IBS meal plan, steady meals, steady days.
NHS advice for IBS starts with regular meals, no rushing, and oats. The ACG favors soluble fiber. This week is not the strict low FODMAP elimination. It is a gentle, everyday week at about 1,600 calories. Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from NHS, NIDDK and ACG IBS guidance.
The rules
Three habits for everyday IBS days
Eat on a schedule
Do not skip meals, and do not eat too quickly.
Soluble fiber first
Oats, barley, psyllium, carrots and peeled potatoes.
Cap the extras
Keep caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks and very fatty food small.
Sample week
Seven steady days for IBS
About 1,520 to 1,615 calories a day, with about 28 g of fiber. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
Blood in your stool, a hard lump or swelling in your tummy, or symptoms lasting over 4 weeks that no one has checked need a clinician. Do not start a low FODMAP diet on your own; it works best with a dietitian.
Day 1Monday
BreakfastOatmeal with blueberries and chia½ cup dry rolled oats cooked with 1 cup milk, ½ cup blueberries, 1 tbsp chia seeds
LunchGrilled chicken with rice and carrots4 oz chicken breast, 1 cup cooked white rice, 1 cup carrots, 1 tsp olive oil
SnackRice cakes with peanut butter and kiwi2 rice cakes, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 kiwi
DinnerBaked salmon with potatoes and green beans5 oz salmon, 1 cup boiled potatoes, 1 cup green beans
About 1,550 kcal99 g protein26 g fiber
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastEggs on sourdough with cooked spinach2 eggs scrambled in 1 tsp butter, 1 slice sourdough, 1 cup cooked spinach, ½ cup blueberries
- LunchTurkey sandwich with carrot sticks3 oz turkey, 2 slices whole-grain bread, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce, 1 cup carrot sticks
- SnackOatcakes with almond butter3 oatcakes, 1 tbsp almond butter
- DinnerBaked cod with quinoa and green beans5 oz cod, 1 cup cooked quinoa, 1 cup green beans, 2 tsp olive oil
About 1,540 kcal105 g protein27 g fiber
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastPorridge with banana and cinnamon½ cup dry rolled oats cooked with 1 cup milk, 1 banana, cinnamon
- LunchChicken and whole-wheat pasta salad4 oz chicken, 1½ cups cooked whole-wheat fusilli, cucumber, 2 tsp olive oil
- SnackGreek yogurt with strawberries and chia¾ cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup strawberries, 1 tbsp chia seeds
- DinnerRoast chicken with sweet potato and zucchini5 oz chicken breast, 1 cup sweet potato, 1 cup zucchini, 1 tsp olive oil
About 1,620 kcal118 g protein28 g fiber
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastBuckwheat pancakes with blueberries2 small buckwheat pancakes, ½ cup blueberries, 1 tbsp almond butter
- LunchChicken and rice bowl with carrots4 oz chicken breast, 1 cup cooked white rice, 1 cup carrots, 1 tsp olive oil
- SnackBanana with walnuts and raspberries1 banana, 1 tbsp walnuts, ½ cup raspberries
- DinnerBaked white fish with mashed potato and peas6 oz cod, 1 cup mashed potato with milk and butter, ½ cup peas
About 1,590 kcal109 g protein27 g fiber
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastToast with peanut butter and strawberries2 slices whole-grain toast, 1 tbsp peanut butter, ½ cup strawberries
- LunchChicken and vegetable soup with bread2 cups chicken and vegetable soup with 3 oz chicken, 1 slice whole-grain bread
- SnackRice cakes with almond butter and a pear2 rice cakes, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 pear
- DinnerGrilled chicken with quinoa and carrots5 oz chicken breast, 1 cup cooked quinoa, 1 cup carrots, 2 tsp olive oil
About 1,580 kcal103 g protein32 g fiber
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastOatmeal with kiwi and yogurt½ cup dry rolled oats cooked with ½ cup yogurt, 1 kiwi, 1 tbsp chia seeds
- LunchTuna and potato salad with egg1 can tuna, 1 cup boiled potatoes, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 hard-boiled egg, cucumber
- SnackCottage cheese with peach½ cup cottage cheese, 1 peach
- DinnerBaked salmon with rice and green beans5 oz salmon, 1 cup cooked white rice, 1½ cups green beans, 1 tsp olive oil
About 1,520 kcal107 g protein24 g fiber
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastScrambled eggs on sourdough with tomato2 eggs scrambled in 1 tsp butter, 2 slices sourdough, ½ cup sliced tomato
- LunchChicken and barley soup with bread2 cups soup with 3 oz chicken, ½ cup cooked barley, carrots and celery, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 slice whole-grain bread
- SnackYogurt with banana and chia½ cup plain yogurt, ½ banana, 1 tbsp chia seeds
- DinnerRoast chicken with potatoes and green beans5 oz roast chicken, 1 cup boiled potatoes, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup green beans, 2 tsp olive oil
About 1,610 kcal117 g protein29 g fiber
Shopping list
What to buy
Most days
Chicken, fish and eggsChicken breast, salmon, cod, tuna, eggs, turkeychicken breastsalmonegg
Now and then
- Fatty, spicy takeawayFried food and heavy takeaway, now and then only
Fizzy drinks count in the extras too. Sparkling water is often easier than soda.
Make it yours
This week is a sample. Alma builds yours.
- Meals fit to your goal and the foods you like
- Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds
- Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100
Questions
What people ask
What should you eat if you have IBS?
Start with regular meals, no skipping and no rushing, then build on soluble fiber such as oats, barley and psyllium. The NHS also says no more than 3 caffeinated drinks a day, not lots of alcohol, fizzy drinks or fatty food, and no more than 3 portions of fresh fruit a day.
Is the low FODMAP diet the first step for IBS?
Often later. The ACG guideline recommends a limited trial of low FODMAP eating, and says it needs three stages and ideally a trained dietitian. This week is the everyday eating that comes first. The low FODMAP meal plan covers the next step.
Does fiber help IBS?
Soluble fiber helps many people. The ACG guideline suggests soluble fiber such as psyllium, oat bran and barley, and not insoluble fiber. In its review, wheat bran gave no significant benefit, which is why bran cereals sit in the now and then group here.
How much fruit can you eat with IBS?
The NHS says no more than 3 portions of fresh fruit a day, and a portion is 80 g. This week keeps to two or three. NIDDK lists dried fruit and large amounts of juice among high FODMAP foods, so keep those small.
Does coffee make IBS worse?
It can. The ACG guideline lists caffeine among food components that can set off reactions in IBS, and the NHS says no more than 3 cups of tea, coffee or other caffeinated drinks a day. Try a smaller cup, or switch to herbal tea, and see how the day goes.
How many calories is this meal plan?
About 1,520 to 1,615 calories a day, with 99 to 118 grams of protein and about 28 grams of fiber. Your needs depend on your size, age and activity, so scale portions up or down. The calorie calculator gives you a starting number.
How does Alma help with IBS?
Log each meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds, and every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100 drawing on Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index. Alma builds a plan around your goal and the foods you like, and the food and symptom diary helps you see which meals sit well.
Sources
Written by Alma from the sources below and reviewed October 28, 2026. Calories and protein are estimates. This is general information, not medical advice. If you manage a health condition or take medication, check changes with your clinician. Editorial standards
- Lacy BE, et al. ACG Clinical Guideline: Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol, 2021
- NIDDK: Eating, diet and nutrition for irritable bowel syndrome
- NHS: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Monash FODMAP: Starting the low FODMAP diet
- USDA FoodData Central, for calorie and protein estimates
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.