Low FODMAP Cracker Barrel: Your Complete Ordering Guide for IBS

May 24, 2026

Low FODMAP Cracker Barrel: Your Complete Ordering Guide for IBS

By Dr. Onikepe Adegbola, MD PhD — Johns Hopkins-trained physician-scientist and founder of Casa de Sante

Key Takeaways

Cracker Barrel's "homestyle" cooking is a mixed bag for IBS — simple grilled meats are safe, but most sides are loaded with butter, cream, and onion
Best strategy: grilled protein (chicken, catfish, or steak) with safe vegetable sides
Cracker Barrel's breakfast menu is surprisingly IBS-friendly — eggs, grits, and bacon are all low FODMAP
Avoid the famous dumplings, meatloaf, and hashbrown casserole — all contain garlic, onion, and/or wheat
The country store candies and snacks are tempting but often contain high FODMAP ingredients (honey, dried fruit, HFCS)

Breakfast (The Best Time to Eat at Cracker Barrel for IBS)

✅ Eggs (any style): Scrambled, fried, poached. Zero FODMAPs. Request cooked in butter (small amount is typically tolerable) or ask for oil if lactose-sensitive.
✅ Grits: Corn-based, low FODMAP. Request plain or with just butter. Skip the cheese grits (cheese sauce likely contains garlic/onion).
✅ Bacon or turkey sausage links: Bacon is cured pork — low FODMAP. Turkey sausage links are typically safer than pork sausage patties (which may contain garlic/onion seasoning).
✅ Fresh fruit cup: Ask what is included — berries, grapes, and melon are low FODMAP. Apples and pears in excess are not.
⚠️ Pancakes/Biscuits: Wheat = fructans. One pancake or biscuit may be tolerable. Cracker Barrel's biscuits are famous but contain wheat, butter, and buttermilk.
❌ Hashbrown Casserole: Contains cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, and likely onion. High FODMAP multiple ways.

Best IBS Breakfast at Cracker Barrel

2 eggs (scrambled or fried) + grits (plain, butter) + bacon (3 strips) + fresh fruit + coffee

Simple, safe, satisfying. One of the best IBS-friendly breakfasts at any chain restaurant.

Lunch/Dinner

Safe Proteins

✅ Grilled Chicken Tenderloins: Request without sauce/glaze. Plain grilled chicken is the safest option.
✅ Country Fried Catfish (grilled option): If grilled catfish is available, request plain with lemon. The fried version has wheat breading.
⚠️ Pork Chop: Grilled pork chop, no sauce. Request plain. Some locations pre-season with garlic — ask.
❌ Meatloaf: Contains onion, garlic, breadcrumbs (wheat), and ketchup/glaze. Classic high-FODMAP item.
❌ Chicken and Dumplings: Wheat dumplings in a cream/butter sauce with onion. Avoid.
❌ Country Fried Steak: Wheat breading + cream gravy with garlic/onion. Avoid.

Safe Sides

✅ Corn on the Cob: Corn is low FODMAP. Request plain or with just butter.
✅ Steamed Broccoli: Request plain, no butter sauce. Steamed is best.
✅ Side Salad: Lettuce, tomato. Oil and vinegar dressing.
✅ Baked Sweet Potato: Sweet potato at 1/2 cup is low FODMAP. Request plain or with just butter and cinnamon.
⚠️ French Fries: Potatoes and oil — the ingredients are fine. High fat is the concern.
❌ Fried Okra: Wheat breading. Also, okra in large amounts can be moderate FODMAP.
❌ Turnip Greens: Often cooked with onion.
❌ Pinto Beans: Beans = GOS = high FODMAP.
❌ Mac and Cheese: Wheat pasta + dairy sauce. Double FODMAP.

🛒 Southern Comfort Without the Pain

Cracker Barrel's homestyle cooking means hidden butter, cream, and onion in nearly everything. Casa de Sante Digestive Enzymes before your meal provide a safety net for the unavoidable trace FODMAPs. Shop Now →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cracker Barrel good for IBS?

Better than most "homestyle" restaurants because they have simple grilled options alongside the heavily sauced items. The breakfast menu is particularly IBS-friendly. Just avoid the creamy casseroles, dumplings, and gravy-heavy dishes.

Can I eat the biscuits?

One Cracker Barrel biscuit is roughly equivalent to 2 slices of wheat bread in fructan content. If you tolerate moderate wheat, one biscuit is manageable. If wheat is a strong trigger, skip the biscuit and enjoy extra grits or fruit instead.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. Menu items and recipes change. Verify current ingredients with the restaurant. Dr. Adegbola is the founder of Casa de Sante.

Back to blog

Keto. Paleo. No Digestive Triggers. Shop Now

No onion, no garlic – no pain. No gluten, no lactose – no bloat. Low FODMAP certified.

Stop worrying about what you can't eat and start enjoying what you can. No bloat, no pain, no problem.

Our gut friendly keto, paleo and low FODMAP certified products are gluten-free, lactose-free, soy free, no additives, preservatives or fillers and all natural for clean nutrition. Try them today and feel the difference!