Bland diet recipes without common trigger foods

A bland diet leaves out the foods that often cause wind, a feeling of fullness or heartburn – otherwise you eat as usual. The recipes here contain no pulses, cabbage, onion, leek, peppers, cucumber, mushrooms, fried food, chilli, coffee or alcohol, and have no more than 20 g of fat per serving. What suits you is individual.

In German clinical nutrition, this diet is defined by the professional societies for nutrition and dietetics: it leaves out foods that cause symptoms in more than 5% of patients. We check every recipe against the list in the bland diet fact sheet from the Institute of Nutritional Medicine at the Technical University of Munich – ingredients, title and fat per serving. We don't check the cooking method: fry gently rather than searing at high heat.

Bland diet recipes

• Berry smoothie bowl with spinach and chia seeds – 380 kcal
• Vegan turmeric and ginger juice with orange – 95 kcal
• Quick banana and oat cookies – 180 kcal
• High-protein quark semolina bake with cherries – 350 kcal
• Vegan peanut butter and date snack – 240 kcal
• Gluten-free overnight oats with berries and chia seeds – 380 kcal
• Baked oats with a blueberry lava centre – 420 kcal
• High-protein cinnamon roll porridge with skyr frosting – 498 kcal
• High-protein apple and cinnamon cookies with oats and quark – 274 kcal
• Protein smoothie bowl with berries – 400 kcal
• Vegan almond rice pudding with cherries for Christmas breakfast – 333 kcal
• High-protein cookie bowl – 380 kcal
• Gluten-free berry protein smoothie bowl with almond butter – 340 kcal
• One-pot chicken pasta with spinach – 520 kcal
• Classic açaí bowl with berries and granola – 340 kcal
• High-protein raspberry skyr with chia seeds – 290 kcal
• Pink dragon fruit smoothie bowl – 400 kcal
• Vegan redcurrant and apple juice – 80 kcal
• Vegetarian quark and berry bake – 280 kcal
• High-protein quark and berry crumble – 320 kcal
• Protein porridge with blueberries – 310 kcal
• Fresh vegan beetroot and apple juice – 140 kcal
• High-protein peanut butter porridge – 400 kcal
• High-protein turkey quinoa bowl with tahini – 540 kcal

Frequently asked questions

What can I eat on a bland diet?

Potatoes, rice, pasta, oats, toast, cooked veg such as carrots, courgette, fennel, spinach, broccoli or kohlrabi, lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy and ripe fruit are usually well tolerated. That's what the fact sheet from the Technical University of Munich says.

What should I eat with gastritis?

The Munich fact sheet lists this diet for gastritis, inflammation of the oesophagus and stomach ulcers, among others. It includes several small meals, eating slowly and chewing well, nothing too hot or too cold and no alcohol. Your GP will look for the cause of your symptoms.

How long should I follow a bland diet?

As long as you have symptoms. After that, go back to your usual food step by step and try new foods in small amounts. A food diary shows what causes you problems. If your symptoms continue, get them checked by your GP.

Why are broccoli and peas allowed?

The Munich fact sheet explicitly lists cooked veg such as broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, fennel, green beans and fine peas as better tolerated. White cabbage, savoy cabbage, red cabbage, kale and sauerkraut, on the other hand, are on the list of common triggers.

Where does the list come from?

From the 2004 guidance of the German professional societies for clinical nutrition and dietetics (including DGEM, DGE and the German Association of Dietitians) and the bland diet fact sheet from the Institute of Nutritional Medicine at the Technical University of Munich. The recipes don't replace advice from a dietitian.

Related ideas

• Recipes for heartburn and acid reflux
• Recipes for IBS: low-FODMAP and not too fatty
• Low-fructose recipes for fructose malabsorption
• Healthy soups and stews
• Porridge recipes: a warm start to the day