Medically Reviewed by: Nicole Anne Vergara, RD

This is a question that most people might ask once they are diagnosed with IBS. Aside from the allowed and prohibited food items, choosing the right meal for your IBS is a valid question! Salads, whether they are vegetables, fruits, or a mix of both, is known to be a healthy incorporation to one’s diet.

 

However, can you still eat a regular salad with IBS? You will learn all the answers right here in this article! We will also be tackling various food items that you may incorporate in your diet to prevent IBS flare-ups. Let’s go!

 

Can You Eat Salad Even If You Have IBS?

Of course! However, now that you know you have IBS, you have to ve very mindful about each ingredient that you consume from your salads. These ingredients, no matter how small their portion is, may pose negative effects on your digestive system. 

 

Common Salad Ingredients To Avoid If You Have IBS

Since we are talking about salads, we have gathered a list of possible salad ingredients that can worsen your IBS symptoms. You can take note of these ingredients so you are aware that these food items may cause your flare-ups. 

 

High FODMAP Vegetables

Salads are known to be packed with tons of vegetables! Unfortunately, there are some vegetables that may cause your IBS symptoms to spike up. Here are some of the vegetables that you should cut out whenever you are making your salad:

 

• Avocados
• Artichokes
• Beets
• Asparagus
• Brussel sprouts
• Celery
• Cauliflower
• Garlik
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Okra
• Peas
• Scallions

Beans and Legumes

We have included these food items since bean salads are very common too. It is quite a known fact that IBS and beans do not go nicely together since they contain lots of carbs that are difficult to digest. If you’re used to eating bean salads, you might want to check out other salad alternatives. 

 

Make sure not to consume these beans and legumes or even add them to your vegetable salads:

 

• Butter beans
• Black eyed peas
• Baked beans
• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Kidney beans
• Lima beans
• Soybeans
• Split peas

 

There are some people who are able to tolerate canned lentils or chickpeas, so you may want to  try if that works for your too! After all, choosing the right food item for your IBS diet depends entirely on your body.

 

Dairy Product

Most ready to eat salad dressings contain dairy products that you should watch out for! These food items are also a no no for people with lactose intolerance. Luckily, there are a lot of salad dressing brands that are now manufactured without any dairy products, and high FODMAP food items like garlic and onion. 

 

Here are some dairy food items to look out for in your salad dressings:

 

• Milk
• Cheese 
• Yogurt

 

For some people who love cheese, you can still enjoy taking cheese but make sure to have the low lactose ones like mozzarella, parmesan, camembert, and brie.

 

Low FODMAP Easy Recipe Dressings To Try!

Most salad dressings have tons of ingredients that are high in FODMAP. If you’re a salad lover, why don’t you try making your own Low FODMAP dressings that are 100% safe? In this section, we will help you transform a regular salad dressing into a Low FODMAP one! 

 

Caesar

Imagine getting instantly banned to the most famous salad dressing of all just because it has garlic in it! But the great news is you can try to make Caesar salad at home, all you need to do is to change garlic and wheat-based croutons.

 

A regular caesar salad contains worcestershire sauce, lemon, olive oil, anchovies, egg, dijon mustard, black pepper, and parmesan cheese. These ingredients are all Low FODMAP, so you won’t have a hard time looking for alternatives.

 

FODMAP Ingredient	Low FODMAP Alternative
Wheat croutons	Sourdough bread
Garlic	Garlic-infused olive oil

 

Ranch

Ranch is very famous for its tangy, sour, and creamy taste that goes well as a dip and a salad dressing.

 

Here’s how you can make Low FODMAP ranch at home:

 

FODMAP Ingredient	Low FODMAP Alternative
Buttermilk	Lactose-free milk/plant-based milk and Lemon juice
Garlic	Garlic infused olive oil
Onion	Chives or green onion tips
Mayonnaise	Low FODMAP mayonnaise

 

How Can Salad Help With IBS Symptoms?

Salads can help with IBS symptoms depending on the type of salad you are consuming. Lettuce, which is one of the most common salad ingredient, is a low fodmap food item that may bring benefits or harm to your body depending on its response. 

 

Lettuce is very low in fiber and low in FODMAP, so iut is very unlikely that it may cause IBS flare-ups. If you feel like this food item is the culprit, try digging deeper on your salad. There might be some ingredients on your salad that maybe causing your flare-ups. 

 

It may be due to your salad dressing, honey, sweeteners, and some other fruits and vegetables that may be causing your stomach to be upset. 

 

Can You Still Enjoy Salad If You Have IBS?

Yes, of course! There are lots of different salads that you can do at home without worrying that it may upset your stomach. It is important to know what types of foods trigger your symptoms, especially when choosing a salad dressing.

 

For your veggies, you can try incorporating these Low FODMAP vegetables on your salad bowl:

 

• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Kale
• Arugula
• Swiss chard
• Bok Choy
• Bean Sprouts
• Red bell peppers
• Carrots
• Chives
• Eggplants
• Cucumbers
• Green beans
• Tomatoes

 

A person diagnosed with IBS may try these vegetables, but one technique that you can use is to try these vegetables one at a time. In this way, you would know if a certain vegetable makes your symptoms worse, and which vegetables are greatly tolerated by your body.

 

Can Vegetables Irritate Your IBS Symptoms?

As of the moment, there are no clinical evidences that consumption of raw vegetables benefit or worsen your IBS symptoms. However, there are still a lot of individuals who report experiencing gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea after eating raw vegetables.

 

Need Professional Help For Your Low FODMAP Diet?

Casa De Sante offers nutrition care plans that also includes ways to manage your IBS, medication management, and lifestyle coaching. Through the help of our dietitians and GI experts, achieve a healthier you today, on your way to healing from IBS!

 

Book an appointment with us today!