Garlic, onions, alcohol, fatty foods, fried foods, chocolate, cocoa, coffee (even decaffeinated), dried fruits, citrus fruit and juices (orange, pineapple, and grapefruit), tomato products, peppermint, whole-grain breads and cereals, prespiced foods such as processed lunch meats and ham, pepper, and chili powder. Avoid pepper, chili powder, and cocoa spices.

Eat at least three small meals a day.

Avoid alcohol and beer.

Avoid caffeinated drinks/colas.

Avoid fried, greasy foods.

Bake or broil your foods.

Trim the fat from meats before cooking.

Bake, broil, mash, or cream potatoes.

Avoid raw fruits and vegetables, such as corn on the cob, and other gas-forming vegetables such as cabbage, dried beans, and peas.

Avoid rich desserts.

Avoid bedtime snacks—they may increase acid production and cause discomfort at night.

Avoid eating 2 hours before you go to bed.

Ask your healthcare provider if nutritional supplements are necessary.

Dairy products:

Meat:

Breads/grains:

Fruits/vegetables:

Desserts:

Drinks:

Spices:

Slowly cut back on your salty foods and begin to use healthier products. Take the saltshaker off the table.

Eat fresh foods.

Read food labels.

Avoid salty snacks and foods, including:

Limit using soy sauce, seasoned salts, and meat tenderizers.

Many seasonings, including ketchup and sauces, contain a lot of sodium. Substitute with other flavors such as fresh herbs (e.g., rosemary, thyme, oregano, cilantro, and basil). Use garlic powder, lemon and lime juice, and crushed red peppers, as well as ginger.

Try making your own salt-free herb blend to use on your foods. Ingredients that can add flavor without adding salt include:

Helpful websites for salt-free herb blend, products, and recipes:

Start small. Make gradual changes in your eating habits, such as eating smaller portions (see Tables B.1 and B.2).

Center your meal around carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, beans, or vegetables.

Treat meat as only part of a whole meal instead of the main focus of the meal.

Use fruits or low-fat, low-calorie foods such as sugar-free gelatin for desserts and snacks.

Choose “whole” grains in breads and cereals.

Choose to eat vegetables without butter or sauce.

Choose lean cuts of meat. Use fresh poultry, for example, skinless turkey and chicken.

Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.

Eat fruits for dessert. Use fruits that are canned in their own juice.

Add fruit to plain yogurt.

To increase eating vegetables, stir-fry with 2 oz of chicken and use 1½ cups of raw vegetables.

Snack on vegetables, bread sticks, graham crackers, or unbuttered/unsalted popcorn.

Drink water or club soda.

Table B.3 lists the number of servings suggested and Table B.4 offers an example of the caloric adjustment for 2,000 calories a day using the DASH diet.

Keep a food diary of what you are eating and how you feel.

When your IBS symptoms are getting better, reintroduce one food at a time to see if it makes your IBS symptoms come back or get worse.

Vegetables (bean sprouts, kale, tomato, zucchini, spinach, eggplant, and carrots).

Legumes (eggs, nuts, seeds, and tofu).

Fruits (higher glucose than fructose): Eat only one serving per meal, 3 oz (bananas, blueberries, pineapple, strawberries, oranges, mandarins, and kiwi).

Meats, poultry, and meat substitutes.

Fish and seafood.

Cereals, grains, breads, biscuits, pasta, nuts, and cakes (brown rice, oats, polenta, quinoa, and tapioca).

Condiments, dips, sweets, sweeteners, and spreads (glucose, maple syrup, sugar, and artificial sweeteners including aspartame, saccharin, and stevia).

Dairy foods and eggs (cheddar cheese, feta cheese, parmesan cheese, cream, and lactose-free milk).

Beverages (black tea, coffee, gin, green tea, vodka, water, and white tea).

Wheat (main ingredient in food), barley, and rye.

Garlic.

Onions.

Fruits (higher in fructose than glucose, including apples, apricots, peaches, pears, watermelon, plums, nectarines, mangoes, and cherries).

Vegetables (asparagus, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, leeks, mushrooms, snow peas, and cauliflower).

Legumes (baked beans, black-eyed peas, butter beans, kidney beans, lentils, soybeans, and split peas).

Sweeteners (agave nectar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, and sugar free gum/mints).

Dairy (cottage cheese, cream cheese, milk, ricotta, and yogurt).

Beverages (chai tea, chamomile tea, coconut water, dessert wine, and rum).

If you are taking a blood thinner, you should be aware that certain foods are high in vitamin K.

Vitamin K can interfere with how blood thinners work.

You do not necessarily have to stop eating these foods; just be consistent and maintain your regular eating habits.

Please discuss these foods further with your healthcare provider.

These vitamin K-rich foods include the following:

Foods that are low in vitamin K:

The symptoms from celiac disease are triggered by glutens in your diet. Three cereals that contain gluten are wheat, rye, and barley. Glutens are also present in other products, such as food additives, so it is very important to read all the ingredients on food labels (see Table B.5).

You may also be told to follow a lactose-free diet for a short time to help your symptoms.

Most bread sold in the grocery aisle is not allowed on a gluten-free eating plan.

All vegetables and fruits are gluten-free. However, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables may contain an additive with gluten.

Although you should not enjoy beer, wine is still on the menu when you go to dinner.

Specialty bakeries are able to make gluten-free cakes for special occasions. Plain hard candy, marshmallows, and other candies are usually gluten-free.

Caution should be taken when ordering any breaded foods such as chicken nuggets or breaded fish.

Deli meats may also contain gluten.

Gluten-free foods are often not fortified with vitamins and minerals. It is recommended to take a daily multivitamin.

Read the Nutrition Facts food label for fiber content per food serving.

Increase fiber in your diet gradually to prevent gas. Adding too much fiber too quickly may give you abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation. Increase your fiber over several weeks so that it gives time for you to adjust.

As you increase fiber, it is also important to increase the amount of fluids you drink up to six to eight glasses a day, including tea, milk, fruit juices, coffee, and even soft drinks. The extra fluids that you drink along with the extra fiber makes you feel fuller, which can help control snacking.

Keep a food diary and review it periodically to decide on other diet adjustments that need to be made.

Several fiber supplements are available over-the-counter (OTC) to help you get your daily recommendation of fiber.

Bran: Add 1 teaspoon of whole-grain bran to food three times a day, or take an OTC fiber supplement, such as psyllium (Metamucil), as directed.

Whole-grain cereals and breads: Eat oat, bran, multigrain, light, wheat, or rye breads rather than pure white bread or breads that list eggs as a major ingredient. Grains are not only a good source of fiber but also contain vitamins and minerals. Folic acid has been added to breads and cereals to help reduce neural tube defects.

Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables: Citrus fruits are especially good sources of fiber. Eat raw or minimally cooked vegetables, especially squash, cabbage, lettuce and other greens, and beans. Leave the skin on fruits and vegetables; eating the whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. Whole tomatoes offer more fiber than peeling the skin off. The more colorful the fruit and vegetable (dark green, reds, blue, yellow), the better; they provide a good source of antioxidants that are good for the heart and prevention of some cancers. Apples are a good source of both fiber and water.

Legumes (pods): Peas and beans are a good source of fiber. Add chickpeas and kidney beans to salads for extra fiber and flavor. Add baked beans as a delicious side item to your meal.

Coffee is another source of fiber.

Nuts are an excellent source of fiber. They are considered nutrient-dense and are a good source of vitamins and folic acid. Sprinkle sunflower seeds on a salad to add flavor and fiber. The amount of nuts eaten should be limited to 1 to 2 oz because they are also high in calories.

If you have diverticulosis, avoid foods with seeds or indigestible material that may block the neck of a diverticulum, such as nuts, corn, popcorn, cucumbers, tomatoes, figs, strawberries, and caraway seeds.

Limit or omit foods that contain milk, lactose, whey, or casein.

Lactose-controlled diets allow up to 1 cup of milk per day for cooking or drinking, if you can tolerate it.

Read labels carefully. If you cannot tolerate any lactose, choose lactose-free foods with lactate, lactic acid, lactalbumin, whey protein, sodium caseinate, casein hydrolysates, and calcium compounds.

You may also choose kosher foods marked “pareve” or “parve,” which do not contain lactose. Read labels carefully.

A low-fat diet is important if you have fat malabsorption.

To help with diarrhea due to malabsorption, avoid more than one serving a day of caffeine-containing drinks.

Beverages with high sugar content, such as soft drinks and fruit juices, may increase diarrhea. Juices and fruits with high amounts of fructose include apples, pears, sweet cherries, prunes, and dates.

“Sugarless” sorbitol-containing candies and gums may cause diarrhea.

Read food labels. Use the ingredient list on labels to identify products containing saturated fat. High-fat ingredients may have many names. Remember: Foods can say “no cholesterol” and still be high in saturated vegetable fat and calories.

Train yourself to think “low fat” in your food and cooking methods:

Eat less-fried food, fast food, and baked products.

Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Organize your shopping around low-fat foods.

Add flavor to foods by using herbs and spices instead of butter and sauces.

Choose coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, or a dill pickle instead of fries and chips.

Proteins/meats:

Breads/cereals:

Fruits and vegetables:

Milk/dairy products:

Very high-fat foods:

Proteins/meats:

Breads/cereals:

Fruits and vegetables:

Milk/dairy products:

Allowed high-fat foods:

You may be told to use a BRAT diet. This is a combination of foods that make up a bland diet and help with nausea and vomiting: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast as tolerated.