Anyone tried a Bland Diet??

Yes! I'm currently on this bland diet, what my husband has nicknamed "The White Diet", since most of the foods I eat are white. Bay's plain English Muffins (found in the dairy aisle near cream cheese), plain white bread (I find that fresh bakery bread from your neighborhood bakery is the best for my gut), applesauce, bananas, mashed potatoes (instant over real is sometimes better for my touchy gut), white rice, turkey, chicken.

I can add iceberg salads, frozen cooked vegetables such as corn or peas. Fresh, cooked well vegetables such as green beans, asparagus, carrots, etc.

But I avoid all fresh berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries), fresh pineapple, kiwi, oranges. Occasionally I can enjoy a peeled very ripe yellow apple.

I avoid nuts and candy too.

You can perform a search for "low residue diet", which is in a sense a bland, plain diet. Dubbed the BRAT diet.

But I definitely notice a difference when I eat very plain foods. These seem to irritate my GI tract the least. And sometimes even turn around D-like symptoms if I've eaten something I shouldn't have. You can tell when I need a "good for my gut" dinner, I buy a cooked/roasted whole deli chicken from my local Kroger store, a container of Bob Evans plain mashed potatoes, I then either make fresh green beans or make frozen vegetables, add a bagged iceberg lettuce salad mix, etc. Along with possibly fresh rolls or bread (plain bread type, the italian bread loaves you heat and slice, etc.).

I also keep Stouffer's plain dinners on hand, the portions are ideal. One of my favorite meals are the simple turkey, stuffing (which I skip) and mashed potatoes. Or a chicken pot pie. I usually try to keep one or both in my freezer. If my family is eating pizza or chili, I just eat a meal I know will go down well for my gut.

Canyonbabe, this diet really does make sense when your insides are irritated, to the point of being swollen and having repeated bm's. Not exactly D but numerous in amount. My surgeon said to eat anything I wanted. Wrong advice! I read about a low residue diet online and went on it. Within 48 hours I was a new person, I could leave my bathroom and bedroom area! I could actually go somewhere in the car and drive the car! I felt so free. A week or so later I had another post-op appt. I mentioned the diet and how much it helped me (still does!) My surgeon paused, giving my sudden diet news some serious thought. I thought, oh no, he's going to say - go off that diet! And I made a split second decision in my mind, if he said that, I was going to lie thru my teeth - go off the diet, sure I'll do that. Not! But he actually said - you know what, that diet makes complete sense to me! I quickly agreed and said of course - well then, if any of your other patients are having trouble like I am, tell them about a LRD! Now he said he would but I'm not so sure he did that. LOL. But I got my point across - I could no longer eat anything I wanted. Those days were over for me and for the most part, still are. It's been 10 years and I'm still kicking. Cancer has not returned. Sure it's not the ideal diet but I can't live my life from my bathroom! I eat this way so I can live as normal a life as possible.

I avoid red meat also. Especially steak - I haven't had a steak in over 10 years. Don't even miss them! I always joke my favorite meal is a Thanksgiving Day dinner (but small portions).

thank you for all the replies!!! it's tough finding food to eat that's diet approved since i live on a college campus :( i feel confident though after reading the responses it will help me once i really get myself on it (i've already seen some improvement!) hoping this will be the thing that finally solves my problems :)

Can't you opt out of the dining hall. Years ago we were able to opt out if the doctor said you need a special diet. We got our doctor to say that I had Colitis and needed a bland diet so ate out all the time. A little more expensive but worth it.