The IBD Dietitian

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The IBD Dietitian

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Helping to move from flares to remission| Rebuild gut health.Thrive
IBD Dietitian | PhD Researcher 🎯Remission-focused🧠 Science.📍Online support +1:1

25/09/2026

Being told your IBD is in remission can feel reassuring.

But what if you’re still bloated? Still rushing to the bathroom? Still experiencing pain or struggling to work out what you can comfortably eat?

It can be confusing particularly when you’re told that your inflammation looks controlled.

One important message from recent research is that symptoms and inflammation don’t always tell the same story.

And that matters for nutrition.

If every uncomfortable gut day leads to another food being removed, your diet can gradually become more restrictive without necessarily addressing what’s actually driving your symptoms.

Persistent symptoms deserve to be explored not simply tolerated, and not automatically managed by cutting out more food.

💜 Want a practical starting point? Join my newsletter and download my FREE 7-Day Gut Symptom Tracker via the link in bio which will take you to my website /free resources or services page. On accessing free resources you will be able to sign up for my newsletter which will have practical tools.

Reference: Mack et al., Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2026.

24/09/2026

IBD in remission… but your gut still doesn’t feel settled?
A recent 2026 review highlighted something important: persistent gastrointestinal symptoms have been reported in up to 40% of people with IBD considered to be in apparent remission. So if the inflammation appears controlled, why can bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation or urgency still persist?
And importantly , does having symptoms automatically mean something you ate was the problem?
I’ll unpack what the research tells us and what this can mean for your nutrition , in my next post.
Stay tuned. 💜
Source: Mack et al. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2026.

A Critical Review of Persistent Gastrointestinal and Extraintestinal Symptoms in Quiescent Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Time for Greater Precision and Clarity
https://doi.org/10.1111/jgh.70223

16/09/2026

When your child has IBD, food can suddenly feel complicated.

Are they eating enough? Are they growing well? Should we be avoiding certain foods? Could food make their inflammation worse or could nutrition actually be part of their treatment?

These are questions I hear from parents all the time.

And this is why nutrition isn’t an “extra” in paediatric IBD care.

Specialist IBD nutrition care goes far beyond handing families a list of foods to eat or avoid. It can involve supporting growth and weight, nutritional adequacy, micronutrient deficiencies and long-term nutritional health while helping families navigate eating through the different stages of IBD.

Importantly, in some children with Crohn’s disease, nutrition can also be used therapeutically as part of treatment, through established approaches such as Exclusive Enteral Nutrition (EEN) and other evidence-based dietary therapies such as CDED, with research continuing into other promising dietary approaches.

The Australian IBD Standards recognise specialist dietetic expertise as part of paediatric IBD services including experience in the use of EEN as treatment.

Because when a child is growing and living with IBD, nutrition deserves specialist attention alongside their medical care.

Looking for personalised 💜 nutrition support for your child with IBD?
Book a 1:1 paediatric IBD nutrition consultation via the link in my bio or head to my website to know more about my services.

15/09/2026

When your child is diagnosed with IBD, suddenly you’re not just their parent.

You’re learning about medications, blood tests, scopes and symptoms. You may be watching their growth, worrying about what they’re eating, wondering whether they’re getting enough nutrition while also trying to protect their childhood and help life feel as normal as possible. 💜

That’s why children with IBD aren’t simply “small adults.”

IBD during childhood and adolescence can affect growth, puberty, nutrition, bone health and psychological wellbeing all while a child is still growing, developing and finding their way in the world.

And parents shouldn’t have to navigate all of that alone.

The Australian IBD Standards recognise the importance of specialist, age-appropriate, multidisciplinary paediatric IBD care.

As a paediatric IBD dietitian, this is something I feel strongly about: nutrition care for a child with IBD isn’t simply about what they should or shouldn’t eat. It’s about supporting growth, nutritional adequacy, treatment, confidence around food and the needs of the growing child alongside their medical care.

If you’re a parent navigating IBD with your child, I hope this is a reminder that it’s okay to need specialist support along the way. 💜

Looking for personalised nutrition support for your child with IBD?
You can book a 1:1 paediatric IBD nutrition consultation via the link in my bio.

Source: Crohn’s & Colitis Australia — Australian IBD Standards 2016.

10/09/2026

Jumping on the 80s trend, with an IBD 💜 nutrition 🍽️twist! ✨

Some IBD diet advice really does belong in the 80s…

For many years, people with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis were routinely advised to follow a low-fibre diet, often regardless of their disease activity, symptoms or individual needs.

But approach to IBD nutrition has evolved.

Having IBD does not automatically mean avoiding fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and other fibre-containing foods. When tolerated and clinically appropriate, including a variety of plant foods can support nutritional adequacy, dietary diversity and the gut microbiome.

There are still situations where temporarily modifying the amount or texture of fibre may be appropriate; for example, with certain active symptoms, a known narrowing or stricture, or around some procedures and surgery.

The important message? Fibre advice should be individualised, not applied as a blanket restriction to everyone with IBD.

SWIPE to move this outdated advice back where it belongs ➡️

Were you told to avoid fibre simply because you have IBD?
A little help from AI to bring these 80s-inspired images to life.

09/09/2026

If you’re a woman living with IBD, it can be easy to assume that every abdominal or bowel symptom is related to your Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

But sometimes, we need to look beyond the IBD.

Endometriosis and IBD can coexist and there can be considerable overlap in symptoms, including abdominal and pelvic pain and changes around bowel movements.

So if you have IBD but are also experiencing significant period pain, heavy periods, persistent pelvic pain, pain during s*x, or pain with bowel movements or urination particularly around your period these symptoms are worth discussing with your healthcare team.

It *doesn’t* mean you have endometriosis. But it does mean we shouldn’t automatically assume every symptom is your IBD or that another food needs to come out of your diet.

As an IBD dietitian, part of good care is knowing when symptoms may need investigation beyond nutrition.

🤓Sometimes the next step isn’t another dietary restriction. It’s asking whether something else needs investigating.

Save this as a reminder and share it with another woman living with IBD who may find it helpful.

02/09/2026

Dinner tonight 🌾🥣

A simple, comforting 15-minute one-pot meal — but look at the plant variety packed into it:

🌾 3 grains — cracked wheat + tri-colour quinoa + pearl millet
🫑 2 veggies — onion + capsicum
🌿 2 herbs/spices — ajwain (carom seeds) + bay leaf
🫒 1 plant oil

That’s 8 different plant foods in one simple meal -pressure cooked ⏲️🧑🏻‍🍳🌱

When we talk about increasing plant diversity for gut health, it doesn’t have to mean complicated recipes or elaborate meals.

Sometimes it’s simply about mixing a few different grains, adding whatever veggies you have, and building variety into foods you already enjoy.

And the bonus? I made extra — tomorrow’s after-school light meal for my daughter is sorted too 😊

For people with IBD, the type, texture and amount of fibre you tolerate may vary depending on your disease activity, symptoms and any strictures — so plant variety can always be personalised to you.

30/08/2026

: absolutely smashing his fibre goals. 🌿😃
You don’t have to this way.

Including Fibre in diet doesn’t have to look like this. 🌿
Unless you’re a quokka 😂

26/08/2026

Had a bad experience with a high-fibre food? That doesn’t necessarily mean all fibre is a problem.

Different types, amounts and forms of fibre can be tolerated very differently — particularly depending on where you are in your IBD journey.

The goal? Finding the fibre that works for you, rather than fearing all fibre. 🌱

Individual advice is important, especially with active disease or strictures.

25/08/2026

Are you cutting out more and more foods because they seem to trigger your IBD symptoms?

Food restriction can feel like the safest solution — but it can quickly become a slippery slope.

Before removing another food, the question is: is the food really the trigger?

Find the trigger before you restrict. 🌿

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https://www.ibddietitian.com.au/

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