IBS diet

Reviewed by Dr. Nikita Dinger, Founder & CEO, BioMeBar. Last reviewed 7 October 2026.

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Who this is for

Your stomach cramps, you rush to the toilet before meetings, or you go days without a proper motion, and every test comes back “normal”. That is a common story with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This page is general food guidance for adults who have been diagnosed with IBS by a doctor, or whose doctor has ruled out other causes. If you are not sure whether your symptoms fit, try our IBS symptom checker and read IBS versus IBD. More on the condition is on our IBS page.

The idea behind it

IBS is a disorder of how the gut and brain communicate. The gut can be more sensitive, move too fast or too slowly, and react to stress, meals and gas. Standard first-line dietary advice, as used in UK NICE guidance and similar guidelines, is simple: eat regular meals, do not skip them, take your time, drink enough, limit certain triggers like caffeine and alcohol, and adjust fibre depending on your symptoms. A low-FODMAP diet is a second step, tried with a dietitian. See what is FODMAP and our page on low-FODMAP Indian meals.

What to eat

What suits you depends on your pattern: constipation, diarrhoea or both.

• Regular, modest meals: three meals and one or two snacks, at similar times.
• Soluble fibre: oats, a spoon of ground flaxseed, isabgol, ripe banana, which many people with IBS find gentler than wheat bran. This often helps IBS with constipation.
• Rice, idli, dosa, poha, khichdi, jowar and ragi as easy grains.
• Moong dal and masoor dal, well cooked, in smaller portions.
• Cooked vegetables: carrot, lauki, pumpkin, spinach, tomato, potato, turai.
• Curd or chaas if you tolerate dairy, and lactose-free options if not.
• Eggs, fish, chicken, paneer or tofu as protein.
• Spices that are gentle: jeera, ajwain, ginger, turmeric, fennel. Some people find peppermint tea soothing, though it can aggravate reflux.
• Fruit in portions of about a handful, spread through the day rather than a large fruit bowl at once.

What to limit or go slowly with

Common triggers are very spicy food, fried and fatty meals, large amounts of tea or coffee, alcohol, fizzy drinks, sugar-free sweeteners (sorbitol, mannitol), and big meals. Insoluble fibre such as wheat bran can worsen bloating and pain for some, so do not pile it on. Beans, cauliflower, raw onion and garlic, and large portions of wheat or apple may trigger symptoms in people who are sensitive to certain carbohydrates. Cut back on what clearly bothers you, not everything at once. Strict diets can strip meals of nutrients and make eating stressful, which worsens IBS. If you try a restrictive plan like low FODMAP, do it with a dietitian, for a limited period, and not as a permanent diet.

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A sample day

Meal	Idea
Breakfast	Oats porridge with banana, or two idlis with a little sambar
Lunch	Rice or a rotis, moong dal, lauki or carrot sabzi, a small bowl of curd
Snack	Roasted makhana or a small bowl of papaya, ginger tea
Dinner	Vegetable khichdi with ghee, sauteed spinach, an early finish

Habits that help

• Eat at regular times and do not skip breakfast.
• Sit down to eat, chew thoroughly, and put your phone away.
• Drink water through the day. Limit tea or coffee to a few cups.
• Walk after meals, and aim for regular activity on most days.
• Stress management matters: breathing exercises, yoga, regular sleep, or talking to a counsellor. See IBS and stress.
• Keep a food and symptom diary for two weeks to see patterns.
• Try one change at a time for a week or two.

Be wary of the all-or-nothing trap. IBS symptoms fluctuate, and it is easy to credit or blame a single food for what was really a stressful week. Try judging a change over two weeks and not two days. Keep the changes that help, drop those that do not, and aim for a diet that is as wide as your gut allows. Eating should not become a source of worry, and a dietitian can help you get there.

When to see a doctor first

IBS should be diagnosed by a doctor, not guessed at. See one if you have blood in stool, black stools, unexplained weight loss, night-time diarrhoea or pain, persistent vomiting, fever, anaemia, a family history of bowel cancer or coeliac disease, or if symptoms begin after age 50. Persistent bloating in women over 50 should also be checked.

Common questions

Is IBS caused by food?

Food can trigger symptoms but is not generally the underlying cause. The gut-brain connection, gut motility and sensitivity also play a role. See the gut-brain axis.

Should I avoid gluten?

Not unless you have coeliac disease or find wheat specifically triggers you. Get tested for coeliac disease before stopping gluten.

Do probiotics help IBS?

Some strains may help some people, but results vary. Choose one product, try it for several weeks, and stop if there is no benefit.

Is the low-FODMAP diet for life?

No. It is designed as a short trial followed by reintroduction.

Sources

• NICE guideline on irritable bowel syndrome in adults
• American College of Gastroenterology clinical guideline on IBS
• Monash University FODMAP resources
• ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians

Talk to us

If you would like to know whether BioMeBar can support you, message us on WhatsApp. Tell us your symptoms and your pincode and we will take it from there. Not sure where to start? Take the free gut assessment, which takes about three minutes.

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BioMeBar provides nutrition and gut health guidance and does not replace medical care. See a doctor for severe, persistent or worrying symptoms.