IBS Symptoms: Which Foods to Eat and Avoid

The foods to avoid with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) differ from person to person, but there are some common culprits. For example, you may feel increasingly bloated and constipated after consuming dairy. Or, you might experience worsening diarrhea if you eat fried foods.While you may end up sorting out your personal food triggers the hard way, it can be helpful to know what may contribute to an IBS flare-up and encourage these unpleasant IBS symptoms. Diet can also play a role inhelpingyour condition, and having a list of the foods that are IBS-friendly is handy when you’re looking for food swaps as well.Here are some practical tips on foods to avoid (and reach for) if you are trying to manageconstipation-predominant IBS(IBS-C),diarrhea-predominant IBS(IBS-D), oralternating-type IBS(IBS-M).Foods to Avoid When You’re Constipated and BloatedRoss Durant Photography/Photolibrary/Getty ImagesIf you’re constipated, or have a tendency to get backed up, the last thing you need is to eat anything binding. Somekey foods you need to avoidare:Anything made with white flour, especially white bread and baked goods made with hydrogenated fatsProcessed meat including bacon, bologna, sausage, and hot dogsDeep-fried foods (including food labeled “oven-fried”)Chips of any sortDairy products such as cheese, sour cream, ice cream, and whole milkRed meatsBananasWhite riceFoods to Eat to Improve IBS Constipation and BloatingChristopher Furlong/Getty ImagesSomefoods can get your system movingand relieve constipation. Key to this is digestive fiber, also known as roughage.Especially useful is a type known as insoluble fiber, which doesn’t dissolve in water. Instead, it absorbs water as it passes through the intestines. That water softens your stool.The bestfood sources to improve IBS constipationare:Fresh fruits, especially berries, peaches, apricots, plums, and rhubarbWhole grains, including whole-grain bread and cooked oats, brown rice, whole wheat, quinoa, or barleyFresh vegetablesDried fruit, especially prunes and raisinsPrune juiceNuts and seedsBeans and legumes (such as chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, navy beans, and kidney beans) are good sources of fiber but are also on the list of high FODMAP foods that can trigger IBS-D symptoms if you eat too much.Foods to Avoid to Reduce IBS DiarrheaElaine Lemm/Getty ImagesIf you have diarrhea, it’s important to know that certain foods can encourage painful intestinal spasms and loose stools.Somefoods to avoid if you have or tend to have IBS-related diarrhea include:Dairy products, particularly high-fat cheeses, ice cream, whole milk, cream, and sour creamCreamy foodsGravyDeep-fried foodsSugar-free foods made with artificial sweeteners, such as candies, gum, and diet sodasGas-producing foods like beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, peaches, pears, and plumsDried fruitsCaffeinated coffee, tea, or sodasCarbonated drinksAlcoholFoods to Eat When You Have Diarrhea From IBSLew Robertson/Getty ImagesTheBRAT dietis often recommended to help bind loose or watery stools.BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.However, this restrictive diet is recommended as a short-term solution such as a 48-hour timeframe during diarrhea flare-ups. In rare cases it can cause nutritional deficiency when followed with extreme measures.A more balancedanti-diarrheal dietconsists of:Bananas (unripe only)White riceWhite toast (not whole-grain)Mashed potatoesButternut, pumpkin, acorn squash, and other winter squashesSteamed, baked, or broiled chicken or lean meatLactose-free yogurtChicken brothFarina, oatmeal, or Cream of WheatFresh vegetablesPretzelsFermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, or pickles with a ​probiotic effectSports drinks to prevent dehydration and replace electrolytes

The foods to avoid with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) differ from person to person, but there are some common culprits. For example, you may feel increasingly bloated and constipated after consuming dairy. Or, you might experience worsening diarrhea if you eat fried foods.While you may end up sorting out your personal food triggers the hard way, it can be helpful to know what may contribute to an IBS flare-up and encourage these unpleasant IBS symptoms. Diet can also play a role inhelpingyour condition, and having a list of the foods that are IBS-friendly is handy when you’re looking for food swaps as well.Here are some practical tips on foods to avoid (and reach for) if you are trying to manageconstipation-predominant IBS(IBS-C),diarrhea-predominant IBS(IBS-D), oralternating-type IBS(IBS-M).

The foods to avoid with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) differ from person to person, but there are some common culprits. For example, you may feel increasingly bloated and constipated after consuming dairy. Or, you might experience worsening diarrhea if you eat fried foods.

While you may end up sorting out your personal food triggers the hard way, it can be helpful to know what may contribute to an IBS flare-up and encourage these unpleasant IBS symptoms. Diet can also play a role inhelpingyour condition, and having a list of the foods that are IBS-friendly is handy when you’re looking for food swaps as well.

Here are some practical tips on foods to avoid (and reach for) if you are trying to manageconstipation-predominant IBS(IBS-C),diarrhea-predominant IBS(IBS-D), oralternating-type IBS(IBS-M).

Foods to Avoid When You’re Constipated and BloatedRoss Durant Photography/Photolibrary/Getty ImagesIf you’re constipated, or have a tendency to get backed up, the last thing you need is to eat anything binding. Somekey foods you need to avoidare:Anything made with white flour, especially white bread and baked goods made with hydrogenated fatsProcessed meat including bacon, bologna, sausage, and hot dogsDeep-fried foods (including food labeled “oven-fried”)Chips of any sortDairy products such as cheese, sour cream, ice cream, and whole milkRed meatsBananasWhite riceFoods to Eat to Improve IBS Constipation and BloatingChristopher Furlong/Getty ImagesSomefoods can get your system movingand relieve constipation. Key to this is digestive fiber, also known as roughage.Especially useful is a type known as insoluble fiber, which doesn’t dissolve in water. Instead, it absorbs water as it passes through the intestines. That water softens your stool.The bestfood sources to improve IBS constipationare:Fresh fruits, especially berries, peaches, apricots, plums, and rhubarbWhole grains, including whole-grain bread and cooked oats, brown rice, whole wheat, quinoa, or barleyFresh vegetablesDried fruit, especially prunes and raisinsPrune juiceNuts and seedsBeans and legumes (such as chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, navy beans, and kidney beans) are good sources of fiber but are also on the list of high FODMAP foods that can trigger IBS-D symptoms if you eat too much.Foods to Avoid to Reduce IBS DiarrheaElaine Lemm/Getty ImagesIf you have diarrhea, it’s important to know that certain foods can encourage painful intestinal spasms and loose stools.Somefoods to avoid if you have or tend to have IBS-related diarrhea include:Dairy products, particularly high-fat cheeses, ice cream, whole milk, cream, and sour creamCreamy foodsGravyDeep-fried foodsSugar-free foods made with artificial sweeteners, such as candies, gum, and diet sodasGas-producing foods like beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, peaches, pears, and plumsDried fruitsCaffeinated coffee, tea, or sodasCarbonated drinksAlcoholFoods to Eat When You Have Diarrhea From IBSLew Robertson/Getty ImagesTheBRAT dietis often recommended to help bind loose or watery stools.BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.However, this restrictive diet is recommended as a short-term solution such as a 48-hour timeframe during diarrhea flare-ups. In rare cases it can cause nutritional deficiency when followed with extreme measures.A more balancedanti-diarrheal dietconsists of:Bananas (unripe only)White riceWhite toast (not whole-grain)Mashed potatoesButternut, pumpkin, acorn squash, and other winter squashesSteamed, baked, or broiled chicken or lean meatLactose-free yogurtChicken brothFarina, oatmeal, or Cream of WheatFresh vegetablesPretzelsFermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, or pickles with a ​probiotic effectSports drinks to prevent dehydration and replace electrolytes

Foods to Avoid When You’re Constipated and BloatedRoss Durant Photography/Photolibrary/Getty ImagesIf you’re constipated, or have a tendency to get backed up, the last thing you need is to eat anything binding. Somekey foods you need to avoidare:Anything made with white flour, especially white bread and baked goods made with hydrogenated fatsProcessed meat including bacon, bologna, sausage, and hot dogsDeep-fried foods (including food labeled “oven-fried”)Chips of any sortDairy products such as cheese, sour cream, ice cream, and whole milkRed meatsBananasWhite rice

Foods to Avoid When You’re Constipated and Bloated

Ross Durant Photography/Photolibrary/Getty Images

If you’re constipated, or have a tendency to get backed up, the last thing you need is to eat anything binding. Somekey foods you need to avoidare:

Foods to Eat to Improve IBS Constipation and BloatingChristopher Furlong/Getty ImagesSomefoods can get your system movingand relieve constipation. Key to this is digestive fiber, also known as roughage.Especially useful is a type known as insoluble fiber, which doesn’t dissolve in water. Instead, it absorbs water as it passes through the intestines. That water softens your stool.The bestfood sources to improve IBS constipationare:Fresh fruits, especially berries, peaches, apricots, plums, and rhubarbWhole grains, including whole-grain bread and cooked oats, brown rice, whole wheat, quinoa, or barleyFresh vegetablesDried fruit, especially prunes and raisinsPrune juiceNuts and seedsBeans and legumes (such as chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, navy beans, and kidney beans) are good sources of fiber but are also on the list of high FODMAP foods that can trigger IBS-D symptoms if you eat too much.

Foods to Eat to Improve IBS Constipation and Bloating

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Somefoods can get your system movingand relieve constipation. Key to this is digestive fiber, also known as roughage.

Especially useful is a type known as insoluble fiber, which doesn’t dissolve in water. Instead, it absorbs water as it passes through the intestines. That water softens your stool.

The bestfood sources to improve IBS constipationare:

Beans and legumes (such as chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, navy beans, and kidney beans) are good sources of fiber but are also on the list of high FODMAP foods that can trigger IBS-D symptoms if you eat too much.

Foods to Avoid to Reduce IBS DiarrheaElaine Lemm/Getty ImagesIf you have diarrhea, it’s important to know that certain foods can encourage painful intestinal spasms and loose stools.Somefoods to avoid if you have or tend to have IBS-related diarrhea include:Dairy products, particularly high-fat cheeses, ice cream, whole milk, cream, and sour creamCreamy foodsGravyDeep-fried foodsSugar-free foods made with artificial sweeteners, such as candies, gum, and diet sodasGas-producing foods like beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, peaches, pears, and plumsDried fruitsCaffeinated coffee, tea, or sodasCarbonated drinksAlcohol

Foods to Avoid to Reduce IBS Diarrhea

Elaine Lemm/Getty Images

If you have diarrhea, it’s important to know that certain foods can encourage painful intestinal spasms and loose stools.

Somefoods to avoid if you have or tend to have IBS-related diarrhea include:

Foods to Eat When You Have Diarrhea From IBSLew Robertson/Getty ImagesTheBRAT dietis often recommended to help bind loose or watery stools.BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.However, this restrictive diet is recommended as a short-term solution such as a 48-hour timeframe during diarrhea flare-ups. In rare cases it can cause nutritional deficiency when followed with extreme measures.A more balancedanti-diarrheal dietconsists of:Bananas (unripe only)White riceWhite toast (not whole-grain)Mashed potatoesButternut, pumpkin, acorn squash, and other winter squashesSteamed, baked, or broiled chicken or lean meatLactose-free yogurtChicken brothFarina, oatmeal, or Cream of WheatFresh vegetablesPretzelsFermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, or pickles with a ​probiotic effectSports drinks to prevent dehydration and replace electrolytes

Foods to Eat When You Have Diarrhea From IBS

Lew Robertson/Getty Images

TheBRAT dietis often recommended to help bind loose or watery stools.BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.

However, this restrictive diet is recommended as a short-term solution such as a 48-hour timeframe during diarrhea flare-ups. In rare cases it can cause nutritional deficiency when followed with extreme measures.

A more balancedanti-diarrheal dietconsists of:

8 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.Cozma-Petruţ A, Loghin F, Miere D, Dumitraşcu DL.Diet in irritable bowel syndrome: What to recommend, not what to forbid to patients!World J Gastroenterol. 2017;23(21):3771-3783. doi:10.3748/wjg.v23.i21.3771Bellini M, Tonarelli S, Barracca F, et al.Chronic constipation: is a nutritional approach reasonable?Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3386. doi:10.3390/nu13103386McRorie JW Jr, McKeown NM.Understanding the physics of functional fibers in the gastrointestinal tract: an evidence-based approach to resolving enduring misconceptions about insoluble and soluble fiber.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017;117(2):251-264. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.021Capili B, Anastasi JK, Chang M.Addressing the role of food in irritable bowel syndrome symptom management.J Nurse Pract. 2016;12(5):324-329. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2015.12.007Wendy B, Andrew S.Acute diarrhea in adults.American Family Physician. 2014;89(3):180-9.National Library of Medicine.Bland diet.MedlinePlus.Low FODMAP diet.American College of Gastroenerology.Low-FODMAP (Fermentable, Oligo-, Di- Mono-saccharides And Polyols) Diet: Overview.

8 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.Cozma-Petruţ A, Loghin F, Miere D, Dumitraşcu DL.Diet in irritable bowel syndrome: What to recommend, not what to forbid to patients!World J Gastroenterol. 2017;23(21):3771-3783. doi:10.3748/wjg.v23.i21.3771Bellini M, Tonarelli S, Barracca F, et al.Chronic constipation: is a nutritional approach reasonable?Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3386. doi:10.3390/nu13103386McRorie JW Jr, McKeown NM.Understanding the physics of functional fibers in the gastrointestinal tract: an evidence-based approach to resolving enduring misconceptions about insoluble and soluble fiber.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017;117(2):251-264. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.021Capili B, Anastasi JK, Chang M.Addressing the role of food in irritable bowel syndrome symptom management.J Nurse Pract. 2016;12(5):324-329. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2015.12.007Wendy B, Andrew S.Acute diarrhea in adults.American Family Physician. 2014;89(3):180-9.National Library of Medicine.Bland diet.MedlinePlus.Low FODMAP diet.American College of Gastroenerology.Low-FODMAP (Fermentable, Oligo-, Di- Mono-saccharides And Polyols) Diet: Overview.

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.

Cozma-Petruţ A, Loghin F, Miere D, Dumitraşcu DL.Diet in irritable bowel syndrome: What to recommend, not what to forbid to patients!World J Gastroenterol. 2017;23(21):3771-3783. doi:10.3748/wjg.v23.i21.3771Bellini M, Tonarelli S, Barracca F, et al.Chronic constipation: is a nutritional approach reasonable?Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3386. doi:10.3390/nu13103386McRorie JW Jr, McKeown NM.Understanding the physics of functional fibers in the gastrointestinal tract: an evidence-based approach to resolving enduring misconceptions about insoluble and soluble fiber.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017;117(2):251-264. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.021Capili B, Anastasi JK, Chang M.Addressing the role of food in irritable bowel syndrome symptom management.J Nurse Pract. 2016;12(5):324-329. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2015.12.007Wendy B, Andrew S.Acute diarrhea in adults.American Family Physician. 2014;89(3):180-9.National Library of Medicine.Bland diet.MedlinePlus.Low FODMAP diet.American College of Gastroenerology.Low-FODMAP (Fermentable, Oligo-, Di- Mono-saccharides And Polyols) Diet: Overview.

Cozma-Petruţ A, Loghin F, Miere D, Dumitraşcu DL.Diet in irritable bowel syndrome: What to recommend, not what to forbid to patients!World J Gastroenterol. 2017;23(21):3771-3783. doi:10.3748/wjg.v23.i21.3771

Bellini M, Tonarelli S, Barracca F, et al.Chronic constipation: is a nutritional approach reasonable?Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3386. doi:10.3390/nu13103386

McRorie JW Jr, McKeown NM.Understanding the physics of functional fibers in the gastrointestinal tract: an evidence-based approach to resolving enduring misconceptions about insoluble and soluble fiber.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017;117(2):251-264. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.021

Capili B, Anastasi JK, Chang M.Addressing the role of food in irritable bowel syndrome symptom management.J Nurse Pract. 2016;12(5):324-329. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2015.12.007

Wendy B, Andrew S.Acute diarrhea in adults.American Family Physician. 2014;89(3):180-9.

National Library of Medicine.Bland diet.

MedlinePlus.Low FODMAP diet.

American College of Gastroenerology.Low-FODMAP (Fermentable, Oligo-, Di- Mono-saccharides And Polyols) Diet: Overview.

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