Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Violette:

Finding snacks to eat shouldn't be difficult if you have IBS, what may be difficult, though, is finding the time to prepare those snacks. I find I can't just buy prepared food like everyone else to eat for snack. I have to make my own. However, if I invest a little time in advance preparation, I can find lots to eat for a snack. I am forced to invest this time because (in addition to having IBS) I have some blood sugar problems so I can't afford to get hungry and let my glucose level drop.

If you have time, cook some chicken breast and/or turkey breast and slice it up and keep little packages of it in the freezer for sandwiches. Perhaps someone on this board can advise whether cooked poultry needs to be heated or can be eaten cold once it has been thawed from the freezer.

I find the following items also to be good for snacks:

- mix up a couple of egg whites and add a small quantity of herbs that would go well together and that you can tolerate. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes (or until done) at 350 Fahrenheit and put it on bread for a snack later in the day. (Of course, keep the sandwich refrigerated.) I often make the egg mixture when I get up in the morning. I pop it in the oven and it's ready by the time I have finished showering. By the way, you may need to grease the baking dish a little. Use Earth Balance organic buttery spread (see below). You may also need to add a little water to the egg mixture.

- buy bread, bagels, etc. from a good Jewish bakery. Make sure the bread products are "parve" so they won't contain any milk products.

- Yehuda matzoh is a great substitute for crackers. It is made from just water and wheat flour (check the ingredients), and the flour seems to be white flour because it totally agrees with me.

-I continue to recommend Earth Balance organic buttery spread, a non-dairy (vegan) substitute for butter that contains natural ingredients that seem to be very safe and no chemicals. I have a severe case of IBS and this spread has been a godsend because it agrees with me 100 per cent!

- Bake up some of Heather's banana bread. If you want to make apple bread instead, you can substitute apple sauce for the banana and add about 1 tspn of cinnamon. If you can't tolerate sugar, then omit the sugar from the mixture. The recipe will still work. Once baked and cooled, slice the banana bread and freeze it so you can remove a slice or two at a time whenever you want some.

- If you don't have time to bake but want something a little sweet (but not too fattening), spread a little Earth Balance on bread or a bagel and put a little fruit babyfood sauce like pear sauce or apple sauce or apple/strawberry sauce on top (check ingredients to ensure the babyfood doesn't contain any additives or other junk). This is an extremely tasty treat without any added sugar!

- Invest in an insulated lunch bag/container and some freezer packs. (Places like Office Depot and Staples sell them.) Pack up your lunch bag with snacks that need refridgeration. The food will stay cool for hours. I do this whenever I am going anywhere for longer than a couple of hours or when I am travelling, including taking flights somewhere. I never go hungry because I bring tons of food in my lunch container and I find it stays cool for as long as eight hours if I pack it right with enough freezer packs.

Alas, I have to stay away from soy cheese because I cannot tolerate casein.

Belinda

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