Summer Eating, Simplified: Five Recipes for a Gut-Friendly Diet
Published: July 7, 2025
Eating Well This Summer with a Gut-Friendly Diet
Summer is the perfect time to savor fresh flavors—whether it’s juicy berries from the farmer’s market or a backyard BBQ with loved ones.
For those living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), navigating food choices can be tricky, but nutrition plays an important role in managing symptoms and feeling your best.
The good news? The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation has expert tips to help you enjoy the delicious moments of summer with more confidence and less stress.
Eating to support your digestive health
Restoring digestive health and maintaining nutrition with IBD can feel like a delicate balancing act. It’s important to remember that everyone’s experience with food is different; IBD affects each person uniquely, and what works for someone else may not work for you.
Diet choices also often shift depending on whether someone is having a flare or is in remission. While certain foods might trigger symptoms or increase the risk of active disease for some, others may tolerate them just fine. That’s why working closely with your doctor and a dietitian is key to finding the right approach tailored to your individual needs.
Visit the Foundation’s Diet and Nutrition webpage to learn more about how diet impacts IBD, and refer to the What Should I Eat webpage for guidance on food choices.
In-season produce to look for this summer
With the arrival of summer comes in-season produce. Fresh berries, melons, zucchini, green beans, and tomatoes are just a few examples of fruits and vegetables that are at their peak and can add a burst of flavor to IBD-friendly summer meals.
Find a few quick tips for enjoying fruits and veggies below:
For individuals seeking to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into their diet, softer options are often a good starting point.
Texture modification, which involves altering the consistency of foods through methods such as peeling, steaming, or pureeing, can help make food easier to digest.
Don’t underestimate canned and frozen options—they’re frozen at peak ripeness to preserve all nutrients.
IBD doesn’t have to mean boring meals—let’s go there with real flavor.
Five Refreshing Summer Recipes for an IBD Diet
Eating with IBD can be a seasonal, delicious, and empowering experience. Summer tastes better when your gut feels good. Discover five easy-to-prepare recipes below.
Bright, fresh, and bursting with flavor, this Greek-style summer omelette combines farm-fresh veggies and tangy feta for a delicious dish that’s perfect for sunny mornings.
Enjoy a vibrant medley of oven‑roasted summer vegetables drizzled with olive oil, garlic, and thyme—fork-tender and flavor-packed.
Cool, creamy, and gut-friendly, these banana and strawberry smoothie pops are the perfect treat to enjoy after a long, sun-soaked day at the beach!
This colorful, gut-friendly roasted red pepper and sweetcorn salsa is savory, sweet, and perfectly zesty. It’s an easy summertime side or dip to brighten any meal!
This sweet and savory watermelon, olive, green bean, and feta salad is a crowd-pleasing picnic dish—refreshing, colorful, and perfect for sharing with friends and family.
Unlock more meal ideas with our Gut-Friendly Recipes finder, where you can explore recipes that are right for your dietary needs and personal tastes.
You can make an impact on IBD cures! Please consider making a donation to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.