2024 Food Trends With IBD

Food is a hot topic not just in the IBD community, but on various social media platforms. There are massive (and growing) numbers of viral food trends to discover and try at home. But can someone with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (UC) participate like everyone else? Or are those in the IBD community forced to avoid trends altogether?

Discover which trends some of our Health Leaders would totally avoid, and any they found to be IBD-friendly!

Cucumber salad trend

Kelsey

Cucumber is my safe comfort food. When I am experiencing a UC flare and can’t face eating full meals, I will often chop up cucumber and eat it alone as the main ingredient is water, which hydrates.

Amanda

Off the bat, this one doesn't seem to be too scary. Cucumbers are a food I can eat in small quantities, but I'm sure that eating an entire cucumber could leave my digestive tract somewhat upset. When I looked at the other ingredients included in some recipes, such as sesame seeds, MSG, garlic, and scallions, I recognized that those were not ideal for me to try.

In theory, I like the idea of adding flavor and pizzazz to a cucumber – increasing your vegetable intake and hydration. I just know this isn't one I could try word-for-word. Perhaps I could dip my cucumbers in sesame sauce or something similarly benign, but again, I'd probably only consume one-third to one-half of a cucumber at a time. And I'd have to wait for my body to signal whether that choice was okay or not to be repeated.

Laura

I love my daily cucumber!! As someone with UC, their high water content and electrolytes make them a super refreshing, easy-to-digest option. It's my nightly snack to cap off the day with hydration and any nutrients I feel I need more of, like fish protein. I can just load 'em up with whatever flavors I'm craving.

Traci

Honestly, this trend is one I totally ignored. As a cucumber hater, I wasn’t interested in watching the “Cucumber Guy.” But for cucumber lovers, I say you can’t go wrong with eating them. The nutrients found in the flesh, skin, and seeds can promote water balance, aid urinary function, and for those with IBD, support a healthy digestive system. So, chop, dice, slice, or grate cucumbers any way you like! For me, I’ll take a pass on this trend.

Bean salad trend

Laura

Hard pass. For my gut, bean salad is a hard no. All those fiber-packed legumes are basically a guaranteed disaster for my IBD. While I know beans are nutritious, they trigger intense bloating, painful trapped gas, and diarrhea for me. This is one trend I'll definitely be scrolling past!

Sahara

Ahh beans. I love beans, but beans don’t love me. I can eat them, but whether I experience pain afterward is very hit-and-miss. I have to chew so thoroughly that I usually get a jaw ache and give up before completing my meal, so beans are something I can only have in moderation. Unfortunately, bean salads never have beans in moderation! However, I have been eating small amounts of bean salad as a side for many years. See, I’m never ON trend!

I know, from speaking to many others in the IBD community about food over the last 10 years, that beans are often thought to be the culprits for blockages and pain for many people.

Kelsey

I have not tried this trend and am unlikely to, as it would probably cause issues and make me go to the toilet straight away due to the large amount of fiber.

Traci

I love anything BEANS!! Yes, bring on more beans! What’s great about bean salad trends is that the recipes are usually easy. I love throwing different kinds of canned beans together, adding in peppers, corn, onions, tomatoes, and cheese. Then, I top it off with Italian dressing. Easy. Excellent. And nutrient-dense with plenty of protein, fiber, and vitamins.

Added to this, the best part of any bean salad is that my body loves its positive digestive effects. A happy gut = no colitis flare. That’s a winning combination to me.

Amanda

I can't eat beans. I don't eat beans. I don't like the texture or the taste, and my GI tract doesn't approve of them at all. When I looked further into the recipe, it includes high fiber and high vegetable content – both things that would cause me pain and increase the frequency of my trips to the bathroom.

I do have some jealousy about not being able to try something like this. The idea of eating "healthy" and feeling "fulfilled" by these ingredients would not only make meal planning/leftovers easier, but my guess is it would also help me lose some weight. And thanks to a lifetime of on-again-off-again prednisone, I'm in desperate need of some external changes.

"Girl dinner" trend

Laura

Eating a whole meal can sometimes be mentally exhausting to think about, physically exhausting to prepare, and overwhelming to eat. Girl dinner can be as much or as little of certain ingredients you’re craving at the moment. It’s also a great way to get some balance in your diet. Being able to assemble a lighter, more customizable plate is perfect when my appetite is all over the place. A few blueberries, a bite of cheese, a deviled egg, and a random cup of leftover stewed zucchini? Sounds like balanced nutrition to me.

Amanda

It's basically a diversified charcuterie board for one – some of which I could definitely get behind (bread, cheese, nuts, small amounts of some fruits, and some vegetables). But there are other desirable pieces like olives, pickles, and cottage cheese that I know my stomach could not get behind.

I also don't love that this viral trend seems to be promoting a snack portion to serve as a meal, which is complicated. Ideally, it's not healthy for a regular individual. However, as an IBD patient, I've learned that I do need to eat smaller portions more often in order to successfully digest as much as possible without feeling sick. So, the controversy around this one feels complicated for me as a person versus as an IBD patient.

I think this is something that could be formulated to be an option for IBD patients – to get protein and nutrients in small servings, which maybe wouldn't make it a trend but just practical eating, lol. But I think we all might already do something like this with items like crackers or carbs, our pre-designated "safe foods".

Traci

I guess I do my own version of a “girl dinner” by keeping a plate of chopped veggies and different cheeses in the fridge. When hunger pangs strike, I just reach for this plate instead of cookies, cakes, or other sweets. In my opinion, grabbing whatever you have on hand in your fridge or cabinet and throwing it on a charcuterie board or plate is fine as long as you assemble healthy choices for your gut. As a vegetarian, I choose to keep my version of a “girl dinner” on hand in the fridge at all times. I just call it a “veggie plate” instead of “girl dinner”.

Tanghulu trend

Sahara

Yummy, I’m totally in! If I were to name my main stumbling block when it comes to a healthy diet, it would be sugar. My IBD and multiple surgeries mean carbs (which the body breaks down into sugar) are something I rely on to keep my output (I live with an ileostomy now) at a consistency that doesn’t lead to frequent leaks. Then there’s actual sugary food, which I’m a sucker for! The second main issue is really struggling to consume the daily recommendation of 30 grams of fiber.

This sweet treat could definitely tempt me into more fruit! I’d still have to be mindful of the type of fruit and chew thoroughly, but I’m imagining this being worth it. Plus, it’s totally stunning, don’t you think?

Traci

As I looked into it and saw beautiful fruit dipped into a sticky, sugary syrup, my first thought was “stay away from that fruit craze”. I like fruit in its natural state. Please don’t add extra calories to it by dipping it in sugar. Is it visually appealing? Absolutely! But so is anything chocolate. With my sweets addiction, I need to stay away from processed sugar and keep close to simpler, gentler food options – such as fruit au natural.

Amanda

Candied fruits, sugary syrup – not for my stomach. This feels like a bummer because the trend looks yummy and sounds easy enough to make, but I know that it would instigate my IBD symptoms fairly immediately. This one I don't feel like would be wise for me to try.

Prebiotic soda trend

Laura

Just because a trend touts gut benefits doesn't mean it works for everyone, especially those with conditions like IBD. I’m a good example of this. Prebiotics and I definitely don’t get along digestively. Anything prebiotic or fermented like kombucha disagrees with my gut. It would be awesome to incorporate these health benefits into my every day, but the bloating and diarrhea are simply not worth it for me. I prefer my fiber in other ways. I also tend not to introduce supplements like this without testing my specific microbiome.

Traci

With cutesy names, colorful branding, and influencer marketing, prebiotic sodas are riding a wave of popularity right now. These new carbonated beverages advertise they contain prebiotic fibers believed to help gut health while also offering lower sugar content than typical sodas.

Lovers of prebiotics believe they aid in improved digestion, stronger immunity, and better mental health. Even though these sodas are currently popular, my UC gut doesn’t take well to them. In my digestive system, I’ve noticed they often cause pain, bloating, and discomfort. So, I’ve learned to walk by them in my local grocery store. It remains to be seen if these new popular drinks truly do help improve digestion. As we often remind readers in this community, what works for one gut might wreak havoc on another.

Sahara

Prebiotic anything is of interest to me, usually. Unfortunately, when it comes to prebiotic soda, I’ve never been able to try one because I can’t tolerate carbonated drinks! It’s always worth noting that if fiber (which is what prebiotics are) is something someone really struggles to include in their diet ordinarily, it should be introduced slowly to avoid potential issues such as changes in bowel habits, gas, and abdominal discomfort.

Amanda

As someone who takes a probiotic and has tried prebiotics before, it feels like a way to get your gut biome more in sync and/or behaving better than it would without the extra support. However, I also don't drink carbonated or sweet drinks, and these seem to contain both fizz and sugar. If I were a soda drinker, I'd be interested in trying this as a substitution or another option, but since I don't, this would not be anything I'm rushing to try.

Sleepy mocktail trend

Amanda

I have actually seen this one traveling around my social media. While I'm somewhat familiar with the ingredients and why they'd be included in a beverage to help you sleep better, I think my sleep troubles are beyond what these ingredients can manage. I've needed prescription medication to sleep for a long time now, and I don't believe that this would be a substitute for that.

In addition, mixing together ingredients that I don't love to taste somewhat blah feels more reminiscent of drinking any type of bowel prep or contrast dye, and that feeling is medically triggering in its own way. Honestly, I try to avoid even liquid medications for this reason. I'd rather just take my prescribed, approved sleeping medication than play around with a drink that may or may not be a placebo for better sleep.

Laura

The message behind this trend is great – sleep is important! However, there’s a lot more to good sleep hygiene than a viral drink recipe. Not everyone can tolerate tart cherry juice or magnesium supplements, which are common ingredients in this trend. Magnesium even in its most gentle forms sends me urgently to the bathroom!

Traci

This sleep-inducing drink looks good. With the two main ingredients of tart cherry juice and magnesium combined, I can understand the impact of melatonin production and decreased levels of cortisol on the body. But instead of spiking my blood sugar level before bedtime, I think I prefer to stick to a melatonin supplement.

Chopped sandwiches trend

Laura

Mangia! This sounds delicious, but I immediately think of the roughage that would wreck my gut if I wasn’t in deep remission. It’s not something I would brag to an IBD audience about. But I do feel lucky to be able to eat this or a chopped salad these days.

Kelsey

I have tried this, and it is a great idea. With my picky fiancé, it is easier to “disguise” the vegetables as they are cut up so small so he doesn’t notice the goodness!

Tomato ice toast trend

Laura

I like the creativity and it’s a fun way to reimagine food, but I prefer fresh tomato. Fun note, though, tomato skin is much easier to peel from a defrosted tomato. So, freezing tomatoes is a good hack for those who aren’t a fan of digesting tomato skin.

Kelsey

Not tried, as personally I don’t like toast to be soggy. So it would make me cringe and it would be fiber overdrive!

Amanda

This one took no research at all. Tomatoes almost always make my stomach hurt – even in the form of tomato juice, tomato soup, or tomato sauce on pizza or pasta, so adding it to toast or burrata is still a hard no. Additionally, why spend the time and energy freezing part of your meal just to use other ingredients to thaw it enough to consume it? This one feels like way more work than it could be worth, even for people who enjoy the involved ingredients.

Scrambled pancakes trend

Kelsey

Not tried but would like to, as it would help to increase my fruit intake and that is sometimes a struggle.

Traci

Well, I used to call these my “mistake” pancakes. I didn’t know this was a real dish. Sometimes, if I didn’t have my pan warmed correctly, or if my pancakes got stuck on the griddle, or if I got distracted while cooking, which is usually how my cooking goes, I usually had to scrape them off. But not wanting to waste good pancake batter, I still ate them as little bits of broken-up pancake. I just thought I was a bad cook for scrambling them on occasion.

Fast-forward to 2024, and now they’re trending. Huh! I guess I need to watch more food videos. Maybe my runny fudge is trending, too? Today, I usually avoid pancakes unless they’re gluten-free for my sensitive gut. Now, I have permission to make GF-distracted, scrambled pancakes. Let’s go!

Amanda

I haven't seen this trend go around, but after looking at it, I'd definitely be open to trying it. Pancakes are one of my safe foods, and breaking them down into smaller pieces makes them even easier to eat. I'm not sure if it's really less work than making regular pancakes, but I think I'd be willing to try it.

Air fryer trends

Traci

I LOVE my air fryer! Any recipe that I can air fry, I’m up and available to try! From reheating day-old cauliflower pizza (which tends to get soggy the next day after being cooked) to sweet potato fries that are cooked without all the fatty oil, I love the ease and efficiency of the air fryer. As someone who doesn’t like spending hours over the stove or oven, I love that the air fryer allows me to whip up scrumptious foods with minimal effort and have an easy cleanup. It’s a game-changer for me!

Kelsey

I have a Ninja dual air fryer that I use every single day! I love it and often make full meat roasts in there, and I'll be doing the same on Christmas day!

Amanda

This category as a whole is something I'm open to, especially if what's being air-fried includes carbs of any form. I don't own an air fryer, so I'm unsure of the limits and possibilities, but as a whole, this could offer some more adventurous/diverse options for people with IBD when it comes to routine meals.

Cheese-wrapped pickles trend

Traci

Cheese and pickles? I love this duo together! But fried cheese wrapped around a pickle? Well, after watching a video on how to make it, I’m willing to try it.

I’m imagining different kinds of cheese slices to try – from provolone, pepper jack, mozzarella, to cheddar, warmed in a pan and wrapped around a juicy dill spear. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! But my added twist would be to dip it in ranch once it cools. That sounds like a scrumptious treat to me! Granted, I haven’t tried it, but I’m willing to grab a pan and some cooking spray to let the “dill-icious” frying begin!

Kelsey

I have not tried this trend but it sounds amazing, as cheese and pickles are 2 of my favorite things. My fiancé also gives me his pickles when we order from McDonald’s!

Laura

Cheese? Good. Pickles? Good. I’ll take 14 of them right now. I feel lucky neither of these two bugs me in any way because it's the perfect combo snack.