SIBO diet kitchen essentials
Having your kitchen stocked with the right ingredients is going to help set you up for SIBO treatment success. It's not just about what to have in the kitchen, it's what not to have; if you're anything like me if there's chips or chocolate readily available, I am very, very tempted, especially if I know it's restricted, so keeping these things out of your house while you're going through treatment is going to save you a lot of heartache.Let's go through the staples that are going to set you up for success:
Eggs
Unless you're intolerant, eggs are your best friend; fry, scramble or boil them, make a frittata or Spanish omelette, shakshuka (eggs cooked in tomato, spices and veggies), pancakes or add them to a stir fry. These nutrient dense little powerhouses will keep you going.
Protein powder
Find a protein powder that works for you, it's important to try and find plant based sources of protein and fats as the SIBO diet can be very animal protein heavy which isn't great for your body. I like Sacha Inchi protein powder personally. Adding a quality protein powder to a smoothie will help make it into a meal.
Salad ingredients
Crunchy fresh salads are usually avoided during herbal treatment, this is because we don't want to give our gut microbes food to ferment. Sometimes though you just feel like a salad, especially if the weather is warm so I suggest keeping the fridge stocked with ingredients like fresh herbs, capsicum, cucumber, celery, cabbage and lettuce.
Coconut aminos
During my treatment coconut aminos were a saviour! Such a great substitute for soy sauce and so much better for you.
Garlic infused extra virgin olive oil
Another saviour if you miss garlic in your food, just don't heat extra virgin olive oil because you'll lose the health benefits.
Ghee and coconut oil
Ghee and coconut oil are my two top oils for cooking as they have a high smoke point.
Mustard
Get it from your health food store and read the label to make sure there's no onion or garlic. Mustard such as Dijon can be added to extra virgin olive oil and lemon to make a salad dressing, or can be a great accompaniment to a steak.
Bone broth
Try to keep some in the fridge so you can have some as a drink but so you can make wonderful nutrient dense soups to heal your gut.
Tinned wild Alaskan salmon or sardines
Add them to a salad or maybe mash the sardines on some SIBO friendly toast. These will be a source of calcium on a dairy free diet.
Nutritional yeast
This one may be controversial being yeast, but it's a form of yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii which has been shown to have health benefits for IBS. However, if unsure ask your health practitioner. I love it because it adds a cheesy flavour to food.I hope this list helps you navigate your SIBO / IBS diet journey. It's not exhaustive by all means, so if you have any pantry essentials you love - leave a comment below.
Health and healing,
Meredith