Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

You need to get some weight on you, girl!

What have you got in your cupboards right now? I'm not asking you to jump into the wide world of tofu--that's for later. I'm talking about trying to find something good to eat that's safe and appealing right now. Here are some suggestions:

Cook rice with fat-free, MSG-free chicken broth instead of water.

Or cook the rice with salted water like normal, and when it's done pour over a can of MSG-free vegetarian vegetable soup. It's filling, cheap, and the insoluble fiber in the vegies has been thoroughly broken down by long cooking.

Cook carrots thoroughly and make Lemon-Basil Carrots (search the recipe archives).

Eat a baked potato with butter-flavored spray, seasoned salt, and pepper.

Or eat a baked sweet potato with butter-flavored spray and cinnamon-sugar.

Oatmeal is great if you can tolerate it. I can't, but I love grits. I eat them with sugar and soy milk like hot cereal (don't shoot me--I'm a Northerner!).

White bread, English muffins, and crumpets (in the refrigerator case, if you're lucky) are all good toasted and spread with seedless jam.

Try to include a little bit of good fat consistently to help you put on some weight, but just a little bit, so you don't trigger an attack.

For protein, try mixing tuna with low-fat mayo, mustard, pickle relish if you like it, and maybe VERY FINELY CHOPPED celery and/or onion and eating it with crackers.

Or you could do the same with canned white-meat chicken.

Hummus is another source of protein, good fat (olive oil), and soluble fiber. Eat it with white pita bread. And you don't have to make your own--the deli case at the grocery should carry a couple of different brands. I like Tribe of Two Sheiks.

Additive-free turkey, such as the lunch meat available at a health food store, would make a safe sandwich with mustard and low-fat mayo. Skip the lettuce and tomato for now. Maybe add some hummus to your sandwich, though.

I hope this helps and isn't just more overwhelming material to absorb. I know how it feels to be nauseated all the time (in my case, it was an "acid condition")--I didn't eat anything for a looong time till that cleared up. And I felt so bad from not eating, it was just a vicious cycle.

Here's hoping you'll feel much better soon!

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