dietician, or join an IBD-AID support group to learn and share recipe ideas.
Worst Foods for IBD
The worst foods for individuals with IBD can differ because each person’s gut reacts differently to various foods.
Generally speaking, there are a handful of foods to avoid when following the IBD-AID diet:
Are Salads Bad for IBD?Some people may experience discomfort when they eat raw salads due to the high fiber content salads can contain. For this reason, it is often recommended to avoid raw veggies during IBD flares and opt for cooked veggies instead.
Are Salads Bad for IBD?
Some people may experience discomfort when they eat raw salads due to the high fiber content salads can contain. For this reason, it is often recommended to avoid raw veggies during IBD flares and opt for cooked veggies instead.
The IBD-AID diet emphasizes avoiding pro-inflammatory foods like refined carbohydrates, sugars, and fatty foods. These foods can trigger gut inflammation and flares in people with IBD. Conversely, eating plenty of probiotics, prebiotics, cooked vegetables, and some fruits may help reduce inflammation and flares. If you are not sure what foods to eat for your condition, consider working with a qualified dietitian to create a personalized diet plan.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Manski S, Noverati N, Policarpo T, Rubin E, Shivashankar R.Diet and nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease: A review of the literature.Crohn’s & Colitis 360. 2024 Jan;6(1). doi:10.1093/crocol/otad077UMass Chan Medical School.IBD-AID phases.UMass Chan Medical School.IBD-AID foods list & helpful tools.Crohn’s & Colitis Dietitians.Can you eat salad with Crohn’s disease?.Additional ReadingGray S.UMMS first to develop evidence-based diet for inflammatory bowel disease. UMass Med Now. April 25, 2014.Hillman ET, Lu H, Yao T, Nakatsu CH.Microbial ecology along the gastrointestinal tract.Microbes Environ. 2017;32:300‐313. doi:10.1264/jsme2.ME17017Hotte NS, Salim SY, Tso RH, et al.Patients with inflammatory bowel disease exhibit dysregulated responses to microbial DNA.PLoS One. 2012;7:e37932. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037932Nishida A, Inoue R, Inatomi O, et al.Gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.Clin J Gastroenterol. 2018;11:1-10 doi:10.1007/s12328-017-0813-5
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Manski S, Noverati N, Policarpo T, Rubin E, Shivashankar R.Diet and nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease: A review of the literature.Crohn’s & Colitis 360. 2024 Jan;6(1). doi:10.1093/crocol/otad077UMass Chan Medical School.IBD-AID phases.UMass Chan Medical School.IBD-AID foods list & helpful tools.Crohn’s & Colitis Dietitians.Can you eat salad with Crohn’s disease?.Additional ReadingGray S.UMMS first to develop evidence-based diet for inflammatory bowel disease. UMass Med Now. April 25, 2014.Hillman ET, Lu H, Yao T, Nakatsu CH.Microbial ecology along the gastrointestinal tract.Microbes Environ. 2017;32:300‐313. doi:10.1264/jsme2.ME17017Hotte NS, Salim SY, Tso RH, et al.Patients with inflammatory bowel disease exhibit dysregulated responses to microbial DNA.PLoS One. 2012;7:e37932. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037932Nishida A, Inoue R, Inatomi O, et al.Gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.Clin J Gastroenterol. 2018;11:1-10 doi:10.1007/s12328-017-0813-5
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Manski S, Noverati N, Policarpo T, Rubin E, Shivashankar R.Diet and nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease: A review of the literature.Crohn’s & Colitis 360. 2024 Jan;6(1). doi:10.1093/crocol/otad077UMass Chan Medical School.IBD-AID phases.UMass Chan Medical School.IBD-AID foods list & helpful tools.Crohn’s & Colitis Dietitians.Can you eat salad with Crohn’s disease?.
Manski S, Noverati N, Policarpo T, Rubin E, Shivashankar R.Diet and nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease: A review of the literature.Crohn’s & Colitis 360. 2024 Jan;6(1). doi:10.1093/crocol/otad077
UMass Chan Medical School.IBD-AID phases.
UMass Chan Medical School.IBD-AID foods list & helpful tools.
Crohn’s & Colitis Dietitians.Can you eat salad with Crohn’s disease?.
Gray S.UMMS first to develop evidence-based diet for inflammatory bowel disease. UMass Med Now. April 25, 2014.Hillman ET, Lu H, Yao T, Nakatsu CH.Microbial ecology along the gastrointestinal tract.Microbes Environ. 2017;32:300‐313. doi:10.1264/jsme2.ME17017Hotte NS, Salim SY, Tso RH, et al.Patients with inflammatory bowel disease exhibit dysregulated responses to microbial DNA.PLoS One. 2012;7:e37932. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037932Nishida A, Inoue R, Inatomi O, et al.Gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.Clin J Gastroenterol. 2018;11:1-10 doi:10.1007/s12328-017-0813-5
Gray S.UMMS first to develop evidence-based diet for inflammatory bowel disease. UMass Med Now. April 25, 2014.
Hillman ET, Lu H, Yao T, Nakatsu CH.Microbial ecology along the gastrointestinal tract.Microbes Environ. 2017;32:300‐313. doi:10.1264/jsme2.ME17017
Hotte NS, Salim SY, Tso RH, et al.Patients with inflammatory bowel disease exhibit dysregulated responses to microbial DNA.PLoS One. 2012;7:e37932. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037932
Nishida A, Inoue R, Inatomi O, et al.Gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.Clin J Gastroenterol. 2018;11:1-10 doi:10.1007/s12328-017-0813-5
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